Urban Perinatal Education Center

What Urban Perinatal Education Center does

Urban Perinatal Education Center (UPEC) is a Rhode Island nonprofit founded in 2021 to address racial disparities in maternal and perinatal health outcomes among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families. The organization is headquartered in a medically zoned mixed-use facility at 215 Cottage Street in Pawtucket's Historic Quality Hill, acquired in February 2022 for $435,000. It delivers a coordinated suite of community-rooted perinatal services centered on culturally congruent care and a community health worker (CHW) model.

Its core product lines are: (i) childbirth education classes offered in English, Spanish, and Cape Verdean Creole across multiple weekly slots; (ii) the Easy Access Clinic (Marigny Clinic), opened February 2024 as the first non-clinical CHW-operated clinic in Rhode Island providing episodic prenatal and postpartum gap care; (iii) a Doula Referral Network connecting families to certified perinatal doulas; (iv) a Community Milk Depot and Dispensary launched May 2023 in partnership with Milk Bank Northeast; and (v) the Rhode Island Midwifery Equity Initiative, a workforce development program backed by the RI Department of Health (RIDOH) and HRSA's State Maternal Health Innovation grant, designed to expand the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) pipeline. In May 2024 the organization received JJWay Easy Access Model Certification after a year-long AMCHP replication innovation process. The technology stack is non-proprietary: registration runs through JotForm, community engagement uses WhatsApp and an email mailing list, and multilingual resources are downloadable from the website.

UPEC's business model is that of a grant- and donation-funded nonprofit. Revenue streams include HRSA/RIDOH grant funding (State Maternal Health Innovation grant with UPEC as a grantee partner for the CPM Initiative), donor contributions collected through Donorbox (including a "sustaining kinmmunity" membership), GoFundMe, PayPal, and Linktree, plus modest program service fees from childbirth education classes, doula referrals, and Easy Access Clinic services (no publicly disclosed fee schedule). The organization is founder-led by Quatia Osorio and operates with a current staff of 4+ (Founder/Executive Director, Programs Manager, and two Equity Initiative Assistants) with active hiring underway for a Perinatal Resource Coordinator, Certified Lactation Professionals, Childbirth Educators, and Perinatal Mental Health Advocates. There is no disclosed investor or parent company ownership.

Name

Urban Perinatal Education Center

Legal name

Urban Perinatal Education Center

Website

https://urbanperinatal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Perinatal Education Center is a Rhode Island nonprofit founded in 2021 that provides culturally congruent perinatal education, the JJWay-accredited Easy Access Clinic, childbirth classes, a doula referral network, and a community milk depot for Black and BIPOC families, funded by HRSA/RIDOH grants and donations from its Pawtucket headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternal and Perinatal Health Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (62141), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Midwifery & Birth Centers (HLAFAJAC)

Keywords

• Perinatal education
• Maternal health services
• Childbirth classes
• Doula referral network
• Community health clinic

Headquarters

HQ city

Pawtucket

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: The organization accepts financial contributions through Donorbox (sustaining kinmmunity membership), GoFundMe, PayPal, and Linktree. Donors include community members, corporate donors (Cardi's Furniture donated furnishings), and alumni groups (Bryant University Alumni Classes 2000–2005).
2. Program Service Fees: Revenue generated from childbirth education classes, doula referral services, and Easy Access Clinic episodic care services. Classes are offered in multiple languages and include a 5-topic series. No explicit fee schedule is publicly disclosed.
3. Grant Funding: Supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through a State Maternal Health Innovation grant awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Health, with UPEC as a grantee partner. Also partnered with RIDOH Department of Maternal Child Health for the Midwifery Equity Initiative.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban Perinatal Education Center is a nonprofit organization providing culturally congruent perinatal education, childbirth classes, and gap prenatal/postpartum care for Black and BIPOC families in Rhode Island. Core offerings include evidence-based childbirth education classes in English, Spanish, and Cape Verdean Creole; the JJWay-accredited Easy Access Clinic providing episodic prenatal and postpartum gap care; a Doula Referral Network connecting families to certified perinatal doulas; and a Community Milk Depot and Dispensary operated with Milk Bank Northeast. The organization also operates the Rhode Island Midwifery Equity Initiative to build a diverse midwifery workforce.

Product overview

Urban Perinatal Education Center is a nonprofit organization providing a coordinated suite of maternal health services focused on Black and BIPOC families in Rhode Island. The core offerings include Childbirth Education Classes (evidence-based, culturally responsive instruction in multiple languages) and the JJWay-accredited Easy Access Clinic providing prenatal and postpartum gap care. Supporting services include a Doula Referral Network connecting families to certified perinatal doulas, pre-conceptive and contraceptive counseling, postpartum care, nutrition education, and a Community Milk Depot. The organization also operates the Rhode Island Midwifery Equity Initiative to build a culturally congruent midwifery workforce. These services are integrated through a community-centered, trauma-informed approach to address maternal health disparities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Childbirth Education Classes Evidence-based, culturally responsive childbirth education classes offered in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole) for Black and BIPOC expectant families in Rhode Island, covering a 5-topic series to prepare families for perinatal care and informed decision-making.
• Easy Access Clinic (Marigny Clinic) JJWay-accredited, non-clinical Community Health Worker-operated clinic providing episodic prenatal gap care (4-10 weeks) and postpartum support (2-6 weeks) until families secure a primary provider. Services include pregnancy testing, contraception counseling, postpartum recovery support, nutrition education, and perinatal resource referrals.
• Doula Referral Network Network connecting families with certified perinatal doulas for additional support during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Families submit referral requests via JotForm and are matched with certified doulas within the network.
• Community Milk Depot and Dispensary Human milk donation depot and dispensary operated in collaboration with Milk Bank Northeast, providing families access to human milk as optimal infant nutrition.
• Rhode Island Midwifery Equity Initiative Workforce development program operated in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and HRSA to establish a diverse Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) workforce in Rhode Island through the State Maternal Health Innovation grant, including collegiate courses via Sophia Learning to advance perinatal career pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• Facilitated reduction in maternal morbidity and infant mortality disparities through culturally congruent care access, though specific outcome metrics are not yet publicly reported.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) – Department of Maternal Child HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPEC partners with RIDOH Department of Maternal Child Health to establish an expansive midwifery workforce in Rhode Island and improve perinatal outcomes. Through the Maternal Health Innovation grant, UPEC is implementing the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) Initiative alongside other maternal health projects. This is the organization's primary strategic partnership, supporting the RI Midwifery Equity Initiative focused on building a culturally congruent midwifery workforce.
• Milk Bank NortheastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPEC offers its space as a community milk depot and dispensary for human milk donation and dispensing to families, in collaboration with Milk Bank Northeast. This partnership enables families to access optimal first-food nutrition for newborns and infants. The milk depot opened in May 2023.
• Sophia LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPEC has partnered with Sophia Learning to provide collegiate courses that advance perinatal workforce opportunities, particularly for the midwifery workforce. This educational partnership supports professional development and career advancement for current and aspiring perinatal health professionals.
• SISTA FIREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner referenced in UPEC's Impact report. SISTA FIRE's 2020 survey on community health priorities informed UPEC's understanding of key perinatal health issues, with 68% of participants ranking mental health, 41% pregnancy/postpartum education and care, and 40% violence and abuse in relationships as top priorities.
• Commonsense Childbirth / National Perinatal TaskforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPEC's Easy Access Clinic is based on the JJWay model developed by Commonsense Childbirth and aligned with the National Perinatal Taskforce's Perinatal Safe Spot model. UPEC received JJWay Easy Access Model Certification in May 2024 following a year-long AMCHP replication innovation process, making it the first non-clinical CHW-operated clinic focused on early prenatal and postpartum episodic gap care coverage in Rhode Island.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Village Birth International: BIPOC-led perinatal equity and doula/midwifery training organization; comparable in training-pipeline focus and racial-equity framing but operates nationally with a different geographic footprint.
• Mothering Justice: Michigan-based BIPOC-led maternal justice organization combining direct perinatal support with policy advocacy; comparable equity-driven approach with overlapping doula and community health worker engagement models.

Direct peers

• Commonsense Childbirth: Founder Jennie Joseph's perinatal care organization and developer of the JJWay Easy Access Model that UPEC is certified in; the most direct operational and philosophical peer, sharing the CHW-led, culturally congruent, midwifery-equity focus.
• Uzazi Village: Kansas City nonprofit offering perinatal education, doula support, and lactation services to Black and Brown families; comparable mission, similar community-based service stack, and analogous reliance on CHWs and culturally concordant care.
• Ancient Song Doula Services: NYC-based nonprofit providing doula services, childbirth education, and a doula training academy for BIPOC communities; directly comparable in service mix (doula referral, education, workforce pipeline) and equity-driven mission.
• Mama Sana Birth & Doula Services: Austin, Texas nonprofit offering community-based prenatal care, doula support, and childbirth education to women of color; closely comparable operating model and BIPOC-centered perinatal equity focus.
• Chocolate Milk Cafe RI: Peer-led breastfeeding support group co-hosted by UPEC at the Pawtucket facility; directly comparable lactation-support mission for Black and BIPOC families in the same Rhode Island geography.

Broad incumbents

• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: National advocacy and cross-sector alliance advancing Black maternal health policy and research; broader policy/coalition scope than UPEC but addresses the same disparity data UPEC cites and shapes the funding landscape UPEC depends on.
• National Perinatal Taskforce: National umbrella that established the Perinatal Safe Spot designation which UPEC holds; serves as the certifying/standards body and ecosystem convener across community perinatal organizations nationwide.

Regional players

• SISTA FIRE: Rhode Island reproductive justice organization and UPEC community partner whose 2020 survey data informs UPEC's program priorities; comparable regional focus on Black women's health but operating as an advocacy rather than clinical services organization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-perinatal-education-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Urban Perinatal Education Center