Meet Cohort 5

The Inaugural Detroit Cohort

Micia Eddins, MPH, IBCLC, BS, CD, CHW, CLS
 J.O.B. Lactation Foundation
Detroit, MI

Micia Eddins is the CEO of the nonprofit organization J.O.B. Lactation Foundation and holds a Master's in Public Health. As an IBCLC, CHW, CD, and nutritionist, her journey began with a passion for nurturing and empowering mothers, fueled by her own experiences as a mother who has birthed and breastfed four children. She provides expert lactation support, helping mothers navigate breastfeeding challenges with confidence. Micia's role as a CHW underscores her dedication to addressing health disparities and promoting equity. As a certified doula, she offers holistic support during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Her expertise in nutrition enables her to guide mothers in making informed dietary choices for optimal health. Through J.O.B. Lactation, Micia has positively impacted countless families, promoting healthier and happier communities through advocacy.

Personal Mantra: Be anxious for nothing, Pray about everything.

Dominique Elder
Nurture Connect, Inc.
Detroit, MI

Dominique is a passionate entrepreneur with seven years of experience and a strong background as a Certified Medical Assistant. Her journey into birth and breastfeeding advocacy began during her first pregnancy in 2017. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business, Dominique has also completed doula certification and childcare center management courses. Recently, Dominique launched Nurture Connect, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering families with the resources and skills necessary to thrive. She deeply believes in creating a supportive village so no one feels alone during their prenatal, postpartum, and parenting journeys. Dominique looks forward to bridging gaps in maternal healthcare by empowering and educating communities through her work.

Personal Mantra: Broken crayons still color.

Cynthia Jackson, LM, CPM
Sacred Rose Midwifery
Southfield, MI

Cynthia is a native Detroiter, born, raised, and educated in Detroit. As a child, she dreamed of delivering babies and now serves as a Homebirth Midwife, primarily for Black families in Detroit, with experience in over 465 homebirths. For the last 10 years, she has also served as a Community-based Doula & Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Trainer at BMBFA. While Cynthia loves her role as a birth worker, she believes in work-life balance. When not on call, she enjoys vacations in warm weather or beach destinations, and lately, she's been enjoying cruise life.

Personal Mantra: I got this!!

Jayne Jackson, EOLD, ADS
Motor City Doula Association
Detroit, Michigan

Jayne Jackson is a seasoned birth doula and doula trainer with 20 years of combined experience. She has trained all of Black Mothers' Breastfeeding Association's (BMBFA) Community-based Doulas and Breastfeeding Peer Counselors across 11 cohorts, totaling over 150 Black birth workers. As a full spectrum doula, Jayne supports mothers through perinatal loss and stands as a pillar of support to bridge gaps in care for families experiencing loss, grief, and pregnancy after loss. She is a founding member of the Motor City Doula Association (MCDA), where she serves as the board's secretary and leads two programs. Jayne is a proud mother of two who loves biking, creating plant-based medicines, and having her own car concerts.

Personal Mantra: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

Rita Little, MS, CHES, CLC, CPST, CHW 
Corewell Health
Detroit, MI

Rita is passionate about public health and uplifts the voices of her community in various roles. She is committed to saving the lives of Black mothers and babies by improving the birth and breastfeeding experience through accessible resources. Her role at Corewell aims to dismantle broken systems negatively impacting community health and implement beneficial ones. She cherishes the experience of birthing and breastfeeding her son Khari, which highlighted systemic challenges affecting their health. Rita strives for even the smallest improvements to benefit Black families, especially in Detroit.

Personal Mantra: In the words of Issa Rae...."I'm rooting for everybody Black!"

Sheletia McClendon, Holistic Health Coach, RN
Shaped with Shay
Detroit, MI

Shay is a Certified Personal Trainer, Women’s Fitness Specialist, Weight Loss Specialist, and Certified Nutrition Coach dedicated to empowering women through Holistic Health Coaching. With over two decades of experience in fitness and nursing, Shay transitioned to Holistic Health Coaching after surviving Post-Partum Psychosis and receiving a Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis diagnosis. Her holistic approach addresses mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual health, emphasizing self-awareness in shaping thoughts, words, and actions. Shay's personal journey informs her commitment to helping women transform their self-perception positively.

Personal Mantra: “I have the audacity to believe that I can help women change the way they think, speak and feel about themselves” ~ Sheletia "Shay" McClendon

Danae Ross, MSW, MA
University of Michigan
Detroit, MI

Danae Ross is a Ph.D. Candidate in Social Work and Sociology at the University of Michigan and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar. Grounded in Black feminism(s), her research examines anti-Black culture's influence on Black maternal-infant health outcomes and healthcare practices. Danae complicates global perinatal and maternal mental health discourses by integrating antiblack racism and reproductive justice perspectives. A native Detroiter and mother of two, Danae also teaches yoga and advocates for transformative community health policies.

Personal Mantra: "To rescue our children we will have to let them save us from the power we embody: we will have to trust the very difference that they forever personify."
- June Jordan