Naya Thomas is the Health Equity and Community Engagement Manager at Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and the Count the Kicks program. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit sectors such as higher education, reproductive health, and youth cultural programming, Naya is committed to advancing health equity by amplifying the voices, aspirations, and strengths of communities facing health disparities.
Naya’s journey in maternal health began in 2020 as a birth doula, where she witnessed firsthand the resilience and joy of families, particularly Black families, navigating pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. Through her work as both a doula and a licensed prenatal massage therapist, and now at Healthy Birth Day, Inc., she is committed to supporting the aspirations of families for healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and thriving futures. Her approach emphasizes self-determination in health choices and the need for families to be supported in achieving wellness.
Naya also worked on a global project that expanded access to reproductive health education, connecting individuals in 42 countries to essential fertility awareness resources. This experience broadened her understanding of global health challenges and reinforced her belief in the collective responsibility to address systemic inequities in maternal and infant health.
Before focusing on maternal health, Naya spent more than 10 years as a cultural-based teaching artist, using movement and storytelling to help youth express themselves. She believes in the transformative power of creativity and community in healing, which continues to shape her approach to health equity.
As the Health Equity and Community Engagement Manager Naya collaborates with state partners to implement strategies aimed at reducing stillbirth rates and improving maternal and infant health outcomes. She ensures that Count the Kicks initiatives are culturally responsive and grounded in community values, with the goal of creating a health system that invests in the aspirations of Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous families.
In her free time, Naya enjoys spending time with family and friends, karaoke, listening to live music, and hanging out at her neighborhood library.
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