Penn Reproductive JUstice presents

Saturday, March 23, 2024

9:30am - 6:00pm

The Forum at Perelman Center for

Political Science & Economics

Check out our conference schedule, panelist biographies, and workshop resources!

Panel 1: Intersections of RJ

Conference Recordings (click or scan)

Know Your Repro Rights Workshop

KEYNOTE Presentation

Panel 2: Community Org for RJ

Panel 3: Entrepreneurship in RJ

Panel 4: Repro Healthcare and Research

Statement from the conference organizers

This event is organized by Penn Reproductive Justice (PRJ), a student-led movement fighting for access to reproductive healthcare for the Penn and Philly community. There’s a bit of something for everyone — featuring expert speakers from a wide range of perspectives on RJ, from intersectionality, activism, and policy, to law, entrepreneurship, and healthcare. We hope that each of you comes away from the event with a deeper understanding of how RJ touches every aspect of our lives and a renewed commitment to advocating for RJ in your own community.

Conference Schedule

Meet Our panelists

Panel 1: Intersections of repro Justice

Moderated by: Keira fang & Hazel Ekeke

Kai Kornegay (they/she) hails from the great state of NJ, but has called Philadelphia home for the past decade. In addition to serving as the Director of Development at Abortion Liberation Fund of PA, they are also an abortion doula, budding community herbalist, artist, harm reductionist, and organizer. In addition to organizing for reproductive justice, she also organizes with the Philly Red Umbrella Alliance. When she's not off trying to create a more liberated world, Kai can often be found cuddling with her pets, flipping through a magazine, or yapping on her landline telephone.

Stefanie Lyn Kaufman Mthimkhulu (they/she) is the Founder and Executive Director of Project LETS. As a multiply Disabled, Mad, psychiatric survivor, they are deeply committed to interrupting patterns of historical and present-day ableism that impact Disabled people and those perceived as/labeled with mental illness in medical and psychiatric systems. They have over a decade of experience as an anti-carceral crisis responder, care worker, perinatal doula, death worker, and peer supporter in the so-called United States and eSwatini; and have supported multiply marginalized folks in a wide range of psychiatric and medical crises in community-based settings. They are rooted in historical and political lineages of Disability Justice and Mad Liberation— and committed to supporting folks in accessing self-determined care without police or cages of any form.

Dr. Lucía Isabel Stavig received her PhD in Cultural and Medical Anthropology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lucía´s research explores the cosmopolitics of health, or how Indigenous peoples’ struggles for health are also political defenses of their lands and more-than-human relations. Her work in reproductive and Indigenous justice follows the efforts of First peoples from Canada to southern Peru working heal from various forms of colonial reproductive violence including forced sterilization, forced contraception, obstetric violence, and genocide. Her work centers Indigenous women’s efforts to create Indigenous futures for generations to come.

Workshop: Know your Reproductive Rights!

Moderated by anoushka swain

See the “Know your Repro Rights” Infographic Here

Jaclyn Recktenwald, MSEd serves as Wellness at Penn’s inaugural Director of Wellbeing Initiatives. She has been a member of the Penn community since August of 2016. Jackie received her bachelor’s degree in public policy from UC San Diego and her master’s in higher education from Penn. She is currently pursuing her EdD in higher education from Penn, as well. In her role, Jackie specializes in, and is very passionate about, reproductive care access and the ways in which federal policy affects life on college campuses.

Catharine Sciolla-Schechter, LMSW is an Associate Director of Penn Women’s Center. Her main responsibility is providing confidential support and resources for students on campus as well as supporting student-led initiatives, such as Take Back the Night. Catharine has previously worked at non-profit organizations supporting students and women who have experienced trauma. Catharine is passionate about gender equity and focuses particularly on trauma-informed care and trauma prevention. Catharine earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English from University of Richmond. As a student, Catharine worked with many organizations on University of Richmond’s campus to educate, prevent, and respond to sexual misconduct. Catharine is a proud advocate for all survivors and believes in holistic, compassionate care and systemic interventions that center survivors and those most vulnerable. Catharine received her Master of Social Work from Columbia University.

Keynote Speaker

Kimberly Mutcherson, JD is a Professor of Law and former Co-Dean at Rutgers Law School in Camden. She was the first woman, the first Black person, and the first member of the LGBTQ community to be a Dean at Rutgers Law. Professor Mutcherson is a reproductive justice scholar whose work focuses on assisted reproduction and abortion among other topics. Cambridge University Press released her edited volume, FEMINIST JUDGMENTS: REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE REWRITTEN in 2020.

In 2023, Professor Mutcherson received the Trailblazer Award from the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association. Professor Mutcherson was a co-recipient of the 2021 M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award from the Society of American Law Teachers and the 2020 Association of American Law Schools inaugural Impact Award as one of the creators of the Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse Project. Also in 2021, the Rutgers Law School Black Law Students Association honored her with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Champions of Social Justice Award and the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey celebrated her as a Distinguished Changemaker. Professor Mutcherson received the Center for Reproductive Rights Innovation in Scholarship Award in 2013, a Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2011, and the Women’s Law Caucus Faculty Appreciation Award in 2011 and 2014. Professor Mutcherson has served as a Scholar in Residence at the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership at NYU Law School, a Senior Fellow/Sabbatical Visitor at the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law at Columbia Law School, and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.

She earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Columbia Law School. Upon graduation from Columbia, she received the Kirkland and Ellis Fellowship for post-graduate public interest work. Prior to entering academia, Professor Mutcherson was a consulting attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights and a Staff Attorney at the HIV Law Project.

Panel 2: Community organizing for Repro Justice

Moderated by: Annabelle Jin & Hazel Ekeke

Céshia Elmore (she/her/queen) is the Community Organizing and Engagement Manager for New Voices for Reproductive Justice. Her journey, rooted in education and advocacy, is a testament to her commitment to positive change. She is 3 years strong as an emerging Reproductive Justice leader. Her philosophy, "There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives" as quoted by Audre Lorde, underscores the interconnectedness of the struggles of Black Women, Queer people and marginalized folx. Céshia's work with transformative initiatives such as Advocacy and Activism in Birthwork, the #SAYHERNAME Justice Fund, and "RJ IGNITE" showcases her unwavering dedication to community advancement and equity. As an artist, facilitator, and activist, she brings a drive to co-create, foster collaboration, and create change through education, motivation, and mobilization.

Kinjo Kiema (she/her) is the Director of Organizing & Campaigns at Advocates for Youth, a national organization that trains and supports organizers aged 14-24 in our Youth Activist Network in fighting for reproductive rights and justice. She supports YWOC, a council of young women and nonbinary activists of color. She is Kenyan-American, grew up in Virginia and now lives in Washington DC. Prior to being involved in the movement for intersectional feminism and bodily autonomy, she was a labor organizer with SEIU supporting workers in PA and FL in forming a union, and was a student activist and leader in Students for Justice in Palestine and other advocacy groups.

Isabella Villa Real Seabra is a reproductive justice and human rights organizer & researcher. She is strongly interested in the intersections of reproductive justice and public health with transnational and national human rights law. She is also an abortion storyteller with We Testify and Youth Testify, a project of Advocates for Youth, and a volunteer with New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF).

Panel 3: Entrepreneurship in Repro Justice

Moderated by: Manasi Gajjalapurna & Claire Jun

Maya Ayed is Chief of Staff at Amira, an early-stage startup building a solution for menopausal women experiencing hot flashes. Maya's responsibility varies from GTM, product, sales, to project management. Born & raised in Tunisia, Maya is a melting pot of cultural influencers and a visionary marketer known for her strategic acumen and exceptional execution. As the first full-time hire at Amira Health, she plays a vital role in shaping the brand's identity and direction, aligning organizational strategy, and aiding in critical decision-making processes. Passionate about applying technology advancements to enhance women's health, Maya has founded a community of female founders dedicated to shaping the future of this vital field. Her leadership has not only ignited new ideas and spurred growth but also provided a platform for women to lead in a field she passionately holds close to her heart.

Stefanie Modri MSN, RNC-MNN, C-OB has been an obstetrics nurse since 1998. She has worked in Boston, Hawaii, New Jersey and Phildelphia as a nurse, in birth centers, low-resourced regions and high-risk patient settings. She co-founded Vasowatch at Penn with a then-Penn PhD computer science engineer to help predict postpartum hemorrhage risk using PPG. She is also a nurse-entrepreneur, nurse-researcher and a Clinical Adjunct Professor at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing since 2016, where she teaches the clinical portion of N3900 at Pennsylvania Hospital.

Pita Navarro, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Evvy, is an entrepreneur-scientist with a deep passion for driving the translation of scientific discoveries into accessible tools that empower women to live healthier lives. At Evvy, she is currently focused on building a world where female health is finally understood: where risks are detected early and precisely; conditions are defined with specificity and nuance; and diseases are treated with personalization and care.Pita's biotech start up experience spans across research, development and commercialization of novel diagnostics and digital health tools. Prior to starting Evvy, she was a founding team member at Athelas, where she lead the development of AI-based devices for monitoring markers of inflammation in chronically ill patients.

Panel 4: Reproductive healthcare & research

Moderated by: neha shetty & Claire Jun

Alhambra Frarey, MD, MSHP (she/her) is the Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. She is a board-certified OB/GYN and Complex Family Planning subspecialist. Dr. Frarey received her medical degree and OB/GYN residency training from the University of Kansas. She completed a Fellowship in Complex Family Planning and received a Master of Science of Health Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania. From 2012-2023 she was a member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology where she served as the clinical lead for family planning services and the Ryan Program Director at Pennsylvania Hospital from 2017-2023. She also held a leadership role in Penn Medicine's Post-Roe Working Group and joined Governor-elect Shapiro’s Transition Committee on Healthcare in 2022. In 2023 Dr. Frarey transitioned to the role of Chief Medical Officer for Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania. She oversees and provides direction in administration, clinical practice, development of medical services, and strategic collaborations for expanded access. She continues to hold an appointment as an Associate Adjunct Professor within the University of Pennsylvania's Department of OB/GYN. She also continues to work as a physician advocate at the national, state and local level.

Sarah Gutman, MD, MSPH is an OB/GYN and Complex Family Planning specialist. Dr. Gutman completed a Master’s of Science in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a focus on population, family, and reproductive health. She completed OB/GYN residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 and a fellowship in Complex Family Planning in 2022. Dr. Gutman’s research and clinical interests include contraceptive counseling and group prenatal care. She is passionate about reproductive justice and health equity.

Michele LaMarr-Suggs, CNM is a full-scope midwife at Penn OBGYN and Midwifery Care located at Pennsylvania Hospital. She serves as Associate Professor of Clinical Practice at the University of Pennsylvania and Adjunct faculty at the Midwifery Institute at Thomas Jefferson University. Michele is a pioneering figure in the cause of Black midwifery, decreasing maternal morbidity and mortality, and increasing the number of Black midwives and doulas in our country. Desperate to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes for women of color, Michele serves on the Philadelphia Maternal Mortality Review Committee and is currently working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to establish the nation’s first Nurse Midwifery program accredited by an HBCU geared to recruit and train midwives of color to serve minority and disenfranchised patient populations. She is the founder of the non-profit Royal Generation, Inc. which works tirelessly to improve social determinants of health for Black birthing people in Philadelphia.

Dr. Abigail Wilpers, PhD, WHNP-BC is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and holds a joint appointment at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. Dr. Wilpers is passionate about enhancing care and equity for people whose pregnancies are complicated by a severe fetal condition, like a life-threatening heart or developmental problem, and who face significant challenges such as preterm birth and raising a child with special health care needs, while others face issues like perinatal loss and access to abortion care. Dr. Wilpers studies how models of care, patients’ experiences, and the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, connect to care quality and health outcomes with the goal if informing reproductive health policy. She works closely with SisterSong, the Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, to build knowledge and partnerships between maternal-fetal medicine and the Reproductive Justice movement.

Know your Repro Rights Infographic

Penn wellness x Penn repro justice (claire jun & mina nair)

Conference Organizers

Lead Organizers

Annabelle Jin (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Education Committee Lead for PRJ. With over 5 years of experience advocating for reproductive justice/menstrual equity (RJ/ME), she founded PERIOD at Moorestown, NJ, in 2019 and was part of PERIOD.’s Youth Advisory Board from 2020-2022. While she has donated 20,000 menstrual products to Philadelphia shelters and successfully lobbied to provide free period products in NJ schools, she is most passionate about educating students about RJ/ME and empowering them to advocate for these issues. As such, she has organized the Menstrual Health Education Program in West Philadelphia schools and 18 educational events at Penn about reproductive health that have reached over 250 attendees.

Claire Jun (she/her) is the Communications Lead and an Education Committee Project Director for PRJ. Growing up in Alabama, where a total abortion ban limits access to reproductive health services and over 20% of menstruators live below the federal poverty line, she is passionate about expanding health services to low-income populations. She leads the creation of six educational infographics such as “Equitable Access to Coverage” to “My Menstrual Cycle and My Mental Health” and designed PRJ’s website and first annual impact report. She has also increased PRJ’s reach by creating a newsletter with 200+ subscribers; designed 30+ graphics promoting PRJ events; and managed PRJ’s Instagram with a following of 500+.

Neha Shetty (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Political Advocacy Committee Lead for PRJ. She is deeply passionate about advocating for reproductive rights, particularly through a political and community lens. She has led projects around regulatory work in reproductive legislation and has co-organized the Rally for Our Rights Abortion Rally in Philadelphia. She is also passionate about menstrual equity, co-founding the Campaign for Menstrual Equity, in which she worked with local school districts to create plans for period product distribution to concur with the districts' meal distribution programs. She is in the works of organizing Penn's first Reproductive Justice Art Exhibit, slated for April 2024.

Speaker coordinator

Hazel Ekeke (she/her) is a Penn Nursing student and Penn Civic Scholar with a double minor in Bioethics and Nutrition. She is a trained doula, and an aspiring Nurse Midwife and Women's Health/Gender-Related NP. With a passion of decreasing the mortality rates of Black birthing people, she is a trained doula, sexual health educator and a Reproductive Justice & HIV/AIDS activist. Through destigmatization, education, and advocacy, she works to decrease implicit bias and improve the health experiences of underserved populations such as people who are incarcerated, the LGBTQIA+ community, the Deaf community, and many more. Her work has reached the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and has been featured on The Drew Barrymore Show and in The New York Times Kids.

volunteer coordinator

Destiny Uwawuike (she/her) is an Education Committee Project Director for PRJ. She is passionate about reproductive health and educating individuals on making informed decisions about their bodies. She was a research intern for BUPeriod, a lifestyle brand empowering women through menstrual health awareness, and a project coordinator for PA Springboard Consulting Program, where she led a team to pitch a business case promoting increased access to sexual education. She currently volunteers as a tained doula providing education and labor support to underserved pregnant women in Philadelphia.

Event Organizers

Keira Feng (she/her) is a sophomore serving on PRJ's Political Advocacy Committee. She has hosted community-level workshops about the intersection between race and reproductive health and has partnered with WISEPlace, a WOC shelter based in Santa Ana, CA. Keira is also a Girl Up Regional Leader and facilitated a working relationship between her Girl Up chapter and Planned Parenthood's Action Fund; in 2022, she helped organize multiple Bans Off Our Bodies rallies in Orange County. Keira is ecstatic to learn and continue mobilizing community equity in the RJ space.

Manasi Gajjalapurna (she/her) serves on PRJ’s Education Committee and is studying Bioengineering. She is passionate about breaking down the reproductive access pipeline and building data-driven applications for menstrual equity. She has worked on building data-driven applications with organizations including the National Women’s Political Caucus, where she used data to expand their caucus network and resources in the midwest, with a focus on spreading information to women of color, and at MIT, where she worked on a project to create a framework surrounding the reproductive healthcare access pipeline for immigrants and youth in partnership with nonprofits, NGOs, and professors. Manasi also serves on PERIOD’s Youth Advisory Council from 2022-2024, where she provides insight on initiatives to address social, cultural, and economic barriers that perpetuate cycles of menstrual inequity.

Anoushka Swain (she/her) is on the Education Committee for Penn Reproductive Justice and has worked passionately with others since her freshman year to help educate those on and off campus about reproductive justice and health. She has worked with members to help promote access to free menstrual products around campus, taught highschoolers and college students about menstrual health and equity at workshops, and is passionate about an individual’s access to any information they need regarding reproductive justice/health. She is hoping to create a helpline for students to use where they can talk in confidentiality with a member of PRJ regarding any questions they may have about reproductive justice and health.

content assistant

Mina Nair (she/her) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and minoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies on the pre-medical track. She is passionate about increasing access to education regarding reproductive justice and health. She is dedicated to creating infographics and resources that convey easily understandable and accurate information, empowering people to make informed decisions. In the future, she aspires to help bridge the gap between OBGYN and psychiatry.

Conference Sponsors

thank you to all of our sponsors who made the conference possible

promotional Designs

Stickers

brochure

BAnner

Opening Remarks

Panel 3: Entrepreneurship in Repro Health

Panel 2: Community Organizing for RJ

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