Meet Our Team

Terri N. Lee-Johnson
​Founder & Co-Executive Director

Kimathi D. Street Coleman
Co-Executive Director
​Terri N. Lee-Johnson is the founding Executive Director of Birth Strides, a Memphis, TN-based Reproductive Justice organization focused on providing no cost, community-based doulas and childbirth prep for Black mothers. Birth Strides was founded to meet the need for culturally relevant and accessible support and education for Black women in Memphis. 

Terri has been a practicing doula and childbirth educator since 2012. She has been a Certified Lactation Counselor since 2016. She holds a BA in Sociology. It's through her undergraduate studies that she was introduced to intersectionality which eventually led her to work in Reproductive Justice. She is currently a student midwife seeking the Certified Professional Midwife credential. Terri is also a wife and retired homeschooling mom. 
Kimathi D. Street Coleman has been married for 7 years and is the mother of two little girls. She is a doula who is passionate about breastfeeding. She is currently the organizer for Latch On Memphis and is a part of lots of breastfeeding support groups, including BSTARS and Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition. Kimathi is also a Certified Lactation Counselor and Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere Community Transformer trained as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor. She is very excited to serve moms in her community through prenatal support and education, labor support, and postpartum services.

RICKI B. MARTIN
Community Perinatal Health Worker

Ricki is native Memphian, holding a BS in Psychology and Masters in Social Work. Ricki completed Maternal Support Practitioner (Doula) training through Bebo Mia in 2020. She is a doula with a passion for mental health and supporting African American families. She supports the community through her work as a Social Worker and CASA Volunteer. Ricki is also the proud mother of an energetic five year old. She is overjoyed to provide perinatal support to the families of the Memphis community as a doula. 

KAILA MATTHEWS
Community Perinatal Health Worker

I was born and raised in Memphis, I'm a wife, mother of 2, and hold a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting & Spanish and a Master's of Education in Higher Education Administration and Leadership. I was heartbroken and overwhelmed initially to learn and experience mistreatment and blatant disregard to my desires or concerns navigating my 1st birth and used a doula to help me advocate for myself. I wanted to provide this support for women who look like me and come from where I'm from so I certified as both a Birth and Postpartum Doula, a Certified Lactation Counselor, and a Prenatal Yoga Instructor.

I am committed to increasing awareness among minority women around their voice and choice in their birthing experience. I believe that understanding what's happening or could happen and the choices we have in the experience make a difference in our outcomes and every woman has a right to have the birth experience they desire.

LILLY ROSS
Community Perinatal Health Worker
My name is Lilly. I’m a mother of 2. I’m originally from Tennessee but was raised in Illinois. While living there, I had my first child at 17. I was referred to a community organization, which offered free doulas. From that moment on I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I decided I wanted to work for an organization that gives back to the community and helps expecting mothers, and that's what I found in Birth Strides. I'm overjoyed and love that I get to provide support to Memphis families as a doula.