VOICES
BRING NEW PERSPECTIVE
TO YOUR EVENT
Some conversations need more than a film.
Komadrona Voices brings midwives, educators, researchers, filmmakers, and other practitioners into live and virtual events to share knowledge, experience, and perspectives on birth, reproductive justice, ancestral care, and community health.
Whether you're hosting a screening, conference, classroom discussion, panel, or virtual gathering, a Komadrona Voice can help create a deeper conversation around the issues that matter.
Meet the Voices
A curated group of practitioners and educators available for live and virtual engagements.
Founder & Director · Licensed Midwife · Educator · Speaker · Researcher
Zulgeil “Zul” Ruiz Gines is a licensed midwife, educator, speaker, researcher, and founder of Komadrona Media Lab. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, her work has grown from community birth and midwifery education into a broader practice connecting reproductive health, cultural knowledge, research, and storytelling.
Zul has taught and led midwifery education programs, served as a midwifery education consultant, and advises training programs on education, accreditation, workforce development, and long-term sustainability. Her current research explores the growth and sustainability of accredited midwifery education programs for community midwives in the United States.
Through Komadrona Media Lab, she brings these experiences together with documentary film, photography, and community-based storytelling to create space for the knowledge, histories, and perspectives surrounding birth and care.
Janet Jarman
Photojournalist · Documentary Filmmaker · Visual Storyteller
Janet Jarman is an award-winning photojournalist and documentary filmmaker whose work explores human rights, public health, migration, and social justice. Her photography and films have been published and exhibited internationally, including in The New York Times, National Geographic, and Smithsonian Magazine.
Her long-term project Birth Wars examines the relationship between traditional midwifery, medical systems, and the politics of birth.
Juanita Francis Bone
Community Leader · Researcher
Artist · Human Rights Advocate
Juana C. Francis Bone is an Afro-Ecuadorian community leader, researcher, artist, and human rights advocate whose work is deeply rooted in the territory and communities of Esmeraldas. Her work centers on community-led knowledge, cultural identity, and the right of Black communities to define their own stories and futures. She works across research, art, community organizing, and project development to strengthen community knowledge and self-determination.
Ana M. Rodriguez
Reporter and Documentary-maker
Ana María Rodríguez is an award-winning visual storyteller whose work explores maternal health, reproductive justice, and the politics of care. Her documentary An Invisible Wound examines obstetric violence and the role of midwives in Puerto Rico and the United States. Following the film’s release, she founded the Puerto Rico Birth Collective, connecting birth workers and collaborators around education, reproductive autonomy, and respectful birth.
Jacinta Lagos
Filmmaker · Birth Photographer
Birth Documentarian
Jacinta Lagos is an Argentinian-born filmmaker and birth photographer whose work centers on the intimate realities of birth and parenthood. Through photography, film, and documentary storytelling, she brings a deeply personal perspective to birth, autonomy, and the experiences of families and birth workers.
She is the director of Allowed to Birth: The Journey of a Global Midwife, her debut feature documentary.
Elder Charlotte Marie Shilo-Goudeau
Licensed Certified Professional Midwife · Educator · Elder Midwife
Elder Charlotte Marie Shilo-Goudeau is a Louisiana-based midwife, educator, and mentor with more than 40 years of personal and professional experience in birth and maternal care. Through her midwifery practice and mentorship of midwives, doulas, and community members, she carries forward a tradition of knowledge rooted in resilience, intentional care, and community. She is also the founder of P.Y.O.B.E. with Mama Char’s Birthing Service.
Tamara Trinidad Gonzalez
Certified Professional Midwife Herbalist · Educator
Tamara Trinidad González is a Puerto Rican certified professional midwife and herbalist with advanced training in midwifery and botanical medicine from Bastyr University. Her work brings together traditional plant knowledge, midwifery, community care, and education, with a focus on birth, maternal health, and the preservation of Puerto Rico’s traditions surrounding medicinal plants and care.
Yarilis Garcia
Midwife ·Perinatal & Breastfeeding Educator
Yarilís García is a Puerto Rican Certified Professional Midwife, perinatal educator, and president of the Asociación de Parteras de Puerto Rico. Through her practice, Parto en Casa Puerto Rico, she has provided midwifery care to families since 2014, supporting informed decision-making and individualized care throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
With experience in breech birth, she also contributes to midwifery education and the advancement of community-based birth care in Puerto Rico.
Angelina Martinez Miranda "Doña Lina"
Traditional Midwife · Educator
Keeper of Ancestral Knowledge
Angelina Martínez Miranda, known as Doña Lina, is a traditional midwife from Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, carrying a lineage of midwifery knowledge passed through three generations of women in her family. She has attended approximately 15,000 births and has dedicated her life to practicing and teaching traditional midwifery. Through her birth center and international teaching, she shares this knowledge with new generations of birth workers.
JameEl Pugh
Media Strategist · Educator · Photographer
Dr. Jameel Pugh is a media strategist, educator, and photographer whose work brings together storytelling, culture, communication, and community engagement. He is the founder of Strategy Media and Pugh’s Global Gallery, where he explores the power of media and visual storytelling to connect people and share perspectives across cultures.
His work spans strategic communications, education, photography, and public engagement.
Dr. Emiliano Chavira, MD
Maternal & fetal medicine obstetrician gynecologist
Dr. Emiliano Chavira is a physician based in Whittier, California, with more than 20 years of experience in medicine. He graduated from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2001 and has been affiliated with medical centers including Saint Francis Medical Center and California Hospital Medical Center. He provides care to patients in clinical and telehealth settings.
Kimberly Haines
Midwife · Author · Educator
Kim is a second generation midwife with a passion for student education. She began attending births in 2003 and graduated from the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in 2012. She has since been dedicated to raising the community standard of out-of-hospital midwifery. With the support of her husband and their five kids, she dedicates her life to precepting and birthing our next generation of midwives to combat our country’s maternal healthcare crisis. Birth is her life, teaching is her passion, and writing about both is her hobby.
Hermine Heys-Kleine
Attorney · Reproductive Rights Advocate · Human Rights in Childbirth
Hermine is an international speaker whose work explores the intersection of law, human rights, and maternal healthcare. Her areas of focus include informed consent, the integration of medicine and midwifery, and women’s human rights in maternity care. She brings a global perspective to conversations about how legal and healthcare systems shape the experience of pregnancy, birth, and maternity care.
Bring a Voice
to Your Event
Tell us about your event, audience, and the conversation you want to create.