Paula James-MartineZ (CO-Chair and Founder)

Mother and women's health advocate, Paula James-Martinez is also a director, writer, and producer.

Co-founder of Mother Lovers. She has a keen interest in all things advocacy, particularly those promoting community equity in both media and legislation.

Paula is the director and producer of a feature length documentary “Born Free” documenting the state of maternal health in the United States.

Born in Essex, just outside of London in the UK. Paula spent 10 years as Fashion Editor and Creative Director magazines both in Europe and the US most recently as as Fashion Director of Refinery29, a women's lifestyle platform with an audience of over 25 million people each month.

SARA Ojjeh (CO-CHAIR)

A mother and doula. Sara Ojjeh is a dedicated philanthropist with special interests in international development, global health and education. She is a trained birth doula and strong advocate for maternal health and birth rights.

She and her siblings founded the Ojjeh Family Fund and have worked for over 15 years providing grants in the areas of education, women’s and human rights and health.

Prior to receiving her M.S. in Fundraising and Grantmaking at New York University, Sara built Michael Kors’ corporate social responsibility platform including a successful partnership with the World Food Programme and the “Watch Hunger Stop” campaign.

In 2013 Sara joined The Maverick Collective as a founding member, a ground-breaking philanthropic and advocacy initiative to transform the lives of girls and women around the world, co-chaired by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess of Norway Mette-Marit and Melinda Gates.

She is the founder of Ethos Philanthropies Consulting LLC, working with family offices and their next-gen members on their philanthropic impact, and Co-Chair of the Board of 21/64.

CHARLES JOHNSON (DIRECTOR)

Father and Advocate. Charles Johnson has suffered an unimaginable tragedy that strikes too many families – and has made it his life’s mission to save others from the same fate.

In April 2016 Charles’ healthy and full-of--life wife, Kira, gave birth to their second beautiful child. But Kira immediately began struggling in ways that the hospital staff could not explain, even as Charles watched and implored the staff that something was horribly wrong. Kira died within hours.

Charles was understandably overcome by grief – grief that turned into outrage. He channeled his pain and his passion into founding a nonprofit, 4Kira4Moms, that is dedicated to changing systems to better prevent birth-related deaths. Alongside his work serving on the board of The Mother Lovers and like minded change making platforms.

Charles has shared his story and advocated for change through countless live events and media appearances all over the country, including at the March for Moms rally in Washington, D.C.,. In September 2018 he testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health about the need to pass the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act– which, was indeed passed by Congress and signed into law. 

Charles testified once again before the congressional oversight committee in support of the “Momnibus” Act. An unprecedented legislative package of 12 bills. All focused on putting an end to the maternal death crisis. Including the “Kira Johnson Act” in honor of his late wife.

When he is not advocating to improve maternal health practices, Charles is busy raising his two sons, Charles V and Langston.

Rebecca Dayan (FOunding DIRECTOR)

Rebecca Dayan is a co-founder of the Mother Lovers.

French born, New York based, she is an actress artist and producer, alongside her work as a women’s health advocate.

A producer Born Free, the documentary that shines a light on the heartbreaking facts that surround birthing and maternal injustices in the US.

She rose to prominence playing Elsa Peretti in a breakout performance alongside Ewan McGregor in Halston for Netflix. Additionally to her acting career, Dayan is an accomplished artist who had her first solo show in NYC in 2015.

VICTORIA LAMPLEY (FOUNDING DIRECTOR)

Victoria Lampley-Berens, a PR industry expert with over 10 years of experience in global events and public relations, working at Purple PR in London and New York and LA, as well as Refinery29 and W Magazine, founded her Jewellery advisory, The Stax, in the Spring of 2021 inspired by her late Mother. A Mother of two Victoria is very active in curating opportunities for women to come together to create change, and has helped put together many of Mother Lovers partnerships.

JASMINE JOHNSON MD | MFM (Medical DIRECTOR.)

Jasmine Johnson, MD is a wife, mother of two, and Maternal-Fetal Medicine faculty at Indiana University Health. Jasmine received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine, and completed residency and fellowship at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. 

In addition to taking care of those with high risk pregnancies, Dr. Johnson’s research interests include health equity, quality improvement efforts to help reduce maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and measuring the impact of racism on the health outcomes of Black birthing people. Dr. Johnson strives to be a fierce advocate for the underserved populations of her community.