1. Tell me about yourself.
Hi! I'm Lauren, a mom of three kiddos from Richmond, VA! My background is in anthropology, and since college, I have spent my professional life working at a non-profit and, for the past decade, for a breastfeeding and maternity e-commerce brand. I am also a Certified Lactation Counselor. I'm a homebirther, have been breastfeeding babies for almost 6 years now, and I'm a firm believer in making empowered and informed decisions for themselves and their families, especially when it comes to birthing and breastfeeding. When I'm not fully engrossed in parenting or work, I like to go for a walk in the woods, ride my bike, craft, or watch birds!

2. How/why did you build LactSafe?
LactSafe was built after a series of moments where I could have really used it. Each instance really pushed me to work with my husband to co-create the app.

Instance one: When my firstborn turned one, I had to have two major surgeries, and I remember vividly being concerned about whether certain medications were safe to take while breastfeeding and not really getting a clear answer. Some said pump and dump to be safe, others said it was fine. It was confusing.

Instance two: When I was pregnant with my third baby, I was given inaccurate advice from an EMT about which medications were safe to take while pregnant and breastfeeding for a sinus infection. I knew his advice was incorrect because I had been a CLC for years, and also had been working on LactSafe, so I was pretty familiar with the medications he was talking about. Nonetheless, I remember being so flabbergasted because if I hadn't had that background knowledge, what would I have done?

That experience led me to instance three, which is more of an ongoing pattern. As a CLC, I've heard so many times folks ask whether a certain medication is safe to take. As a CLC, the response is to check LactMed and talk to your provider. But from personal experience, when you're down bad with a sinus infection or recovering post-surgery, the last thing you have the capacity to do is read through a bunch of medical jargon when you really just want a clear answer on whether you can take this medication while breastfeeding. I've been in those situations, so I 100% get it. You're in so much pain, baby has to eat, and you don't want to give up on your breastfeeding goals. With my husband's help (he built the entire app from start to finish, and who I am co-creating with!), this is when we decided it was time to get LactSafe out into the world! 

My goal for this app is to be a tool that makes medication safety easier to understand and gives parents the confidence to start conversations with their providers, because I've also heard horror stories about people ending their breastfeeding journeys over medications that the research actually says are fine.

3. What is LactSafe's mission or main focus?
LactSafe's mission is to make evidence-based medication safety information easy, fast, and friendly for breastfeeding and pregnant families. Our vision is a world where every parent can make confident health decisions.

4. What are the best and most challenging parts of being an entrepreneur?
Time and energy! I hate that this is such a cliche answer, but as a working full-time parent with three very active kiddos, finding the time to really invest the energy I want into LactSafe has become really hard.

That said, remembering being postpartum and struggling to know if I could still breastfeed my baby post-surgery, and thinking about how I know I'm not the only one struggling with this problem, is what encourages me to keep going. I feel very passionate about this project, and I'm excited to dive back into LactSafe's mission now that the kids are back in school and we have a routine down. :)

5. Where do you see yourself and your business in 5 ­years?
Gosh, it would be an ultimate dream to have LactSafe become the resource providers automatically hand new parents, the way I wish someone had handed it to me. In 5 years I'd love for it to be trusted enough that it's just part of the standard of care, built out with tools like patient insights dashboard and custom provider builds, and known widely enough that no parent has to sit in that scary, confusing moment I was in wondering if they can still breastfeed. Ultimately, if this thing dies tomorrow I'd be happy just knowing it helped at least one other person in their lactation journey!

6. Who do you follow or admire in the breastfeeding/lactation community?
My midwife, Nancy. When I think back to my breastfeeding journey, she really encouraged me to keep going. I appreciate her keeping it real with me and telling me to stick it out. Breastfeeding is beautiful, but it can also be a labor of love and hard work. 100% worth it, but any breastfeeding person would be lying if they said it was all rainbows and sprinkles! Having that support system has been huge. 

7. Tell me about your most recent business win.
I recently launched a pilot for LactSafe for Providers and have been having providers sign up. To me, that shows there's a real need in this space and validates the reason LactSafe exists.

8. Please share any upcoming events or programs you will participate in, or any special offerings for new providers.
We are still offering an early sign-up beta program for providers! If you sign up, you'll get a custom URL referral link. We're also working on launching a patient insights dashboard and a custom build of LactSafe with your brand. More details to come on those latter two, but we are still accepting folks into the beta!

1. Tell me about yourself.
Thank you for having me. I am Chef Brittany. I am a mom first to three handsome boys who are also my taste testers for new recipes. I am a culinary professor, private chef and founder of Sprouts and Spice Agricultural Academy.

2. How/why did you start Sprouts and Spice Agricultural Academy?
I started Sprouts and Spice Agricultural Academy because I saw there was a great need for our community to learn and understand agriculture, culinary arts and nutrition. When we look at the statistics and study the facts surrounding heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, all of these diseases are usually directly correlated with the food that we consume. In the African American community we are 40 to 50 percent more likely to be living with one or more of these diseases. So I thought the best way to tackle and dismantle this statistic is by teaching the next generation what nutrition looks like and giving them the skills and techniques to become food change makers. We aim to teach middle school and high school students a seed to table curriculum that encompasses the entire food cycle. We are currently in the pilot and research stage of development, to provide fully immersive classes that teach agriculture, cooking, and nutrition.

3. What is the mission or main focus of Sprouts and Spice Academy?
At Sprouts & Spice Academy, our mission is to sow the seeds of knowledge, nurturing the connection between 5th-12th youth and the origins of their food. Through hands-on gardening and culinary classes, we cultivate curiosity, inspire passion, and instill values of environmental stewardship in urban and underserved communities. We envision a future where every child, regardless of their background, becomes a changemaker in our food system.

4. Tell me more about your position at Johnston Community College.
I currently teach part-time fun cooking classes a few times throughout the month. So anyone 18 or older can sign up. I will also host a Sprouts culinary summer camp in July for ages 10-17. In the fall I will also teach for the 2-year culinary degree program.

5. What are the best & most challenging parts of being an entrepreneur and professor?
I think the best part is first being able to create something from nothing and being able to cultivate an idea into a business. I love being in a creative space and creating something new. I enjoy managing my own time and schedule. I believe the most challenging part is figuring out new ways to market and attract new customers. Social media has become the new way for people to connect especially since the pandemic, so figuring out how to market your services to your target audience in this new age is the most challenging part.

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 ­years?
I see myself building and expanding Sprouts & Spice Academy. Sprouts & Spice will soon transform into an online academy. Which will consist of an interactive platform for schools, and organizations to use to teach nutrition, agriculture and culinary arts. I am looking forward to developing the platform and integrations so that all students have access to our curriculum.

7. Who do you look up to or admire in the culinary community?
​To be truthfully honest, I love learning from a variety of chefs. I watch a lot of Gordon Ramsey techniques and Emeril was one of my favorite shows to watch as a kid. I stay in tune with the latest culinary trends by tutorials and YouTube videos from different chefs from all around the country. I also love following inspirational business stories in my field like” Pinky Cole”. I pull from many different mediums in the culinary community.

8. Tell me about your most recent business wi­n.
I am piloting our classes with the City of Raleigh so we are excited about that. Being able to collect feedback and research from students and parents is so vital to the success of our business.

9. Please share any upcoming events or programs you will be participating in or any special offerings for new clients.
Schools, organizations and groups can sign up to experience our Sprouts & Spice classes on our website. We have some special events coming up this spring/summer that we will post on our website once dates are finalized.

​1. Give me some background information ­on yourself and your birth worker career. 
I first started assisting families in the hospital while being employed in 2011. I was primarily worked in Mother/Baby and Central Nursery but floated to Labor & Delivery, Pediatrics and the Women's Unit. Then in 2015 I started working with the local health department as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor before becoming an IBCLC. I formally took my doula training in 2019 and started Birthing Boldly in 2020 and finished midwifery school in 2023. 

2. What made you decide to become a birth worker? Was there a defining moment when you knew? 
As crazy as it may sound, I have never imagined myself doing anything other than this. As a child I was always intrigued by birth, babies and women's health. I was definitely drawn to it and while all my cousins watched cartoons I was watching the Discovery Health Channel and TLC learning everything there was to know about pregnancy and labor. It just felt right and I'm glad I had supportive family to help nourish that gift. I would like to say I was well before my time because all the things I wanted or envision for my practice was unheard of then but is now mainstream. 

3. What were the best & hardest parts of starting your business, both personally and professionally? 
The best part is pouring into families and having your own business to facilitate the type of care families receive. 
The hardest is shifting your mindset from employee to business owner especially in the beginning. Also learning how to navigate being the owner but also providing the bulk of care, so you wear many different hats when first starting to establish your business. 

4. What did you learn about yourself an­d your support system during this process and how did you grow professionally? 
I'm a very vocal person so it shocked me to learn that I care so deeply for others that I will over extend myself just so I don't have to ask someone to do something. I think I was just on auto pilot and expected everyone to just know what I needed, which is impossible. Communication is key! Now I'm like I have this scheduled and I need X, Y and Z done and it makes things so easy.
Resilience, research and making connections has been my key to professional growth. I joke I'm a professional student but honestly I'm an avid learner and I think that has help mold me into the person I am today. And not being afraid to ask questions and be willing to pay for the answers. 

5. You recently became one of NCs newest midwives. Congratulations! Tell me about your journey to become a midwife. 
My journey was both beautiful and ugly, kind of like life, there will always be ups and downs at times. I saw something recently that made me stop in my tracks. It said. "when you are following your purpose in life that's when it seems like so much is falling apart". I can testify that rang true for me. The deeper I got into midwifery, I learned that it was more than my passion, it was my ministry and everything I've experienced in life has helped me with caring for my clients. 

6. How do you feel about the current state of the health care industry and birth? What impact do you hope to have on both? 
It is disheartening! The stories, the maternal infant mortality rates, the insurance coverage, all of it is horrible and families ultimately pay the cost and not get proper care. I hope to be apart of a positive change for families! Where they are safe to vocalize their needs and desires and be partners with me in the type of care they receive. I plan to help with legislation efforts for NC laws and insurance companies for fair compensation for midwives and lactation consultants. 

7. Where do you see yourself personally and professionally in 5 ­years? 
Personally, I see myself with a mini farm and homeschooling my younger babies. By then my oldest will be a young adult so that's a little hard to fathom right now, but I'm big on family so definitely carving time out for family time and vacations.
Professionally, a birth center or community wellness center encompassing care from puberty to menopause. 

8. What advice do you have for anyone looking to become a birth worker? 
Do it because you love it and you genuinely want to make a difference and help families. It all looks good on social media until you're sleep deprived and haven't seen your family for multiple days. Being a birth worker is rarely something you can just turn off because your always on call because someone needs you. So just be true to yourself and that in turn will allow you to be true to your clients. Lastly, be open to always learning and figuring out ways to better help the families you serve. 

9. Who in the birth community inspires you? 
Because when I chose this career at such a tender age and I never saw anyone doing what I wanted to do, there is no one in the birth community that inspires me. The person who inspired me is my grandmother, Christine Slade, who most called her "Mrs. Chris". She had 16 children, most born at home and raised all her kids, other people's kids and watch all the grands and great grands. She had a heart made with gold and was the first to pour into my gift and see something in me before anyone else. Sadly, she isn't here to see me now, but I have a feeling she knew this day would come. 

10. Other than graduating, tell me about your most recent "wi­n" or accomplishment. 
I'm really filled when families express their gratitude on how I cared for them and how that made them feel. That will always be a win for me because I get to see the difference that I'm making in people's lives.