Michele Lampach on LinkedIn: #juneteenth (2024)

When you are aligned in your purpose, the rest falls into place.My heart is full. We witnessed Elaine Welteroth truly birth @birthFUND from the beginning. And to see the community come together, ready to support and be a part of this movement to end the Black maternal mortality crisis felt momentous. And to share space with so many who have been doing this work for years and who have become dear collaborators, friends and people I truly love, it gives me hope. And hope is what feeds me and pushes me to keep going in dark times.Love being in community with 4Kira4Moms, Inc. Inc. Jadah Parks Chatterjee Kim Chappell Cat Canada Randi Matthews and so many others.Learn more about birthFUND https://lnkd.in/gzFsRVHa and the model of one to one support in providing vetted midwifery care to prevent maternal birthing trauma and deaths. I look forward to a day when this work is no longer necessary.

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I spent last weekend at Camp Breastie, a four day camp, organized by our longtime partner The Breasties. It was a convening of 600 people impacted by breast and gyn cancers + caregivers. The Breasties partner with us to co-create the incredible Bobbie Breasties community, a group of parents with infants. Stefanie Hughes, M.A. and I support this community on the Bobbie side where we provide one year of free formula and advocate for a legislative solution to end the feeding inequity that currently exists within the ACA --- formula and donor milk are not covered by insurance, but lactation pumps and counseling are.When I was asked to speak on my greatest advocacy wins during an advocacy panel at camp, I waited to answer last. I was honestly struggling to figure out what I would say. As a lawyer providing direct representation to clients, I had a lot of wins. But now, in my work with mothers, with families around broad structural issues affecting modern parenthood, we haven't had legislative wins yet. So my answer was simply that. And in the meantime, I said, the work we are doing to connect the dots between the private, public and non-profit sectors are the wins; the resources we can unlock from our consumers and brand partners to fund the advocacy alongside us, are the wins; the awareness we've created around these issues are the wins; the real relationships that we have built with the movement leaders are the wins; the work that largely goes unseen building collective power and technical expertise, those are the wins.A Breastie, as those in the Breasties community are referred to, came up to me at the end of the panel and handed me this bracelet. She was told by her cabin leader to gift it to someone she doesn't know that needs it. So she gave it to me and said, "You may not have won yet, but keep doing the work and you will.”And so I will.

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A little more than a year ago, I wrote an article for Motherly® about normalizing motherhood & activism.Today I head to Camp Breastie, an annual four-day summit where 600 people impacted by breast and gynecologic cancer gather for community, advocacy, and education. This weekend was lovingly and intentionally organized by Bobbie for Change's non-profit parter, The Breasties. There, I will speak on a panel about how to to show up as an advocate. Really, my advice isn't limited to mothers or any one identity. There is an advocate in all of us and with the many high stakes things our world is facing, I believe it's imperative we all turn that piece of ourselves on.Sharing here some strategies from the article but would love to hear yours:Step outside your comfort zoneDon’t be afraid to step into spaces where you’re not directly impacted. This is NOT a prerequisite to making an impact. However, being directly impacted may also be the thing that calls you to a movement—it’s all valid. Regardless, get bold, step outside of your comfort zone, hold space for the voices of those that are directly impacted, share the labor and show up.Do your homeworkBefore you can dive in and take action, make sure you understand the issue at hand, what caused it, and what the solutions look like. You don’t need to be an expert, but find a few articles to read, ask your parents (friend, work, etc.) group for a book suggestion, and get informed. This will bring clarity around what you can do to help in the most impactful way.Start locallyFind a local organization that is touching an issue that speaks to you, reach out to program personnel and find out what they’re doing. Look at their 990 filings to see where the money is going; look at their social channels, their website and their calendar. Are they doing the work that inspires me? Can you find a local event to attend?Do it in communityRally your friends, family and community to create accountability and shared motivation and commitment. This will keep you engaged in the movement and help to move the needle in an even bigger way.Don’t wait for next week, next month or next year to take action. I know all too well how limited and precious our time is on any given day as a working parent. We are constantly multitasking and adding to our to-do lists. But listening to the call you feel as a change-maker is a decision you will never regret.https://lnkd.in/g8sWDexu*pictured in my Bobbie gear headed to camp and excited to meet with members of our Bobbie Breasties community!

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The movement must be funded. On a day that feels heavier than most with the weight of the world, I'm celebrating the $1 Billion over two year investment that Melinda Gates has made via Pivotal Ventures to invest in women and girls. To see her lift up the movements fighting to decrease the maternal mortality rate, address the lack of federal paid leave, and create solutions for the mental health crises facing teenage girls, gives me hope. The problems we face are at scale and we need solutions at scale. Grateful for the scale of this investment, what the incredible organizations funded will do with these resources and the push for others to unlock meaningful funding to join the movement."In the United States,maternal mortality rates continue to be unconscionable, with Black and Native American mothers at highest risk. Women in 14 states have lost the right to terminate a pregnancy under almost any circ*mstances. We remain the only advanced economy without any form of national paid family leave. And the number of teenage girls experiencing suicidal thoughts and persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness is at a decade high." Melinda French Gates

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Last night our incredible Bobbie social team, led by the inimitable Shakivla Todd and sparkled with the brilliance of Angela Hanks, won three Shorty Awards - one of which was for our Pass Momnibus Now campaign in the Family and Parenting Category. Heck to the YESSS!!!! I really can't say enough about this team, which also includes the enormous talents of, Paige J. and Maeher Bawa, and how they've shaped creating awareness of and mobilizing our communities for our pillar work. In case you missed it, Pass Momnibus Now was an effort to galvanize voices from all sectors, communities, corners of this country and shine a light on the maternal mortality, creating urgency to pass the Momnibus Act. We reached over 100 million people!When I joined Bobbie nearly two years ago to help launch Bobbie for Change, our social impact + policy arm, it was very clear to me that addressing and creating solutions for Black maternal health was one of the most important things we could be doing. For one, when we center those most impacted by structural failings, it makes those systems better for all. And we know systems -- medical, societal, governmental -- are failing mothers, especially Black mothers. And two, as a next-gen formula company, we must be accountable to the actions of our predecessors - and legacy formula companies have a troubling history at best when it comes to Black women. Accountability starts with supporting grassroots solutions led by Black leaders. Our partnerships with 4Kira4Moms, Inc. Mama Glow Foundation + others and championing public sector voices to create systemic changes are part of that. Being recognized is amazing, but this represents to me a win for movement building that can happen within the private sector. And it's a win for everything that can't be captured in a campaign. The work happens over years, over hundreds of texts, over hundreds of calls and meetings, over revisions and edits, over cross-functional , cross sector and cross discipline buy-in. Change isn't transactional, it is transformational.So, this is a win for Change. When the host of the Shorty Awards are talking about ending the Black Maternal mortality crisis because of this award and the campaign that it was recognizing, we are doing something right. Cheers and deep respect to our visionary leader Kim Chappell, my changemaking partner and leader Cat Canada and creative force Blair Pfander, who all lead with heart and fire. And the incredible artists, visionaries, dreamers at Bobbie who worked on this: Kelly Kinnaird Kristie Bailey (who designed the campaign) Celeste DePaola (who brought in so many partners to share the campaign) Kendra Goff Jenny Altman Trudy Vinson Remi Levoff Nicole Anderson Jamie DavisNina Amjadi Jennifer Kelly ++*Photo of some of our team taken from our celebration this morning which of course I had to take from the phone after dropping my 7 year old for her last day of 1st grade.

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Still not over yesterday and won’t be for a while.First and foremost, I am a mother. But a very close second which is an identity I’ve held for much longer, is that I am a advocate, activist and lawyer for human rights. And they are deeply intertwined. Being in a room with so many powerful women yesterday at the Moms First Summit - with many women that I know and others that I am determined to know, meet and work with - stoked a fire in this human rights lawyer mother.It is true that we are made to believe that this is a fight for resources, that there is a scarcity to making change and fighting for our rights. But when 5 out of the 8 non profits we work with are in the room, when brands and public sector folks we are in community with are there, when the breadth of issues impacting motherhood and parenthood are uplifted and when people are rooting for each other as much as we all are - you realize scarcity is a mental model that we don’t have to apply. Thank you to my Bobbie partners in change for lighting the fire in me every day Shakivla Todd and Cat Canada. And to the amazing movement of people in that room who are fighting for us all.

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Sitting here listening to the wisdom from Hillary Clinton, “Motherhood is harder because of the internal pressure and external stressors.”What a wild and transformative day of being in the room of leaders, partners, allies, changemakers and a whole lot of MOTHERS. Love being in the same space with so many that I have the honor of working with every day! Watch the rest of the day here: momsfirstsummit.usMoms First Chamber of Mothers Paid Leave for All 4Kira4Moms, Inc. Lauren Smith Brody Dawn Huckelbridge Gabrielle "Gabby" Albert Cat Canada Charles Johnson

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I had an incredible Mother's Day yesterday with my 7 and almost 4 year old (and 8 year old dog who will always be my first baby!). And I chose to really celebrate that, amidst the complexity of a world on fire. I decided to just absolutely relish in my babies because I know it's an honor and privlege and because Mother's Days of past have been much personally harder for me.1. Because my first Mother's Day, I was two weeks postpartum after a wet tap, a rare puncture in the spinal dura that leaks spinal fluid into your brain from an epidural, that sent me to the ER 3 days after leaving the hospital and into the throes of PPA.2. Because my second Mother's Day, I had just experienced a pregnancy loss.3. Because my third Mother's Day, it was 6 weeks into COVID, I was 5 months pregnant, far from family and struggling to care for my toddler.4. Because my 4th Mother's Day, I had learned that my dad had bile duct cancer a few weeks before.5. Because my 5th Mother's Day, it seemed clear my dad wasn't going to continue getting better from his treatment.6. Because my 6th Mother's Day, I was deeply grieving my father's loss.In many ways, this felt like the first Mother's Day I could take a breath and just bask in the wonder that it is to be these kiddo's moms. Yes Mother's Day is made up, but don't tell my kids who both toiled over their gifts and squealed at giving me them. I'll take that made up holiday and run with it.And today, I get back to the work -- on a plane now --- heading to fight for a future for those babies and the mothers, birthing people and fathers raising them. And make this world a little less on fire, hopefully.Sending love to all whose Mother's Days were equally complex for any and all reasons and/or that looked like your own version of #1-#6.

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So many on our team are out from 9-10:30am local time today. It's not for a planned official OOO, it's because that's when preschools and schools are inviting us in to celebrate Mother's Day. I was supposed to have an out of town event today but immediately said no, b/c there was no way I was going to miss the 20 minute performance of my 3 year old singing his heart out to me. And no one here would ask me to or want me to either.Happy first day of Mother's Day to those showing up to their kiddos' schools today and thank you to the workplaces that are set up to ensure that you'll be there. #mothersday

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