Kimberly Novod

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Kimberly Novod, nationally-recognized and New Orleans-based community leader, knows well the rippling impact of maternal mental health, prematurity, and infant loss. Having the lived experience of all three, she envisions a Louisiana in which all birthing families receive the comprehensive support they need to lead meaningful lives.

As founder and executive director of Saul’s Light Foundation, Kimberly has collaborated with hospitals, service providers, and grassroots organizations to realize this vision, advocating for family-centered care, equitable healthcare policies, and directly serving families throughout the state since 2015. In recent years, she successfully advocated for state legislation that ensures families receive a tax credit for stillborn children and that health insurance providers, including Medicaid, cover prescription human milk. In 2022 alone, Saul’s Light provided direct support to over 100 English- and Spanish-speaking families, including peer mentorship and financial assistance to offset travel, lodging, and counseling.

The Fearless Fund and Mastercard named Kimberly a 2021 Fearless Striver. She received the 2019 Millennial Changemaker Award and a New Orleans City Council Proclamation for exceptional community service and was appointed to Governor John Bel Edwards’ Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Advisory Council. Kimberly's passion for the well-being of families is bolstered by her decade of experience as a public school teacher prior to founding Saul's Light. She is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and received a master’s degree from Troy University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.