Ostara Initiative
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Ostara Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ostara Initiative
- Legal name
- Ostara Initiative, Inc.
- Website
- https://ostarainitiative.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ostara Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reproductive Justice and Maternal Health Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Trauma-Informed Care & Crisis Response (School-Based) (EDAKAMAF), Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF)
Keywords
Where Ostara Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ostara Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Ostara generates revenue through individual donations, foundation grants, corporate giving, and planned giving vehicles including IRA distributions, stock donations, and legacy bequests. The organization also receives support through donor-advised funds.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Ostara Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ostara Initiative provides trauma-informed doula support to pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated, ensuring they are not alone during pregnancy, labor, or early parenthood. The organization also delivers an Advanced Prison Doula Certification program for experienced doulas and conducts system-transformation advocacy, public education, and partnerships that advance reproductive justice. It operates regional sub-brand programs in Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, and federal prisons, and is raising funds to build the Ostara Mother Baby House, an alternative to incarceration.
Product overview
Ostara Initiative is a women-founded and women-led nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of trauma-informed doula programs and advocacy services focused on ending prison birth in America. The core offering consists of Prison Birth Doula Programs providing direct support to incarcerated pregnant people, the Advanced Prison Doula Certification for training doulas, and Advocacy and Education initiatives for system reform. The organization operates regional sub-brands including the Minnesota Prison Doula Project, Oregon Prison Birth Project, Wisconsin Prison Birth Project, and the EightA Federal Prison Doula Program. Additionally, the Ostara Mother Baby House represents a capital campaign ($4.5 million) to build an alternative to incarceration. The portfolio is unified by its focus on reproductive justice and harm reduction within the carceral system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EightA: A program/initiative focused on creating constitutionally-aligned and human rights-based standards for justice-involved women and their children. Includes the Federal Bureau of Prisons collaboration, Oregon Prison Birth Project, and Wisconsin Prison Birth Project.
- Minnesota Prison Doula Project
- Oregon Prison Birth Project
- Wisconsin Prison Birth Project
- Ostara Mother Baby House
- Keep Us Together Campaign
Products and services
- Prison Birth Doula Programs Trauma-informed doula support provided to pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated, ensuring they are not alone during pregnancy, labor, or early parenthood. Programs center dignity, compassion, and advocacy within carceral settings.
- Advanced Prison Doula Certification Certification program that equips experienced doulas with the specialized skills needed to support clients impacted by incarceration. Rooted in harm reduction and reproductive justice, it prepares doulas to navigate complex correctional systems with care and confidence.
- Advocacy and Education System-transformation work through advocacy, public education, and partnerships that advance reproductive justice. Amplifies voices of directly impacted families and pushes for meaningful policy change.
- Ostara Mother Baby House (Keep Us Together Campaign) Capital campaign to build an alternative-to-incarceration facility where accountability, safety, and healing coexist for pregnant and parenting people in lieu of prison birth.
- Minnesota Prison Doula Project Comprehensive pregnancy support from trained doulas, including group and individual education, for justice-involved pregnant people and parents in Minnesota. Goals include nurturing healthy parent-child relationships, increasing parenting confidence, reducing intergenerational trauma of incarceration, and increasing access to opportunities that build health and healing.
- EightA Oregon Prison Birth Project Brings essential doula services to Oregon prisons, ensuring dignity and support during childbirth for incarcerated pregnant women, inspired by similar prison doula programs.
- EightA Wisconsin Prison Birth Project Program supporting pregnant and postpartum people in Wisconsin's correctional system. Led by doulas and advocates with lived experience, it offers prenatal education, birth and postpartum support, lactation assistance, and parenting groups.
- EightA Federal Prison Doula Program Initiative that incubates multiple projects including the Federal Bureau of Prisons research and program collaboration, the Oregon Prison Birth Project, and the Wisconsin Prison Birth Project. Focuses on constitutionally-aligned, human-rights-based standards for justice-involved women and their children.
Quantifiable outcome
- Programs operating in Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, and federal prisons
Companies that use Ostara Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ostara Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
Ostara Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Wisconsin Prison Birth ProjectcoreLaunched in 2025, supports pregnant and postpartum people in Wisconsin's correctional system with prenatal education, birth and postpartum support, lactation assistance, and parenting groups. Led by doulas and advocates with lived experience.
- Oregon Prison Birth ProjectcoreState program supported by Oregon House Bill 2535 (2023), bringing essential doula services to Oregon prisons to ensure dignity and support during childbirth.
- Minnesota Prison Doula ProjectcoreAffiliated program offering comprehensive pregnancy support from trained doulas and group and individual education and support to justice-involved, pregnant people and parents in Minnesota.
- EightAcoreFlagship initiative that incubates multiple projects including collaborations with Federal Bureau of Prisons, Oregon Prison Birth Project, and Wisconsin Prison Birth Project. Focuses on constitutionally-aligned and human rights-based standards for justice-involved women and their children.
- Federal Bureau of PrisonscoreResearch and program partnership through EightA initiative to develop and implement prison birth support programs in federal correctional settings.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ostara Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Worth Rises: Advocacy organization that works to reduce the harms of the criminal legal system, including issues affecting incarcerated women and their children. Directly comparable advocacy footprint.
- Every Mother Counts: National maternal health nonprofit focused on improving birth outcomes for underserved populations, including justice-involved pregnant people. Closely comparable mission and advocacy-driven model.
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance: National alliance advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Highly comparable as a nonprofit centering reproductive justice for marginalized birthing people, including those impacted by incarceration.
- National Birth Equity Collaborative: Nonprofit focused on eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes through research, advocacy, and training. Comparable in mission, advocacy posture, and education/training components.
Emerging players
- Choices in Childbirth: Reproductive justice nonprofit advocating for equitable maternity care access. Comparable as a maternal health advocacy nonprofit, though broader in scope than carceral settings.
- A New Way of Life: Reentry nonprofit providing housing and support to formerly incarcerated women in Los Angeles. Comparable as a nonprofit serving justice-involved women and families, though focused on post-release rather than prenatal care.
- Mama Sana Vibrant Woman: Community-based organization providing pregnancy and birth support to women of color in Texas. Comparable doula-support-for-marginalized-populations model, though regional rather than carceral-focused.
Others
- Prison Policy Initiative: Research and advocacy organization producing data and policy analysis on criminal justice issues, including incarceration of women. Comparable as a criminal justice reform thought-partner, though not service-delivery focused.
- The Sentencing Project: National research and advocacy organization addressing criminal justice reform, with a focus on reducing incarceration and its harms. Comparable as a national advocacy peer working on systemic reform relevant to Ostara's mission.
Broad incumbents
- National Women's Law Center: Large national legal advocacy organization working on women's rights including pregnancy-related protections and incarcerated women's issues. Broader in scope but addresses overlapping advocacy priorities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Ostara Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceOstara Initiative compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Ostara Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ostara Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ostara Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ostara Initiative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ostara Initiative
What does Ostara Initiative do?
Ostara Initiative provides trauma-informed doula support to pregnant and postpartum people who are incarcerated, ensuring they are not alone during pregnancy, labor, or early parenthood. The organization also delivers an Advanced Prison Doula Certification program for experienced doulas and conducts system-transformation advocacy, public education, and partnerships that advance reproductive justice. It operates regional sub-brand programs in Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, and federal prisons, and is raising funds to build the Ostara Mother Baby House, an alternative to incarceration.
Is Ostara Initiative a public or private company?
Ostara Initiative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ostara Initiative founded?
Ostara Initiative was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ostara Initiative based?
Ostara Initiative is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ostara Initiative make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Ostara Initiative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Worth Rises, Every Mother Counts, Black Mamas Matter Alliance and National Birth Equity Collaborative. Emerging players are Choices in Childbirth, A New Way of Life and Mama Sana Vibrant Woman. Others are Prison Policy Initiative and The Sentencing Project. National Women's Law Center is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ostara Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ostara Initiative.
What industry is Ostara Initiative in?
Ostara Initiative's product category is Reproductive Justice and Maternal Health Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAC, Family & Parenting Support Services, with a secondary code of EDAKAMAF, Trauma-Informed Care & Crisis Response (School-Based). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8300.