Reproductive Justice as an Asset Class: Unlocking Investment in Sustainable Care Economies

Access to reproductive and birth care remains one of the most underfunded and underappreciated investment opportunities within the impact space. In this fireside chat, Tenesha Duncan, Founder & CEO of Orchid Capital Collective, and Sabia Wade, Founder and CEO of Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings, will explore how shifting capital flows into birth infrastructure can unlock long-term economic and social impact in a shifting market.

They will share insights from their work mobilizing integrated capital—blending grants, recoverable investments, and structured debt and equity—to build sustainable birth care infrastructure for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) birth workers and community-led care centers. As an investor in market-rate investments and founder of both a social enterprise and nonprofit, Sabia has built an interconnected ecosystem where each entity plays a distinct role. Through Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT), she models scalable care solutions, while For the Village (FTV) puts those models into practice. Tenesha brings complementary expertise as the founder of Orchid Capital Collective, an impact investing firm that redirects and mobilizes capital toward community-owned ventures building systems of just and sustainable birth and reproductive care.

Both of their approaches challenge traditional philanthropic and investment paradigms, demonstrating how investors can reduce risk while fueling scalable, revenue-generating care models.This discussion will delve into the intersections of reproductive justice, economic mobility, and systemic change, offering a new lens for investors looking to deploy capital in ways that build sustainable, community-led solutions with measurable returns. With billions flowing into healthcare, why is birth care—one of the most foundational human needs—left behind?

As investors navigate a period of economic uncertainty and increased risk sensitivity, this session will challenge impact investors, philanthropy leaders, and funders to rethink their role in restructuring capital flows toward birth care as an investable asset class.