Formerly known as
Meet the Bay Area's Chapter Volunteers
Sarah Kemper
Peninsula Educator
Sarah began babywearing her first child shortly after his birth in January 2012. After meeting Serena at Blossom Birth, Sarah joined BWI and became active in the online babywearing community. She became a VBE toward the end of 2012 and loves teaching families! She likes wraps for little babies and soft structured carriers for busy toddlers. Sarah's daughter was born in January 2014, and she left her position as a registered nurse to be a SAHM, to serve on the board for BWI-BA, and to help our local group grow.
You'll find Sarah at the Peninsula meetings she leads.
Serena has been a babywearer since the birth of her first daughter in 2009, and as the mother of three, she has used a wide variety of baby carriers. Her favorites are ring slings and woven wraps. Serena is a graduate of the Babywearing Institute’s Instructor Certification program, and has previously served as the BWI Northwestern Regional Director. In addition to her volunteer work with BWI and BWI-BA, Serena has extensive experience helping families discover the love of babywearing through teaching "Slings & Things: The Art of Babywearing" classes and facilitating a monthly Babywearing Group at Blossom Birth, and offering private in-home consultations.
Serena regularly attends the Campbell meetings in addition to serving as the Sunnyvale leader and librarian, and can sometimes be found at our weekend meetings in the Peninsula, Berkeley, and Union City.
Cristina became interested in babywearing even before the birth of her first child, while teaching and conducting research on parenting practices across cultures. She became a babywearer herself when her son was born in 2012, beginning with a stretchy wrap and a soft structured carrier. Her love for babywearing now includes woven wraps of all sizes and blends, ring slings and mei tais as well! Cristina currently spends her days chasing her preschooler and wearing her infant daughter everywhere since a few hours after her birth in May 2015. She has a background in developmental psychology and teaches child development at DeAnza College. She is also a Center for Babywearing Studies (CBWS) Certified Babywearing Consultant. Cristina is a native Spanish speaker and enjoys working with immigrant and Latino/a communities. She became a VBE in 2014, and then an Advanced Babywearing Educator (ABE) later the same year. She regularly attends the Peninsula and Sunnyvale meetings in addition to serving as our Campbell librarian.
Emily Hogan
Livermore Educator
Emily is the mother of two, a daughter born in 2011 and a son (her homebirth water baby!) in 2013. She is mostly a wrapper, but loves ring slings and SSCs too. Now a SAHM, Emily has been a school teacher and has a teaching credential in Social Science. Born and raised in Merced, in the Central Valley, after moving to Livermore she began the informal "Hella East Bay Babywearers" group and has led it since December 2012. In 2014 she became a BWI VBE and that group became a new BWI-BA subchapter, providing Livermore-area babywearers and interested caregivers the additional resources that come with "official" BWI status! Emily may sometimes be found teaching at other East Bay meetings as well as at Livermore.
Laura Bunnell
Marin Leader & Librarian
Laura is the mother of eight children and has been babywearing since 1996. She has been very involved in the online babywearing community since 2006 with the birth of her fourth child. She worked as a moderator on TheBabyWearer.com from January 2010 until November 2013, when BWI became the owner of TBW and Laura became an administrator of the website. She was part of a small babywearing group in Key West, Florida before moving back to her hometown in the Bay Area in 2014. Laura became a VBE in 2014, and in addition to joining BWI-BA she is leading a growing group to our north, the Sonoma County Babywearing Enthusiasts, and in 2016 launched her private consulting business as a Center for Babywearing Studied certified educator. Laura regularly attends the Berkeley meetings, and sometimes other North and East Bay meetings, as well as leading our Marin subchapter.
Jackie is a mother of two who began babywearing when her first son was born in 2010, but who can remember being worn herself as a wee lass growing up in Hong Kong. She moved to Reno as a child and then to California for college, and settled in the Bay Area after earning her MS degree. She has completed the Center for Babywearing Studies educator training (though not all of the additional requirements for their certification) and was the first volunteer to complete BWI-BA's formal VBE training program. Jackie speaks Cantonese and enjoys practicing babywearing as a part of her culture. She also loves how wearing her children combines nurture and practicality!
Jackie often attends the Peninsula and Berkeley meetings as well as leading the Union City meeting, which she launched upon becoming a VBE in mid 2015.
Anna moved from Ohio to the Bay Area in 2014 and gave birth to her daughter just a few months later. She started babywearing with a stretchy wrap when her daughter was weeks old and began trying other carriers soon after. Now, she finds herself reaching for woven wraps most often, but also uses her SSC and ring sling daily. She is particularly interested in researching positive impacts that babywearing can have on postpartum depression. Anna became a VBE in March 2016. She attends the San Francisco meeting and can frequently be found at Berkeley also.
Rachel Brumley
Livermore Librarian & Volunteer
Rachel is a mom to two spirited girls. She discovered the convenience of babywearing when her oldest was little. When her youngest was born, she joined BWI and was able to explore and appreciate all different types of carriers. Originally from Rhode Island, she has called beautiful NorCal home for over a decade. In her free time she enjoys board games, napping, and soy chai lattes. She can be found helping at the Livermore meetings.
Kayo Higashimura
Walnut Creek Leader & Librarian
Kayo recently moved from South Jersey to the East Bay area. Since Kayo was worn when she was a baby in Japan, she knew she wanted to wear her daughter when she was born in 2014. She began volunteering with the BWI South Jersey Chapter and became a Volunteer Babywearing Educator (VBE) last year and recently completed her Center for Babywearing Studies (CBWS) consultant course. She is a veterinarian by profession but her love for babywearing continues and recently joined the Bay Area chapter as a VBE. Kayo was also involved at the National level of BWI and served as a Board Member and was the BWI Treasurer last year. Kayo lives in Walnut Creek with her husband, daughter, 1 dog and 2 cats.
Ashley Morales
Peninsula/East Bay Educator
Ashley began babywearing soon after her son was born and found her Ergo was a god-send through “witching hours” as well as giving her family the ability to easily take baby wherever need be. Through much trial and error the babywearing community was a great help, both with learning to wear and dealing with post-partum depression. Ashley now loves wraps, but as her son has grown very independent, she finds she uses soft structured carriers and ring slings more for toddlerhood. She became a VBE in September 2015 and is also finishing up her bachelor's degree. As a VBE, student and mother, Ashley finds that things get crazy but she loves all that she does. Ashley regularly attends the Peninsula and Union City meetings.
Alyssa Ferree
South Bay Educator
Alyssa began babywearing in 2009, using an SSC. With the birth of her daughter in 2014, Alyssa she began using a stretchy wrap and soon became hooked on woven wraps and ring slings. She became a VBE in November 2015 and regularly attends the San Jose meeting.
Jody is a Bay Area native and UCSB alum. She works in the East Bay part time as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She can often be found with her doodles at local dog parks, at boot camp classes, or chasing after her toddler (since being worn is the worst thing ever when you've recently learned to run). Jody's second baby is due in summer 2016 and she is looking forward to so much squish wearing! You will likely see her at the Oakland and Berkeley meetings.
Dana Kemp
Livermore Leader
Dana Kemp is mama to two girls, born in 2013 and 2015. She started babywearing with a Moby with her oldest daughter when she was just weeks old. From that point on she hasn't looked back! Dana enjoys the closeness of babywearing through all different kinds of carriers. Although, she considers wrapping to be the most fun. Originally from Ohio, Dana has transitioned to music major, to stay-at-home-mom, to a work-at-home-mom. Dana can be found teaching at the Livermore meetings.
Caitlin Pries
East Bay Educator
Caitlin knew she wanted to babywear while pregnant her first child in 2015. She saw photos of her friend wearing a woven wrap and fell in love with the beauty of wraps right then and there. She has wrapped her son from birth, and wraps are her preferred carrier, but she also loves ring slings and meh dai. She is familiar with buckle carriers as that is her partner’s carrier of choice. She loves the convenience of babywearing and how it allows her to reconnect with her son after a long day at work. When not wearing or chasing her now toddler, Caitlin is a scientist studying climate change at Berkeley Lab. You can find her at the Oakland meeting.
Karelle Lafreniere
South Bay Educator
Karelle is the mother of 2 little girls. Originally a contemporary dance teacher, she is currently caring for her kids and recently moved from Montreal, Canada to beautiful California. She started wearing her first born when she was 6 months, and really started to get interested in babywearing after attending a babywearing dance class. Her second born was worn from birth and that's when the interest grew. Karelle is passionate about sewing, art, dance, textile, design, and teaching. She also speaks French, and you can find her at the Campbell and Sunnyvale meetings.
Vidya Martis
South Bay Educator
Vidya is originally from India and has lived in the US for 12 years. She runs a small business from home while caring for her 2 beautiful children (6 and 3), both of whom she has worn since birth. She loves babywearing in all forms and enjoys meeting and sharing her wearing experience with new parents and caregivers. She speaks several Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Kanada, and Tulu. You can find her at the Sunnyvale and San Jose meetings, and occasionally at Union City as well.
Jacquie was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, the perfect place for her to fall in love with both the outdoors and yoga. Little did she know she would be able to appreciate both of these along with babywearing. However, she doesn’t advocate doing yoga postures while wearing; instead, she strives to use her yoga practice to help her release stress and maintain good posture while toting her daughter on her front or back.
She began her babywearing journey with a Boba wrap when her daughter, Ariana, was a newborn in 2016. Ariana loves all types of carriers and carries, while Jacquie prefers woven wraps and ring slings. She is grateful for babywearing for the convenience, cuddles, and the community of caregivers that are helping each other to make life with babies easier and more fun!
Jacquie is currently on a hiatus from her work as a teacher of yoga and English. When she can snatch some free moments, she often writes for both pleasure and pay (currently she contributes to a blog for Kidding Around Yoga and to a new online publication, Shut Up and Yoga). She became a CSV in December 2017 and attends the meetings in Campbell and Sunnyvale.
Holly is the old-school babywearing mother of two children born in 2001 and 2004. She is particularly fond of ring slings, with mei tais and buckle carriers coming in a close second. Holly was privileged to participate in the remarkable explosion of the online babywearing community and witness the incredible expansion of the babywearing-related industry between her son's infancy and her daughter's, and has been a volunteer advisor and educator to newer babywearers in various capacities since 2005. Holly launched the Berkeley meetings of the group that became Bay Area Babywearers, Inc. and then affiliated with BWI in 2008, and has enjoyed continuing in that role as a VBE for BWI-BA despite her own children "graduating" from being worn. She will happily discuss the modern history of babywearing given any prompting at all, and loves encouraging new parents to have confidence in their own babywearing abilities and choices.
Jay is a first time mom who has been wearing her daughter since her birth in 2012. What began with a simple Moby Wrap has blossomed into a love of all things babywearing. Her early days were mostly spent in ring slings and an Ergo, but now she's more likely to be found with her toddler in a woven wrap. Jay has a colorful history of activism, and takes pride in sharing her passions with others. She became a VBE in 2014 and is now a BWI Advanced Babywearing Educator (ABE). She is also a La Leche League Leader in San Jose, and, through her babywearing education and consulting business, Modern Babywearing, she writes a blog and offers private classes and consulting at the Tiny Tots store in Campbell. She is a Certified Consultant through Center for Babywearing Studies, and a Certified Kangaroo Caregiver through the U.S. Institute of Kangaroo Care.
Jay regularly attends all of the South Bay meetings and can sometimes be found in the East Bay, San Francisco, or Peninsula as well. She leads the Campbell subchapter along with librarian Cristina Leal and the San Jose subchapter along with librarian Amy Klimt.
Martha McKnelly
Walnut Creek Educator
Martha is the stay at home mom of two adorable children. She previously worked as a Certified Nurses Assistant, in several departments including critical care, pediatrics and pediatric oncology. Martha began babywearing in 2010 using an Ergo with her daughter, and once her son was born in 2014, she got involved in BWI and quickly learned to love ring slings, wraps and mei tais! Martha was among the first "graduates" of BWI-BA's first formal VBE training program and became a VBE in mid 2015. (We were thrilled to have her take on the leadership and library for our Walnut Creek subchapter.) She loves babywearing not only for its practicality but also because the bond that she shares with her children is one that was forged when they were wrapped with love and close to her heart. She just can't help but share the love of babywearing with everyone around her! Martha often attends the Berkeley meeting as well as leading the Walnut Creek meeting.
Libby R
Oakland Meeting Leader
BWI-BA Director & Vice President
Libby is the mother of four children and a NICU RN. She has been a babywearer since 2004 with a variety of carriers, but with baby #3 fell head over heels in love with woven wraps. In May 2014 she became a Certified Babywearing Educator through the Center for Babywearing Studies, and she has a private babywearing consulting business, Abrazame: Hold Me With Love. Libby speaks Spanish. She became a BWI Volunteer Babywearing Educator in 2014, after attending many BWI-BA meetings in Sunnyvale, Berkeley, and San Francisco, and has been active in maintaining our social media. In 2015, she launched BWI-BA's VBE training program and became our Education Coordinator, she earned the Advanced Babywearing Educator title with BWI, and she launched our evening Oakland meeting!" In early 2017, she became a Master Babywearing Educator.
Donna Wirth
Oakland Librarian & Educator
Donna became interested in babywearing when her daughter was born in 2014. Her grandmother wore her children, and it sparked an interest for her to continue a tradition from her grandmother's culture. She first started off with a stretchy wrap, then a rebozo her grandmother had used, then woven wraps and SSCs. She loves helping caregivers with babywearing and showing them all they can do while having their hands free. Her family moved from Miami, Florida to California and they have enjoyed the outdoors immensely ever since. She also enjoys sewing, talking science, mechanical engineering, and talking wrap geekery in her spare time. You can find her at the Oakland meeting where she serves as the librarian.
Amy is currently a stay-at-home mother to one preschooler. She started wearing him in a Moby wrap and SSC shortly after his birth in 2014. They went through a long phase of using mostly wraps and ring slings, and now is wraps and SSCs. Amy loves the community aspect of babywearing and appreciates any opportunity to chat with other textile enthusiasts. She enjoys knitting, weaving, and sewing in her spare time. Amy became a VBE in 2016. She attends the Union City and San Jose meetings regularly, and sometimes other South Bay meetings.
Anna started babywearing with her firstborn in 2004 but had a hard time finding a carrier that was comfortable. When she had her second baby in 2015, a friend introduced her to the local BWI chapter and she suddenly had free hands to do things like eat and drink coffee! Since then, Anna has been dedicated to helping other caregivers find this freedom, in whatever happens to be their carrier of choice. Her carrier of choice is all the carriers, because why choose? She’s a firm believer that there’s a carrier for everyone, that all carriers have a place, and is always excited to help someone try something new. Anna regularly attends the Berkeley and Oakland meetings, and sometimes San Francisco, Marin, and Walnut Creek.
Anneke Cronander-Ford
East Bay Educator
BWI- BA Technology Coordinator
Anneke began babywearing when her first son was born in 2011, loving the closeness and ease of babywearing over maneuvering a stroller. Babywearing became a way of life after the birth of her second son in 2014. Now, with three wonderful boys, as a stay-at-home mom, babywearing allows her keep up with the kids, make sure all her boys get the cuddles and attention they need, and even even keep the housework under control. Her family loves exploring the gorgeous Bay Area and never getting slowed down by tired toddlers. Anneke became a VBE in October 2015 and looks forward to sharing the love and convenience of babywearing. She regularly attends the Walnut Creek and Berkeley meetings.
Kirsten Kurth
East Bay Educator
Kirsten became a babywearer a few weeks after her son was born in 2014. She started out with a stretchy wrap and soon moved to wovens, and her son spent most of his time wrapped until he started to walk. Having worked as an arts manager before moving to Berkeley from Germany while pregnant, Kirsten currently is a SAHM. She loves to help families discover babywearing and find their perfect carrier(s), and became a VBE in September 2015. Kirsten regularly attends the Berkeley meeting.
Jessica Lipinski
South Bay Educator
Jessica is a mother of 3 and has been wearing her babies since her oldest was born in 2012. Jessica fell in love with woven wraps when she learned to tie a slip knot for a simple hip carry, and has not looked back since. She uses ring slings and SSCs on occasion as well, but you will usually see Jessica with a shorty in a traditional sling carry or in a ruck tied at the shoulder with a chest belt. Jessica is dedicated to supporting and uniting women, especially on the path to motherhood; she hopes to guide others to connect with the primal mother within each of them and to wear their babies proudly! She believes in the power of sisterhood and encourages all women to support each other so we may all succeed together in community. Jessica became a VBE in 2014. She also leads moon circles and mothers' circles in the South Bay and teaches yoga as well.
Elisabeth grew up in a large family, and wore her younger family members long before she had her own three children. She enjoys using all kinds of carriers, but especially woven wraps. Her particular areas of interest are finding comfortable solutions for wearing large babies through preschool age, and tandem wearing. Elisabeth became a VBE in late 2015 and attends the San Francisco meeting.
Sonia Sinton-Clark
East Bay Educator
Sonia began babywearing a week after her daughter was born in late 2014. She started with a stretchy carrier, and as her daughter grew she began exploring mei tais, woven wraps and semi-structured buckle carriers. She first became a Chapter Service Volunteer and Oakland Librarian in summer 2016, then completed her training and became a VBE later that year. Sonia also regularly volunteers at the Berkeley meeting.
Hoa began babywearing shortly after her baby was born in 2014. Her very first time babywearing was with a ring sling. Her favorite carriers are ring slings and woven wraps. Hoa became a VBE at the beginning of 2016 and she regularly attends the San Jose meetings, but can sometimes be found at other meetings in Santa Clara County and Union City. She speaks Vietnamese.
CoCo began wearing her child shortly after his birth. She was previously unfamiliar with babywearing, but was gifted a carrier during her pregnancy and loved that it allowed her to keep her baby close (and her hands free!) throughout the day. She began attending her local BWI meeting and enjoyed learning to use the different types of carriers. CoCo was raised in the Bay Area, has spent the past ten years working in community development and outreach, and is an English/Spanish speaker. She became a VBE in March 2017. You can find her adventuring around the city with her child on her back and at the SF meeting.
CoCo Robinson
San Francisco Educator
Jamie Zaiser
South Bay Educator
Originally from Washington State, Jamie moved to the Bay Area from Atlanta with her family in early 2011. She began babywearing after the birth of her first son in December 2010. Now a SAHM of three, two boys and a girl, babywearing has become an even more important tool in her day to day life. Jamie's first love in babywearing was, and continues to be, the ring sling. But, she also enjoys wrapping, soft structured carriers, and Meh Dais. Each of her babies and toddlers has had their own favorite carrier and she has adjusted along with their needs. She lives in San Jose and regularly attends Campbell and other South Bay meetings.
Heather Jones
Peninsula Leader & Librarian
San Francisco Educator
Heather has worn her two year old daughter from birth - first in a stretchy wrap, then a soft structured buckle carrier, and eventually woven wraps. She moved across the country in November 2015 with her husband, baby, and two cats, and was thrilled to find such a vibrant, thriving babywearing community in the Bay Area. After attending meetings all over, exploring even more carrier options, and meeting all kinds of lovely families, Heather decided that she wanted to become an educator and help others on their babywearing journey. She regularly attends the Peninsula and San Francisco meetings, and occasionally at the South and East bay meetings.
Meleah Ekstrand
North Bay Educator
Meleah began her love of babywearing days after her first son was born in 2010. A tiny baby all wrapped up and cuddly in a stretchy wrap and she was hooked. Two more boys later, no matter how many carriers are in her stash she finds herself grabbing for the ring sling because with 3 boys in tow, babywearing is about convenience! Meleah was born and raised in Southern California but during a quick 3 year stint in Texas she became a VBE in 2013 with BWI of Greater Houston. She has a strong passion for all things Birth, Babywearing and Breastfeeding, and when she is not helping caregivers with babywearing, Meleah is serving as a La Leche League Leader and working as a doula. Her family has now relocated back to California and Meleah is looking forward to wearing her babies in the cooler weather. You'll find Meleah at the Marin meetings and sometimes at San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland.