Nkem Ndefo, MSN, CNM, RN, (she/they)  is the founder of Lumos Transforms and creator of The Resilience Toolkit. Licensed as a Registered Nurse since 1995 and a Nurse Midwife since 2000, Nkem holds a Master’s degree in Nursing from Frontier Nursing University. She has extensive post-graduate training in complementary health modalities and emotional therapies. As a clinician, Nkem has worked in settings ranging from large volume hospitals to mobile community clinics. She founded and operated a full scope midwifery and homebirth practice from 2000-2007 and she maintained a small holistic private practice in Los Angeles from 2007-2020. Additionally, she worked for the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative researching maternal death outcomes.

Nkem is an expert in the trauma-informed and resilience-oriented (TIRO) approach, embodied anti-oppression, and healing justice. She served on the Los Angeles County Trauma-and Resilience-Informed Systems Change Initiative Workgroup, developed a pilot violence-prevention academy for peer support workers as part of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Trauma Prevention Initiative, served as the lead for Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism initiative, and co-directs Embody Lab’s Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification and Embodied Activism Programs.

A skilled practitioner, dynamic speaker, and valued strategist. Nkem is known for her unique ability to connect with people of all types by holding powerful healing spaces, weaving complex concepts into accessible narratives, and creating synergistic and collaborative learning communities that nourish people’s innate capacity for healing, wellness, and connection.

Mikaela Johnson Vaal (she/they) is a Certified Facilitator of The Resilience Toolkit, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula, Lactation Educator, Yoga Instructor, and Reiki Master living and working in Los Angeles. She is trained in a wide range of modalities to support health and healing for people from all walks of life, with a special focus on reproductive health, pregnancy, and postpartum care. Mikaela has over twenty years of experience working with people in challenging situations and is fiercely passionate about improving healthcare equity for birthing and postpartum people – specifically Black, trans, and nonbinary folks. 

As a Perinatal Care Specialist, Mikaela holds space for people as they navigate reproductive health and perinatal care by providing emotional support, physical comfort, practical assistance, and non-medical care. Mikaela pulls intuitively from her vast repository of knowledge and skills when working with clients – tailoring her approach to meet the individual needs of each client. She believes that awareness is power, and supports her clients to confidently navigate their own wellness journey so they can advocate for themselves, their bodies, and their families.