Birthworkers of Color Collective

What Birthworkers of Color Collective does

Birthworkers of Color Collective (BWOCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Long Beach, California, that delivers culturally relevant full-spectrum doula services, training, and reproductive justice programming to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Its core operations span an 8-person team managing programs across three physical locations (Long Beach, Michigan, and Guam), with a collective network of 700+ trained doulas produced through 27 cohorts to date. The organization runs a six-month full-spectrum doula training program at $2,400 tuition, alongside abortion doula, Black perinatal health, lactation, and climate justice programs, with sliding-scale fees and scholarships ensuring access for marginalized populations including undocumented individuals, LGBTQIA+ community members, and teen parents.

The business model combines multiple revenue streams: sliding-scale doula service fees, training tuition, Medicaid/Medi-Cal billing support in California, Michigan, and Maryland (where BWOCC is an approved training provider), individual donations and monthly giving programs, branded merchandise sales (t-shirts, tote bags), and institutional grants from foundations such as Goldhirsh Foundation and LA2050 and government sources including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Go-to-market is community-led through word-of-mouth referrals, social media (Facebook, Instagram), direct client intake via online forms, and partnerships with healthcare providers such as L.A. Care Health Plan and regional advocacy organizations. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery is service-based through in-person clinics, virtual cohorts, and distributed community-based doulas.

Distribution extends nationwide through virtual training and the abortion doula program, with regulatory approvals in four states enabling Medicaid reimbursement pathways. The organization has expanded from a volunteer-run grassroots project into a multi-state nonprofit with an 8-person staff, active fundraising campaigns ($90,000 9th anniversary goal, $100,000 Guam capital goal), and a growing operational footprint including two planned new hub locations. Strategic positioning centers on addressing racial disparities in maternal health outcomes through culturally competent care, with founder Stevie Merino serving as Executive Director and providing the cultural and clinical anchor for the model.

Name

Birthworkers of Color Collective

Legal name

Birthworkers of Color Collective

Website

https://birthworkersofcolor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Birthworkers of Color Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains BIPOC doulas and delivers culturally relevant full-spectrum birth, abortion, and lactation support across the US and Guam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternal and Reproductive Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Home Health Care Services (621610)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Midwifery & Birth Centers (HLAFAJAC), Maternal/Newborn & Postpartum Skilled Home Visits (HSABACAK), Newborn/Infant Mother’s Helper Support (HSAAAGAB)

Keywords

• Full spectrum doula services
• Doula training programs
• Perinatal health support
• Reproductive justice advocacy
• Lactation support services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Doula Service Fees: Sliding scale fees for full spectrum doula services including prenatal, labor/birth, postpartum, abortion support, and lactation support. Fees adjusted based on client ability to pay.
2. Training Program Tuition: 6-month full spectrum doula training program with tuition of $2,400. Additional individual training sessions available at $250. Scholarships and sliding scale options available for those with financial need.
3. Medicaid/Medi-Cal Billing: Billing services for Medi-Cal doula providers connecting clients with doulas while ensuring providers receive reimbursement for services under Medicaid programs in California and Michigan.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations at suggested amounts ($50, $100, $200, $1,000). Monthly giving programs. Special fundraising campaigns including 9th anniversary fundraiser with $90,000 goal for hub expansion.
5. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($35-$40), tote bags ($25), and other items. Proceeds support training scholarships.
6. Grant Funding: Funding from foundations and government sources including Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for doula training initiatives. LA2050 grants mentioned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Birthworkers of Color Collective provides full spectrum doula services, including prenatal, labor/birth, postpartum, abortion, and lactation support, to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized communities. The collective also operates a 6-month full spectrum doula training program delivered virtually and in-person across Long Beach, Michigan, and Guam, complemented by Medicaid/Medi-Cal provider enrollment support and community wellness clinics.

Product overview

Birthworkers of Color Collective operates as a multi-service non-profit organization offering a platform of interconnected programs centered on full-spectrum doula training, perinatal health support, and reproductive justice. The core offerings include the Doula of Color Training program (a 6-month full-spectrum training), the Abortion Doula Program, Black Perinatal Health Program, and Lactation Program. These are complemented by Medicaid/Medi-Cal billing support services enabling doulas to receive reimbursement, and community wellness services including clinics and co-working space. The organization serves marginalized communities nationally across the US and Guam, with physical locations in Long Beach, Michigan, and Guam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doula of Color Training Program A 6-month full spectrum doula training program delivered virtually and in regional in-person formats, designed for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to learn culturally relevant birth support through all pregnancy outcomes. Includes 4 full-day mandatory live virtual training days plus self-paced online learning.
• Abortion Doula Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows doulas can decrease rates of cesarean sections, reduce need for pain medications, and increase breastfeeding/lactation rates
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• L.A. Care Health PlancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerL.A. Care Health Plan was honored by Birthworkers of Color Collective for strengthening birth support. This recognition indicates a collaborative relationship supporting equitable maternal health outcomes for L.A. Care members through culturally relevant doula services.
• Awaken RemediescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sliding scale acupuncture clinic offered every first and third Wednesday at the Long Beach office. Services include Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis, Functional Medicine analysis, cupping therapy, and acupuncture designed to reset the central nervous system.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWOCC is an approved training provider with MDHHS. The May 2026 Detroit doula training is sponsored by MDHHS Doula Initiative. This partnership enables Medicaid reimbursement for doula services in Michigan.
• Micronesia Climate Change AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Breastfeeding & Climate Disasters workshop held during Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week on Guam, addressing SUSU & Cultural care during climate disasters.
• Reproductive Justice for All (RJ4A)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Fund Abortion Not War merchandise campaign. $25 from each shirt sold donated to abortion funds (DC Abortion Fund, Midwest Access Coalition, Abortion Fund of Ohio, ARC Southeast) that faced backlash after voicing solidarity with Palestine.
• Pacific Daily NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNews coverage of Village of Care workshop series launch and other BWOCC Guam programs, helping spread awareness of maternal health initiatives.
• Protecting OceaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWOCC signed statement with Protecting Oceania to end militarization of islands and oceans, opposing RIMPAC exercises that threaten sovereignties, cause environmental degradation, and pose health/safety risks.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ancient Song Doula Services: A Brooklyn-based BIPOC-led doula training and services organization offering full-spectrum doula support and Medicaid-billable services; closely comparable to BWOCC in cultural-relevancy positioning and training-plus-service model.
• Uzazi Village: A Kansas City-based BIPOC maternal health nonprofit running doula trainings, lactation support, and perinatal services for communities of color; mirrors BWOCC's training-plus-clinical-services hybrid with similar Medicaid strategy.
• National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC): A national Black-led maternal health organization running doula initiatives, trainings, and advocacy; comparable to BWOCC's Black Perinatal Health program and Medicaid doula strategy.
• Mama Glow: A BIPOC-founded doula training and services company offering certified doula programs, scholarships, and a national practitioner directory; comparable to BWOCC's training cohort model and culturally-relevant positioning.
• The Doula Project: A full-spectrum doula organization specifically known for abortion-doula services; the closest direct functional peer to BWOCC's abortion doula program.
• Carriage House Birth: A Brooklyn-based doula practice and training center offering full-spectrum services, childbirth education, and lactation support; directly comparable to BWOCC's service-plus-training model for BIPOC families.

Others

• SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective: A national reproductive justice organization of Women of Color that convenes the birth-equity ecosystem in which BWOCC operates; comparable as a mission-aligned advocacy and convening peer.
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: A Black-women-led maternal health policy and advocacy coalition aligned with BWOCC's Black Perinatal Health program and broader reproductive justice work.

Broad incumbents

• DONA International: The largest and longest-established doula certification organization globally; serves as the dominant national training credential that frames the broader market in which BWOCC competes.
• Birthing From Within: An established, multi-decade doula training and childbirth education program with a strong curriculum footprint; broadly comparable as a competing training provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/birthworkersofcolor
• Facebookfacebook.com/birthworkersofcolor
• Instagraminstagram.com/birthworkersofcolor/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birthworkers-of-color-collective

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birthworkers of Color Collective