Katharine Wingert, Community Doula

Founder & Executive Director

Katharine Wingert is an experienced birth doula serving Southwest Riverside County. A natural changemaker, she is driven to transform gaps in maternity care into practical, sustainable solutions.

Katharine founded The Doula Project to expand access to professional doula care, strengthen collaboration among families, doulas, healthcare providers, and health plans, and create sustainable career opportunities for doulas in Murrieta. She believes meaningful change begins when someone recognizes what is missing, brings the right people together, and builds what the community needs.

Maria King, BSc (Hons), CNM, RN, IBCLC

Founding Director, Midwifery & Collaborative Care

Maria King began practicing midwifery in the United Kingdom in 1995. Her diverse nursing and acute-care background informs a deeply client-centered approach grounded in autonomy, informed choice, safety, and empowerment. Maria has supported families across home, birth center, and hospital settings and provides comprehensive care spanning preconception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, gynecologic, and lactation services. 

A strong advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration, she works to bridge gaps between healthcare professionals, reduce barriers to care, and ensure families receive respectful, individualized support throughout their reproductive and parenting journeys.

Gelen del Rosario, MD

Founding Director, Clinical Integration & Medical Affairs

Gelen R. del Rosario, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who has practiced since 2010. Raised in a rural community in the Philippines, she was inspired by the strength of the women around her to pursue medicine and advocate for maternal health. Her work emphasizes prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. 

As co-founder of Bridge Prenatal, Dr. del Rosario is committed to expanding culturally responsive care for underserved communities and addressing maternal health disparities. She speaks Spanish and Tagalog and brings valuable expertise in high-risk pregnancy and collaborative, community-centered care.

Nathan Wheeler

Founding Director, Healthcare Operations

With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare operations, Nathan most recently served as Vice President of Claims & Shared Services at SCAN Health Plan, overseeing claims operations, provider data, vendor management, systems configuration, and cross-functional stakeholder integration. He believes patient outcomes should remain at the center of every organizational decision and are best supported through strong connections among health plans, provider partners, and members. 

Nathan is committed to removing barriers to care, streamlining payment processes, and delivering personalized service that creates positive member experiences.

Gavin Lathrop

Founding Director, Strategic Development, Grants & Organizational Growth

Gavin Lathrop is a retired career Marine, experienced operations strategist, and founding member of Marine Forces Special Operations Command. He holds graduate degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Advanced Data Analytics, bringing expertise in organizational leadership, process analysis, change management, and strategic development. Gavin excels at translating ambitious visions into practical, measurable steps while identifying operational gaps and developing collaborative solutions. 

As a board member, he supports grant development and organizational growth, driven by a commitment to expanding doula access, strengthening collaboration between healthcare professionals and doulas, and building sustainable systems that improve outcomes for families.

Rochelle Kusicki, Community Doula

Founding Director, Operations & Organizational Stability

Rochelle Kusicki is a Certified Birth Doula, Body Ready Pro, and owner of The Serene Mother, serving families throughout Southern California. She supports families during pregnancy, labor, birth, and early postpartum, with an emphasis on informed decision-making, physiologic birth, movement, and positioning. 

Rochelle brings a steady, reassuring presence to a wide range of birth experiences, helping families feel confident and supported throughout their care. She is passionate about expanding access to quality doula services and strengthening a collaborative, well-supported doula community equipped to serve local families.

Maritza Worthington, FDN-P, CHNC

Founding Director, Women's Health & Community Advocacy

Maritza Worthington is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, Holistic Nutrition Consultant, and women’s health advocate specializing in hormones, fertility, postpartum health, and foundational wellness. With more than a decade of experience, she helps women better understand their bodies and become informed participants in their healthcare. 

Maritza believes women’s health requires an individualized, root-cause approach that considers the whole person rather than isolated symptoms. As a board member, she brings expertise in functional nutrition, health education, and prevention, along with a commitment to advancing compassionate, accessible strategies that support women throughout every stage of life.

Arij Faksh, DO, FACOG

Clinical Advisor, Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Arij Faksh, DO, FACOG, is a double board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist at Scripps Clinic. She also serves as a consultant at La Maestra Community Health Centers and is co-founder of A&B Clinical Research and Bridge Prenatal, a physician-led Enhanced Care Management program supporting high-risk pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal patients.

As a first-generation American, mother, physician, researcher, and patient advocate, Dr. Faksh brings a personal perspective to caring for women and families. She believes in building trusting partnerships among patients, referring providers, and multidisciplinary teams through open communication, compassion, and collaboration. Inspired by her patients, she is passionate about whole-person care, community partnerships, and addressing maternal health disparities. She is honored to serve as a Clinical Advisor to the Gem of the Valley Doula Project, helping to strengthen partnerships between doulas and clinicians while advancing respectful and equitable maternal care. 

Jasmine Madrid

Strategic Marketing & Communications Advisor

Jasmine Madrid is a marketing professional with five years of experience developing creative, data-informed campaigns across social media, email, SMS, influencer partnerships, product launches, and photography direction. She excels at transforming ideas into engaging content that builds community, strengthens relationships, and supports meaningful organizational growth. 

As a mother and passionate advocate for maternal health and family support, Jasmine is excited to bring her professional experience to The Doula Project. She helps expand the organization’s digital presence, increase community awareness, and connect families with the services and support available to them.

Kristen Essick, Community Doula, CBE, IBCLC

Doula Care & Lactation Advisor

Kristen is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), DONA-certified Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, and public health professional with more than a decade of experience supporting families throughout pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenthood. Serving families across Southwest Riverside County, she combines evidence-based care with a compassionate, heart-centered approach that honors each family’s values and unique journey. 

Kristen is passionate about helping parents feel informed, confident, and supported while expanding access to high-quality doula and lactation care within the community.