Cecile Edwards, M.Ed has a passion for maternal & child health/family wellness and believes it is a cornerstone to a well society. Cecile is a Postpartum Doula, Maternal Equity Consultant and Maternal Mental Health & Wellness Advocate, NJ Paid Family Leave Leader, Perinatal/Postpartum Family Coach assisting individuals, families, organizations in facilitating conversations and creating systems that improve maternal wellness via her business MommyEvolve. Cecile is a 16+ year educator and a member of Advocates for Children of New Jersey’s Parent Leadership Council.

Cecile was a proud member of the New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance Community Advisory Committee and is happy to continue to work side by side as the new Senior Manager for the New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance. Cecile looks forward to working with philanthropic organizations and community organizations to build capacity for community work. Cecile loves to hike and travel. She lives in Somerset, NJ with her daughter.

Kérène Kabambi serves as Program Officer at the New Jersey Birth Equity Funders Alliance (NJBEFA), where she leads strategic grantmaking initiatives to advance birth justice and reduce maternal health disparities for Black, Indigenous, and Latine communities. She manages a diverse portfolio of grassroots organizations led by and serving people of color, oversees capacity-building programming, and facilitates community leadership initiatives — working closely with community leaders to ensure funding decisions reflect the needs and priorities of those most impacted by maternal health inequities.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Kérène managed a grant portfolio focused on trauma-informed and community-centered programs at a New Jersey-based foundation. There, she also led the foundation's biweekly newsletter, overseeing content creation, conducting subject matter expert interviews, and researching maternal-child health policy. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Princeton University.

Joíní James is a health professional and dynamic Project Manager with a bachelor’s degree in public health from Montclair State University. Joíní specializes in maternal health, with a proven track record of leading projects to success and developing comprehensive health education curriculums.

They have spent over five years in the maternal health sector where their efforts are concentrated on building sustainable doula reimbursement models, championing community solutions for maternal equity, and leveraging technology to enhance health education. They are also the proud owner and founder of The Resting Garden serving NJ/NY, which was founded to support community solutions for Black maternal mortality through holistic health education.