Meet SHERO Powered By Birth By Us
Left: SHERO-NOLA Team tabling at community event | Right: SHERO “Moms Night Out” community event
Meet SHERO, powered by Birth By Us—a first-of-its-kind program that blends tech with real human connection to support Black moms.
A Movement Rooted in Community
Short for Shaping Health and Equitable Reproductive Outcomes, SHERO offers group coaching on health and well-being, plus hands-on support from doulas and community health workers. It’s all about making sure moms have the guidance, care, and community they need, every step of the way.
SHERO is more than just a program—it’s a movement dedicated to creating a strong, supportive sisterhood for Black mothers as they navigate pregnancy and parenthood. As the primary tech partner, Birth By Us is proud to elevate this mission.
For Dr. Renaisa Anthony, MD, MPH, the founder of SHERO and its parent nonprofit, Momentum Park, the fight for better maternal health is deeply personal.
“I kept seeing the same story—women who looked like me, who looked like my family, experiencing the worst outcomes,” she says. “I knew we had to change the system, and that meant going beyond the clinic and into the community.”
After two decades in academic medicine and public health, she had a realization—most of the pregnancy journey happens outside hospitals, in the spaces where moms live, work, and raise their families.
That’s where support is needed most. By blending medicine, public health, and policy, SHERO is reimagining maternal care to meet Black moms where they are—ensuring they get the resources, advocacy, and sisterhood they deserve.
Leading with Love
SHERO isn’t just about medical care—it’s about creating the kind of support system that many Black moms don’t have access to.
“How would your mom do it? That’s the heart of SHERO. I wanted to offer love, because what so many women are missing is support, love, and someone who truly understands their community,” Dr. Anthony explains.
Unlike traditional programs, SHERO builds a network of both peer and professional support, from doulas and nurse midwives to doctors and advocates. “We’ve created a sisterhood where we’ve got you—whether you need emotional support, someone to navigate the system with you, or a medical advocate to fight for you,” she says.
That peer-to-peer connection is what makes the biggest impact—moms learning from and lifting up each other, ensuring no one goes through this journey alone.
New Orleans: A Melting Pot of Culture and Opportunity
One of SHERO’s inaugural cohorts is taking place right now in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana. We asked Dr. Anthony what made New Orleans such a special place for this endeavor.
Dr. Anthony saw New Orleans as the ideal place to launch SHERO—not because it lacks maternity care like Mississippi or Alabama, but because despite having key resources like expanded Medicaid, maternal health outcomes still rival those of states with far fewer supports. “There’s something else going on, and I wanted to be part of that solution.”
SHERO-NOLA Grant Team in New Orleans, Mardi Gras 2024
By focusing on a city where change is possible but disparities persist, SHERO is creating a model for how to transform maternal health—one community at a time.
The Future of SHERO: A Legacy in the Making
So what’s next for SHERO? Over the next five years, Dr. Anthony has her eyes set on expanding SHERO across the South, reaching cities like Atlanta, Jackson, and Mobile—places where Black maternal health disparities are stark, but where real change is possible.
In a decade, the goal is to be in ten states, and in twenty years, SHERO aims to be wherever Black and Brown women are bringing life into the world.
The vision is clear: to create a trusted space where moms know they will be seen, supported, and guided safely through pregnancy and into parenthood.
SHERO-NOLA Community Advisory Board Luncheon
Get Involved
If you’re looking to support this amazing initiative, follow the 3 F’s:
Follow Us: Connect with SHERO, Momentum Park, and Birth By Us online and social media
Be For Us: Be supportive of Black moms in your neighborhood and volunteer with organizations like Momentum Park who are making a real difference for our community.
Fund Us: Donate to SHERO and other Momentum Park initiatives, and watch your contributions directly help the moms who need it most.
