FOCUS : MATERNITY CARE
ASHLEE WISDOM & EDDWINA BRIGHT HEALTH IN HER HUE
COFOUNDERS , CEO & CPO
We ’ re not advocating for a segregated healthcare system . We ’ re advocating for quality , culturally sensitive care for Black women .”
DURING EDDWINA BRIGHT ’ S first childbirth , she remembers feeling ignored and traumatized by her doctor , a White woman who dismissed her questions and didn ’ t respond to her concerns .
“ When I got pregnant the second time , I was very intentional about finding a provider who looked like me — a Black woman — so that I could feel seen , heard , taken seriously , and ultimately feel safe ,” says Bright , shown above right .
In 2018 , Bright joined her friend Ashlee Wisdom , above left , as a cofounder of
Health in Her HUE . Together , they ’ ve built a digital platform that connects Black women to culturally sensitive doctors , nurses , doulas , midwives , and therapists . The platform houses a health content library with articles and videos , a community forum for sharing personal stories , and a free 1,000-member provider directory with user reviews .
After the mobile app launched in June 2020 — with 34,000 logins in two weeks — the company secured $ 1 million in
pre-seed funding in 2021 . Wisdom and Bright are using what they learn from members to add to — and improve — the platform , with plans to launch a new website featuring curricula for providers . “ Hearing from our members helps us be really thoughtful about how we develop products or programs to support them ,” Wisdom says .
MELISSA HANNA MAHMEE
COFOUNDER & CEO
People told me it ’ s charity work to help Black mothers . I knew they were wrong .”
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“ The racism Black women experience during the course of their lives takes a toll on their physical health over time , making pregnancy riskier .”
— ashlee wisdom ceo , health in her hue
MELISSA HANNA REMEMBERS dinner conversations with her mother , Linda , a registered nurse and lactation specialist , about her frustration at not having the technology support to collaborate effectively with other providers who understand the needs of Black mothers . The mother-daughter team created
Mahmee to bridge the gap .
The web-based app , launched in 2016 with funding from Backstage Capital , among other investors , now includes 1,800 participating providers in 45 states — ob-gyns , pediatricians , lactation consultants , nutritionists , and more — who use the app to collaborate on care for Black mothers .
The HIPAA-compliant platform breaks down silos between providers , showing them a unique view of the mother ’ s and baby ’ s medical records together . “ A unified healthcare record showing your maternity journey in one place eliminates someone making assumptions or providing less than appropriate care ,” Hanna says .
Mahmee also connects mothers to breastfeeding and mental health support , doula and midwifery care , and nutritional and wellness support .
In 2019 , investors including Serena Williams infused
$ 3 million into the startup , and in 2020 , the company — leveraging the expertise of cofounder Sunny Walia — started partnering with healthcare systems and insurance companies such as LA ’ s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services , and Blue Shield of California .
Now the Mahmee team is expanding , building a mobile app , and adding more maternity services .
“ Taking care of all families , and specifically Black families that have faced some of the worst odds and experiences of healthcare in the United States , is meaningful work ,” Hanna says .
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID S . COY II ( WISDOM & BRIGHT ); JENNA SCHOENEFELD ( HANNA ); NICOLE MAYHORN ( HARDIGAN ); JAY CARROLL ( CHIDI )
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