Dinner Meeting July 1, 2025

Our speaker will be Shantay R. Davies-Balch. Shantay is a visionary leader transforming maternal health equity through BLACK Wellness & Prosperity Center (BWPC) in Fresno, CA. She founded the innovative BLACK Doula Network, a core initiative of BWPC, to address health disparities in Black maternal health including maternal mortality, preterm birth, and infant mortality by training culturally competent doulas using one of the most comprehensive curricula in the nation. Shantay expands access to life-saving perinatal care through strategic partnerships with hospitals and insurers while creating economic opportunities and jobs that foster upward mobility. A lifetime member of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), she is committed to advancing equity through civic engagement and community leadership. Recognized by California’s Surgeon General, her work sets a national standard for equitable healthcare and power-sharing with Black women and families in Fresno and beyond. In 2025, Shantay received the James Irvine Foundation Award in recognition of her transformative efforts to drive systemic healthcare change and expand access to vital resources for the Black community. 

BLACK Wellness & Prosperity Center (BWPC) is a Fresno-based nonprofit organization working to eliminate persistent health disparities impacting the Black community—especially Black moms and babies. Through a combination of strategic partnerships, infrastructure building, research, and advocacy, BWPC is improving maternal, infant, and community health outcomes. 

While BWPC centers on the needs of Black families, services are open to all. Programs like BLACK Pregnancy Care Support, the BLACK Doula Network, and Community Health Advocate services connect families to essential resources, culturally affirming care, and evidence-based health education before, during, and after pregnancy.  

The organization is actively working to establish full clinical services for women and infants and collaborates with hospitals, insurers, policymakers and other trusted stakeholders to dismantle systemic inequities in care.

BWPC envisions a future where every woman and birthing person, especially those from historically marginalized communities, has equitable access to the high-quality care and support necessary to thrive.