Meet Chantel
As a mother of four, Chantel knows first-hand the journey of birthing in the hospital and at home.
Meet Chantel Runnels, CD — Founder & CEO of The Chaun Collective. Chantel is an internationally certified Birth Doula (CD-DONA), a Certified Lactation Education Specialist (CLES), and a Gottman Bringing Baby Home Educator, with more than 16 years of experience as a birthworker, executive leader, and maternal health advocate.
She has played a pivotal role in shaping birth equity across California. Chantel contributed to advancing landmark maternal health policy SB 65 and serves on the Co-Design Team for the California Medi-Cal Doula Benefit, ensuring that full-spectrum doula care is accessible to eligible families statewide. She continues to champion birthworker upskilling and sustainable systems for the perinatal workforce. As a fractional COO/CFO and “Doula of Operations,” Chantel strengthens mission-driven organizations through strategy, fiscal stewardship, and operational excellence. Her work with the Sankofa Birthworkers Collective includes co-writing more than $2.15M in grants, overseeing HR and payroll for a team of over 30 birthworkers, and leading operations for the PEI (Perinatal Equity Initiative) Program that has provided doula services to 300+ Black families across 32 hospitals in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to date.
Chantel is also a dedicated educator and talent developer — having trained over 200 Black and BIPOC doulas throughout California — and she serves on the Board of Directors for Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI). A sought-after presenter and speaker, Chantel’s leadership spans continents and contexts — from observing birthworker best practices in Tanzania, to building sustainable maternal health infrastructures, to supporting early-morning births with compassion and skill. Through every role, Chantel lives her anthem:
“Be the change”.
In her free time, you can find Chantel buying plants, cycling, enjoying art walks with her husband, and exploring the world with their four children.
