Our DAI Team
Alexas Janae E. Ramírez, she/her
Executive Director
Alexas is Taíno, Coahuiltecan, Chichimeca Guachichil, and Black. She has been supporting this organization as a reproductive justice advocate, and doula since it was co-founded by a group of birthworkers from the Ithaca Doula Collective. She is a Certified Full Spectrum Trauma-informed Doula, Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor, Traditional Healing Practitioner, Herbalist, and Seed keeper, amongst many other hats she wears in the communities she is active in.
“Body Autonomy is a source of power that I work to empower in our communities, and supporting birth-givers with doula access is fundamental in my work as a two-spirit community leader.”
Nicole Smith, she/her
President
Nicole has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell and a Master of Public Administration & Non-Profit Management from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She has run many educational programs and has almost 2 decades of time spent in non-profit program direction. Nicole is the Program Director of the UCNS Preschool and proudly serves as the DAI Board President.
Nicole loves putting her skills and experience to use at DAI. As a former doula herself, she is passionate about supporting our mission and vision!
Elizabeth Thompson, she/her
Treasurer
Born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Elizabeth has since lived in Savannah, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Manhattan; she has resided in Tompkins County since 2014. In Ithaca, she and her partner, Mark, opened the boutique men’s store and barbershop, Narrative Space in 2014. Her continued dedication to the community has led her to host creative workshops at Foundry and she is on the Board of Directors for DAI as the treasurer.
“DAI is a an incredible network of not only incredibly talented doulas in the forefront but also a collection of highly revered professionals in the background. I could not be more honored to share space with such an impressive group of humans working towards a mission that so greatly benefits our surrounding community.”
Abby Persoleo D.C., she/her
Board Member
Abby is a prenatal and infant chiropractor who has been supporting families in the Ithaca area for over a decade. She is a forever student who is passionate about studying pregnancy, birth and infant feeding. In her free time she loves to travel and spend time with her husband and three young children.
“I have been supporting birthing families for over 10 years and have seen how life changing the support of a doula can be. I'm thrilled to be part of a program that makes doula support accessible to all!”
Darcie Black, she/her
Darcie Black is a community connector, educator, and co-creator. She’s a full-spectrum doula and holistic reproductive health practitioner. When she’s not advocating for and supporting folks throughout their reproductive health experiences, you can find her in her garden, trying out all of the local fair at the farmer’s market, and appreciating live music whenever possible.
“DAI is a dream realized! In the grand scheme of things - it’s a drop in the bucket, but when it comes to reproductive justice in our community, creating an equitable and sustainable structure for perinatal doula support can be life changing. Continuing to work with the DAI team to evolve the organization as our community’s needs change is important to me and I look forward to seeing how DAI grows in the future!”
Bailey Marks, she/her
Cortland Liaison
Bailey is a full-spectrum doula, solo mother and early childhood education enthusiast. Her own postpartum experiences and training with Ancient Song Doula Services have inspired her to be a part of creating a more human-rights-centered approach to caring for people's reproductive health, especially those with additional barriers to well-being such as mental health disorders (including substance use), discrimination or lack of access to adequate care. She is passionate about bringing birth, loss, and abortion doula care to the Cortland and Ithaca communities.
"Pregnant people and families deserve the highest level of care, respect and advocacy in our community; children are our future and thus so are their families."
Natalie Strohm, she/her
Board Representative
Natalie studied at Hampshire College where her major was shaped by a passion for working with families. With Hampshire’s “make your own major” approach, she studied child development, community programming, and reproductive health. Ultimately her thesis focused on physiological responses to loneliness and connection, and community systems for increasing access to postpartum care. Natalie has been immersed in the Ithaca birth community for four years. In addition to providing doula care, Natalie is a birth assistant at September Hill Midwifery, a pre/postnatal training specialist, as well as pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist.
“I said yes to DAI because my passion is, and always has been, in watching families thrive. I believe in comprehensive and continuous care-that a strong foundation of support from one’s community is what every family deserves.”