When Amy Liu was a master’s degree student in biology at UC San Diego, she met a recently immigrated Haitian refugee who desperately needed a doula. After four hours of waiting for a professional, Liu—who had volunteered as a doula for a year—assisted the delivery of the woman’s baby over a 35-hour period. Inspired to provide pregnant women with the support they need, she founded Junior Hearts and Hands in August 2017, to connect mothers with doulas in a time-sensitive manner. After receiving mentorship from the Big Ideas Contest, she became an Innovation Ambassador for both the 2018-2019 academic year and now the 2019-2020 one. Liu, founder and CEO of Partners in Life, chatted with Big Ideas about how the program has inspired her (and why you should apply).
Inspired to Become an Innovation Ambassador
Amy Liu, founder of Junior Hearts and Hands, was inspired to support pregnant women after assisting a Haitian refugee during a challenging 35-hour delivery. With mentorship from UC Berkeley’s Big Ideas Contest, Liu advanced her mission, becoming an Innovation Ambassador and continuing to empower mothers through her organization, Partners in Life.
