ABOUT IT STARTS WITH MOM
It Starts with Mom is a national movement to honor moms, highlight the current maternal health crisis, and spotlight our commitment to fighting for healthy moms.
The reality is motherhood is hard. From pre-term to postpartum. To infants and toddlers. To big kids and pre-teens.
We are utilizing our platform to bring together your community’s thought leaders and equip moms to become the best advocates in dealing with some of today’s biggest challenges – in her home, at her workplace, and during her doctor’s visits.
The It Starts with Mom LIVE Tennessee Series invites executives, who are also balancing motherhood, to share their story.
As a champion for moms during every stage of motherhood, March of Dimes stands as the backbone that so many women in the U.S. need, including today’s Millennial and Gen Z moms.
Kristin Mejia-Greene
Kristin Mejia-Greene, founder of Homeland Heart Birth & Wellness Collective in Nashville, TN, has been devoted to the improvement of Black Maternal and infant wellness for 5 years. She is a birth + postpartum doula, Doula trainer, and Certified Lactation Consultant. Kristin has spoken on numerous Maternal Health panels regarding the importance of increased representation in the industry of birth work. Her non-profit has recently been invited to assist in research and data collection to improve birth and breastfeeding outcomes in the African American community.
Kristin is a wife and homeschooling Mom (aren’t we all, Ha!) of two beautiful children, ages 6 and 2.
D'Yuanna Allen-Robb
Ms. D’Yuanna Allen-Robb leads local and national strategic program and policy initiatives to ensure the replication of culturally relevant program models to improve the health status of women. She currently serves as the Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Director of Metropolitan Nashville at the Metro Public Health Department, responsible for the leadership of an impressive portfolio of more than $7 million in programs. Under her leadership, sleep-related infant deaths in Metropolitan Nashville declined 33% in 3 years (2015 to 2017). Her latest venture, Nashville Strong Babies, is Nashville’s first pregnancy concierge service, offering free care coordination, customized prenatal care and interconception support through a network of preferred partners. Nashville Strong Babies is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration – Healthy Start Initiative.
Tyresa Husbands
Tyresa is Vice President and Program Manager at Homeland Heart Birth & Wellness Collective. Tyresa experienced firsthand what it’s like to give birth during the pandemic, having welcomed the newest member of her family in October.
Dr. Amber Price
Dr. Price received a Bachelor in Behavioral Science from the University of Maryland, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Old Dominion University. She completed her graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati, graduating with a Master of Nursing in Midwifery, and a post-Masters certificate in Global Women’s Health. She received her Executive Doctorate in Nursing from The Johns Hopkins University, with a research focus on Change Leadership. Dr. Price served as President of the American College of Nurse-Midwives in Virginia, and serves on maternal mortality and perinatal quality boards in Tennessee and Virginia.
She was nominated for Birth Advocate of the Year in 2015 and for Global Women’s Health leader in 2018. In 2017, she won the prestigious Monarch Award for Innovation in Nursing.
Originally from Holland, where she was born at home, Dr. Price trained in New Zealand, and has worked in women’s and children’s health clinically and as an administrator for more than 30 years. Dr. Price currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for a Women’s and Children’s hospital in Nashville.
MEET THE MODERATOR
Nikki Burdine is the morning anchor for Good Morning Nashville on WKRN News.
Nikki is an Emmy-award winning journalist and graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in journalism with emphasis in political science. Before working at WKRN, Nikki was a reporter and fill-in anchor at WUSA-9 in Washington, D.C. She has also worked at WLEX in Lexington, KY and WHAG in Hagerstown, MD. Prior to that, she worked for Red Zebra Broadcasting/ESPN Radio and the Redskins in Washington, D.C.
Nikki and her husband, Justin are parents to a baby girl, Andi, who is a 17 months old. Nikki is passionate about March of Dimes' mission because Andi was born at 28 weeks, weighing just 1 lb 4oz. After 71 days in the NICU, Andi came home and is getting bigger and stronger every day. She is also a momma to two rescue animals, Louis the cat and Reggie White the beagle mix.
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