L.A.-Based CEO Commits to Helping Families Amid Grief
Among the many homes that burned in Los Angeles' most devastating firestorm to date, the Pacific Palisades Fire, was that of Ronit Menashe, CEO and co-founder of WeNatal, a doctor-backed company supporting couples during preconception and beyond with optimized prenatal supplements.
Menashe's home in the Palisades' 'Alphabet Streets' neighborhood burned down the evening of Tuesday, January 7, and as she faced the devastating loss the following day, she was thinking of the families, especially pregnant women, who were experiencing this trauma. Coordinating with WeNatal co-founder Vida Delrahim, WeNatal quickly published a form on the company's site for anyone impacted to receive supplements.
'When my cofounder Vida created the request form, I shared it in our class chat, the Girl Scouts chat and the Alphabet Streets chat,' shared Menashe. 'I also individually texted friends and customers I knew were pregnant. For those who weren't pregnant, I let them know that the supplements could be taken as a multivitamin and that the antioxidants could help with detox and overall wellness.'
To date, WeNatal has provided more than $25,000 worth of products to help families in the community.
'While it is incredibly easy to slip into feelings of overwhelm and helplessness at this time, in all circumstances of loss, it's critical to focus on what we can do,' said Menashe. 'A natural way I could give back to my community, which lost everything, was to offer them a way to support their health - no one was sleeping or eating, and it's so easy to neglect your health during times like this. But these are precisely the moments when focusing on nutrition should be a top priority. I couldn't stop thinking about the families, especially pregnant women, who were also going through this trauma.'
Menashe and Delrahim are no strangers to loss – or the strong feeling of being compelled to give when experiencing grief.
'Our brand started after my co-founder Vida and I both had miscarriages a week apart,' shared Menashe. 'We were sad for ourselves, yes, but also for all the couples like us who were given little direction on what to do differently to improve our fertility. Beyond products, our deep hope and the focus of so many of our educational and community-building efforts is to foster a new sense of hope.'
Beyond products, Menashe and Delrahim's focus now is on WeNatal's educational and community-building efforts to foster a new sense of hope. In the coming months, WeNatal will launch a free course featuring 11 world-renowned experts sharing science-backed strategies and holistic insights to empower a couple's fertility journey. From preconception to postpartum, this course will offer practical guidance to support both partners' health and their future baby's well-being. Experts and topics include Dr. Rachel Mandelbaum exploring fertility treatments; Dr. Lillian Cohanzad sharing the power of mental alignment in fertility; and Kelly Leveque highlighting essentials for blood sugar and protein balance before, during and after pregnancy.
Menashe, Delrahim and the Los Angeles-based WeNatal team know there is a long road ahead.
'No doubt rebuilding will be challenging for us all, but I've been so moved by how so many have shown up in meaningful ways,' said Menashe, 'and it is this strong sense of community and generosity that will bring us to the other side.'
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