Team
Meet the dedicated individuals who lead and inspire our work. Our staff, contractors, and Board of Directors are the heart of CARES, bringing a diverse range of skills, experiences, and perspectives to our mission. Their unwavering commitment ensures we can continue to make a tangible difference in our community.
Staff
Jess Hanlin and Ali Batwin
Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors
Jess (on left) and Ali (on right)—two passionate postpartum doulas who are dedicated to supporting families and increasing access to care in this special season of life!
JESS HANLIN
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Postpartum Doula
Jess began this work after becoming a mother herself, recognizing the importance of support around all aspects of postpartum care, especially maternal mental health. Her own experience with postpartum depression and anxiety after the birth of her daughter was a ground-shaking and deeply humbling experience. Having a drastically more grounded and supported postpartum experience after her son’s birth drew her back in the field, interweaving the roles of postpartum doula and therapist, leading to a beautiful marriage of nurturing postpartum care and mood support in the home setting. Jess is a CAPPA-trained postpartum doula, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, postnatal and restorative yoga instructor, having completed advanced training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders. When not working, Jess enjoys spending time with her two children, soaking in the fresh air in the mountains, and hanging with her sweet pup, Ivy.
ALI BATWIN
Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Postpartum Doula
Ali feels passionately that all families deserve support and strives to bring doula work to families in Colorado and beyond. She was inspired to work in maternal and infant health from a young age as she watched her mother create nutrition programs for moms and babies in developing countries. She is a CLC with the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, a CAPPA-trained postpartum doula, a yoga instructor and family chef. Prior to her career in maternal health, Ali worked in media and managed several small film and marketing firms. She’s particularly passionate about cooking and baking and continuously studies postpartum healing recipes from various traditions and cultures. Ali also loves leading new moms in restorative and yin yoga private classes to promote relaxation and awareness. Ali speaks conversational Spanish and Mandarin Chinese and loves working with families of all cultures. When not working, she’s traveling, camping, foraging for wild mushrooms, or baking with her partner and his two kids!
Contractors
Kristen Gelinas
Fundraising Consultant
Kristen brings over fifteen years of experience, including a decade at NYC's acclaimed High Line, to help mission-driven organizations thrive. Her passion lies in guiding innovative young nonprofits as they establish and grow their fundraising efforts, and supporting established organizations through pivotal transitions. Her expertise ensures that organizations develop strong strategic plans and robust revenue streams, which are crucial for making a lasting impact. Kristen typically remains involved with organizations until they are ready to bring this work in-house, ensuring a smooth transition by onboarding new staff and building internal capacity.
Kristen is also a certified health coach and a past Sanctuary client, and she understands the vital importance of in-home postpartum doula care.
Sara Collins
MPH Practicum Student, Research Assistant
Sara is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Public Health from Southern New Hampshire University, with an anticipated completion date of Spring 2026. As part of that program, she is working part-time in a variety of roles, primarily as our main research assistant and data coordinator for our NIH-funded IMPROVE research project. She also serves as the Senior Resource and Referral Specialist for PROSPER within the Colorado Center for Women's Behavioral Health at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. As a native Coloradan, she is passionate about the perinatal period, and in serving as the primary point of contact for Colorado providers, facilitating access to psychiatric consultations and connecting them with community-based treatment and recovery support services.
Board of Directors
Elizabeth “Babette” Greenwell
Babette is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, with 25+ years of experience in the field of Maternal and Child Health. She has a deep commitment to health equity and serving vulnerable populations—including Spanish-speaking, Native American, and frontier populations—and brings a wealth of experience to CARES from her time as a clinician, educator, and researcher.
Emma Stapp
Emma is a birth and postpartum doula with the Sanctuary team. She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and started her career working at a community-based agency for deaf women and child survivors of domestic abuse. She attended the Birthingway College of Midwifery, earned a Remote Emergency Medical Technician certification, and has taught parenting classes. Emma has been a board member with CARES from the very beginning, and she is a tremendous advocate for our work.
Kelly Evans
Kelly is a maternal health advocate and birth doula in the local community, and she has served on the CARES board since the very beginning. As an engineer by training, she applies her analytical skills and a highly intuitive approach to her work. She has built a successful career in health tech, with a focus on data integrations and data strategy in the startup space. Kelly is currently a Technical Program Manager on the Core Data Team at Pomelo Care, a virtual medical practice for maternal and women’s health.
Naomi Lopez
Naomi is a Registered Nurse and data science expert who previously supported Sanctuary families as a postpartum doula. She now serves on the CARES board, where she focuses on enhancing data management, visualization, and business intelligence to support informed, strategic growth. Naomi also leads Latinx outreach and translation, ensuring Spanish-speaking families feel welcome and represented throughout their care journey.
Sarah Hubbard
Sarah is a realtor with Compass and the founder of Good & Partners, a purpose-driven brand consulting firm. With over 20 years of experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, she brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, branding, strategic communications, fundraising, and real estate. As a past Sanctuary client and an avid supporter of maternal and fetal health, Sarah is proud to have served on the CARES board since its inception.
