š Gratitude in the Margins: A Thanksgiving Reflection from the Diosa Ara & Labora Collective Team
When youāre rebuilding healthcare from the ground up, gratitude becomes both anchor and compass. š§
This Thanksgiving finds us in a familiar rhythm ā some of us on call, others tucked into cozy corners planning the next series that will light up someoneās understanding, still others deep in strategic sessions fueled by endless cups of coffee and unwavering hope. Weāre more than a team; weāre a constellation of dreamers and doers, scattered across three continents and woven through different life stories, yet bound together by something far more powerful than geography could ever contain:
A shared conviction that womenās health deserves more than the scraps of attention it has historically received.
Diosa Ara and Labora Collective exists because the status quo is unacceptable.
š¢ Because Black women are dying at three times the rate of white women during pregnancy and childbirth.
š¢ Because reproductive healthcare has become a battlefield rather than a birthright.
š¢ Because someone needs to build the systems that should have existed all along.
Today, we pause to share what this work means to usānot as talking points or mission statements, but as humans doing the hard, necessary work of transformation. š«
āļø The Weight and Wonder of Purpose
From Dr. Yamicia Connor, CEO & Founder:
There are moments in the life of a company when the work pauses just long enough for gratitude to rise to the surface, unprompted and overwhelming. Today was one of those moments for me. My team gathered to reflect on what Diosa Ara means to them, and what they shared could have brought me to tears.
In this season, when the world urges us toward family, ritual, and rest, Iām on callāa rhythm Iāve grown to embrace. Iāve come to see working holidays as one small way I can give back to the larger medical ecosystem. My schedule is more flexible than many of my colleagues, and if my taking call means someone else can be home with their children or their aging parents, then I am glad to play that role.
But none of that erases the truth: building a companyāespecially one committed to changing something as entrenched and politically fraught as womenās healthāhas been the hardest undertaking of my life. It demands a strange kind of faith. Some days it feels like Iām threading a needle in the dark šŖ”, trying to figure out how we sustain ourselves next month, or the month after, or long enough to prove that this work has a viable business model.
We chose a problem that has lingered for generations because it was too big, too uncomfortable, and too expensive for anyone else to take on. We knew it would require investment on every front: reshaping the medical communityās understanding of obstetrical inequity, helping patients identify the real problem beneath their experiences, and educating the business world about why a solution like ours matters.
We also knew we had to build something differentāsomething that doesnāt simply digitize the old clinic model. Telehealth can be so much more than a doctorās visit on a screen. It can be a force multiplier. A second set of trained, vigilant eyes. A safety net in the moments when care systems fail. Rethinking that potential has been both exhilarating and terrifying.
Diosa Ara is still entirely self-funded, and that alone carries a kind of weight that never really leaves your shoulders. As our team grows, so does the responsibility. There are days when it feels like we give everythingāour nights, our weekends, the emotional and intellectual labor of reimagining an entire corner of medicineāand no one sees it. No one cares. No one is watching.
But then something small and human pulls me back. A moment of honesty from a patient who trusted us. A message of encouragement from a community member. A quiet smile from one of my children. Or, like today, the words of a team that believes so deeply in this mission that it has become part of who they are. And suddenly I remember why we persist: doing the right thing still matters, even when the world no longer rewards it. Integrity matters. Dignity matters. My ability to look my children in the eye and tell them I tried to make their world kinderāthat matters more than anything else.
So yes, tonight I am grateful. Grateful for a team whose dedication humbles me. They have stood with me through long nights of decision-making, through uncertainty, through wrong turns and course corrections. They bring rigor, creativity, and honesty to work that demands all three. We operate almost entirely virtually, yet these are people I feel Iāve known for years, people whose presence is woven into the texture of my days. I often forget we havenāt met in person, because the relationships feel that real.
I am grateful for the leaders in our organization who give more than they receive, who work far beyond what their titles require, underpaid and overcommitted, because they believe in building a world that does not yet exist. I am grateful for our supportersāthose of you who read, comment, share, invest emotionally or financially. Your encouragement is not a footnote; it is fuel. It keeps us going when the work feels heavy. It reminds us that people are listening, that the mission resonates, that the future weāre building matters.
And I am profoundly grateful for our patients, who let us into some of the most intimate, vulnerable chapters of their lives. That is a sacred kind of trust. We hold it with reverence, and we honor it by delivering the highest standard of care possible.
This Thanksgiving, in the middle of a call shift and a year that has tested every part of me, my gratitude is simple: for my team, for my family who makes this work possible, for the community we are growing, and for all of you who are walking this path with us. The road ahead is long, but we are building something worthy. And that, more than anything, is worth giving thanks for.
š Seeing the Whole Person
From Briana Bensenouci, COO:
Iām grateful to be part of Diosa Ara because this team sees me as a whole person living a full, complex life. My leadership and teammates value not just what I produce, but the perspective, experience, and humanity I bring. That matters deeply to me.
Womenās health deserves so much more attention and intention than it typically receives. I appreciate that at Diosa Ara, we refuse to accept the status quo. We challenge people to imagine that something better is possibleāand then we work to build it.
What resonates with me most is how we see the people we serve. Not as disconnected partsāa body separate from a mind, separate from a family, separate from a child, separate from life circumstances or demographicsābut as whole humans. Because of that lens, the care weāre designing is comprehensive, compassionate, and grounded in real life. š±
š Learning to Listen
From Hamza Albasit, COTO:
Iām grateful to be part of Diosa Ara because this work has taught me how much listening mattersāreal listening, the kind that reshapes how you think about care, responsibility, and equity. Being a man in this space is a reminder that the systems weāre trying to change werenāt built by accident, and that itās on all of us to help dismantle what harms women, especially Black women and women of color.
Iām thankful for a team that leads with clarity, rigor, and compassion, and that welcomes my contribution without ever losing sight of who this work is truly for. What Iāve learned here has made me more aware, more accountable, and more committed to building health systems that honor women fully. Iām proud to support a mission that doesnāt just imagine better care, it actively builds it, day by day, with purpose and integrity. šŖ
š The Privilege of Building Something That Matters
From Ayesha Irfan, Chief of Staff:
Iām grateful to be part of Diosa Ara and Labora Collective because after three years on this journey, Iāve witnessed what it truly means to build something from conviction rather than convenience. Iāve seen our CEO work through nights and weekends, pouring not just her expertise but her soul into this missionāand that dedication has become contagious. Iāve watched her children grow alongside this company, understanding that their mother is building something that will make their world more just. That kind of commitment doesnāt just inspire; it transforms you. āØ
What strikes me most is how much blood, sweat, and genuine care weāve invested in building this company. Every team member I coordinate brings a level of passion that pushes us to improve dailyānot because someone demands it, but because the women we serve deserve nothing less. Iāve adopted that same rhythm of relentless dedication, and Iām grateful for it. Itās taught me that meaningful work doesnāt follow a 9-to-5 schedule; it follows the heartbeat of necessity.
The opportunities Iāve received hereāto read, learn, strategize, and witness real impactāhave been transformative. Every article we publish, every birth worker we educate, every woman who finds support through our platform reminds me why this work is so fulfilling. Itās what motivates me to start each morning with purpose, knowing that the operational systems I build and the strategies I help shape directly translate into better care for women who have been systematically overlooked.
This work has become part of who I am, and Iām deeply thankful for that transformation.
š¤ For Our Communities
From Francesca Gasasira, Community Manager:
One thing Iām grateful for is the way Diosa Ara champions a sector of health that has been neglected, both in the past and the present. Though we all suffer from broken systems, DA recognizes that Black and POC women are affected at a disproportionate rate and recognizes the responsibility we all have to correcting these systems in support of our communities.
The stories and resources we share and uplift all work to ensure women get the care they deserve and much, much more. Iām thankful that Iāve been granted the ability to contribute to an organization that seeks to build a better future for all by beginning in communities we are all a part of. Iām challenged to work better and be better because my community, and many others, deserve nothing less. š
š The Power of Collective Vision
From Teisha Ransom, Partnership & Sales Lead:
Iām deeply thankful to be part of the Diosa Ara and Labora Collective team, where our mission to uplift birth workers and transform reproductive care feels both powerful and purposeful. Every day, Iām inspired by the community we serve, which shows resilience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to equity in maternal health.
Being part of this journey has broadened my perspective on what true advocacy looks like and strengthened my dedication to supporting meaningful change. Iām grateful for the opportunity to contribute to work that not only informs and empowers but also creates space for healing and collective progress. This experience has personally shaped me, reminding me why our voices and vision matter. Iām proud to stand with a team that leads with intention, care, and a deep belief in whatās possible for our communities. š
šØ Designing Justice Into Every Pixel
From Asif Ahmed, Brand Designer:
Iām grateful to be part of Diosa Ara because this team has shown me what it feels like to work in a place rooted in care, justice, and genuine humanity. Being here has opened my eyes to the realities that so many womenāespecially Black women and women of colorāface in their health journeys, and itās changed the way I understand responsibility, equity, and community.
What means the most to me is the heart of the people I work with. Everyone leads with intention and compassion, and that spirit has shaped me in ways I donāt think Iāll ever forget. As a brand designer, Iāve learned that every color choice, every font, every visual element carries weightāit either reinforces the systems that have failed women or helps build new ones that honor them. Iām thankful for the trust, the kindness, and the purpose that anchor this mission, and for the way this team makes space for growth, honesty, and real connection.
I feel proud and humbled to contribute to work that is bigger than all of usāwork that protects, uplifts, and honors womenās lives. Every design decision I make is guided by the knowledge that weāre creating visual language for a movement, not just a company. š¼ļø
š± Growing Into Purpose
From Humna Rehman, Brand Designer:
Iām grateful to be part of Diosa Ara because this work lets me create something that feels deeply connected to womenās lives, including my own. As a designer, Iām constantly thinking about how women move through the worldāwhat confuses them, comforts them, overwhelms them, or gives them strengthāand being here lets me turn that awareness into something meaningful.
Iām especially thankful to contribute to a mission that centers the experiences of Black women and women of color, whose needs have too often been overlooked. Working with this team has made me more empathetic, more intentional, and more rooted in purpose. I carry this work with me even outside the screenāI have seen along 3 years how Yamicia has built up this community and how her mission lives deep inside her, which has inspired me a lot. š«
š Personal Growth Through Collective Purpose
From Abeera I. Hashmi, Administrative Assistant:
Working with Diosa Ara for the past two years, on and off, has been incredibly meaningful for me. Yamicia has always been exceptionally kind and supportive, and Iāve seen firsthand how deeply she invests in this work. She could easily choose a comfortable, quiet life for herself, yet she continues to pour so much of her time, energy, and heart into Diosa Araāfor Black women and women of color. It truly shows how much she is āfor her people,ā and how deeply this mission lives within her.
More than myself, watching my sister, Ayesha, work here for nearly three years and grow into such a confident professional has warmed my heart in ways I canāt fully express. I am grateful to be part of a mission that is rooted in compassion, justice, and genuine care. ā¤ļø
š¤ļø The Road Ahead
As we gather these reflections, what strikes us most is not just the individual gratitude, but the collective commitment. We are designers and doctors, community builders and technologists, administrators and advocates. We come from different backgrounds and bring different skills, but we share a common understanding: that healthcare can be different. That it must be different.
This Thanksgiving, weāre grateful for:
š Our patients, who trust us with their stories, their fears, and their hopes. You remind us daily why this work cannot wait.
š Our supporters, who read, share, donate, and believe. Your faith sustains us through the long nights and uncertain months.
šØāš©āš§āš¦ Our families, who watch us pour ourselves into something that doesnāt yet fully exist, and love us anyway.
š¤ Each other, for showing up with integrity, creativity, and determination, even when the path forward isnāt clear.
We operate almost entirely virtually, yet these relationships feel more real than many formed in person. Weāve built something rare: a team united not by proximity or convenience, but by purpose.
The road ahead is long. The systems weāre trying to change have deep roots and powerful defenders. But as we sit with our gratitude this Thanksgivingāsome of us between patient calls, others in stolen moments of restāwe know this:
Doing the right thing still matters.
ā Building with integrity still matters.
šļø Creating healthcare that sees women as whole humans still matters. šļø
And that is more than enough reason to keep going.
From all of us at Diosa Ara and Labora Collective: Thank you for walking this path with us. Thank you for believing that better is possible. Thank you for refusing to accept that āthis is just how things are.ā
Together, weāre building the future of womenās healthāone patient, one provider, one story at a time. š
Happy Thanksgiving š¦š
š Learn more about our work at diosara.com and laboracollective.com
š¢ Join our community of birth workers, healthcare advocates, and changemakers as we transform reproductive care from the margins to the center, where it belongs.
š BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL: Grab our exclusive Black Friday discount. This is your chance to invest in trauma-informed, culturally inclusive birth worker education at a special rate. Donāt miss out on this limited-time offer to join our mission while saving on professional development.
[Claim your Black Friday discount] šļø
Together, weāre building the future of womenās healthāone patient, one provider, one story at a time.
Hey, great read as always. 'Building systems that shoud have existed' is such a solid point.