About Us

Mamava is transforming the culture of breastfeeding.

We pumped breast milk in closets, bathrooms, and cars. We'd had enough.

Mamava founders holding a baby in front of the first Mamava pod

Fed up with pumping in bathrooms and borrowed spaces—Mamava’s co-founders, Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson, applied their decades of expertise in design and brand strategy to solve a problem that was largely invisible: the lack of lactation spaces in workplaces and public spaces.

Sascha and Christine took a human-centered design approach, starting with research, talking to breastfeeding people and employers, and creating prototypes of moveable lactation spaces that could be easily implemented into facilities. In 2013 they installed the first lactation pod in the Burlington International Airport (BTV), and Mamava was born.

Two flight attendants with luggage walking past a Mamava Pod in an airport

Mamava’s first lactation pod, the Original, was intentionally designed for privacy and comfort for parents and quick implementation, easy cleaning, and flexibility for facilities. Its unique shape also serves to broadcast that breastfeeding is happening all the time, all around and that parents need spaces and support.

Employee of Mamava working on a design in a factory production room

Today, we offer a full line of lactation space solutions designed to fit every space and situation. Mamava pods are designed, engineered, and assembled at Mamava Manufacturing, our production facility in Springfield, Vermont. We also provide breastfeeding resources for employers, organizations, and people who are pumping and nursing—including a free app that helps folks find thousands of lactation spaces wherever they go.

Our mission is to create a healthier society through infrastructure and support for breastfeeding. And, thanks to partners who share in our purpose of celebrating and supporting breastfeeding, we’re closer to creating a future where there is a dignified lactation space anywhere a parent may go. Join us in this mission!

Meet the leadership team

Sascha
Mayer

Cofounder + Chief Experience Officer

Sascha is a recognized expert on lactation space design, family-friendly workplace policies, and social entrepreneurial leadership. A seasoned brand strategist, she has worked with Levi’s, Lululemon, Nike Women, and Seventh Generation. When she’s not designing new ways to support breastfeeding parents, she’s gardening and tending her chickens.

Christine
Dodson

Cofounder + Chief Operating Officer

Christine oversees Mamava manufacturing—including supply chain, fulfillment, and customer service. Christine was the Managing Director of Solidarity of Unbridled Labour and held management positions at Grey Advertising in New York City and State Street Corporation in Boston. She has a passion for outdoor sports and a secret love for candy.

Tom joined Mamava in July of 2022. With more than 35 years of leadership, business development and sales experience, Tom has held executive-level roles at Meredith Corporation, Filipacchi Media, Golf Digest Companies, and Reader’s Digest Association. As CEO of EatingWell Media Group, he managed the company through a period of significant growth, leading to its sale to Meredith in 2011. Tom is a first-generation American (Swiss!), a proud grandparent, and a passionate traveler, sports enthusiast, and music lover.

Vanessa
Clark

Chief Product + Data Officer

Vanessa directs Mamava’s product strategy and development and oversees data integrity for the organization. Vanessa brings 20 years of experience at start-ups with a focus on strategy, technology, and operations. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Vermont, is an avid reader, and loves to play and watch field hockey.

Nicci drives strategy, execution and optimization of Mamava’s marketing operations, including demand generation, content, PR, social, and partnerships. She began her career as a journalist, producing multi-platform health and lifestyle content for national media brands and working with health experts to architect lifestyle programs that help people live healthier, happier lives. Nicci is a mom of two sporty teenagers, a yoga teacher, runner, mediocre snowboarder, and semi-professional pizza maker.

Dina leads the sales and account management teams for Mamava with a positive outlook and a genuine passion for connecting with people. She is rooted in the belief that a strong business sense and a meaningful mission can be seamlessly intertwined. She recently made a purpose-driven career pivot from digital signage technology to Mamava and channels her expertise into propelling sales for our mission-centric company. Beyond her professional endeavors, Dina is a former skydiver, a hobby homesteader, an avid college football fan, and a well-intentioned, albeit average, golfer.

Brian leads all aspects of Mamava finance and accounting, including investor relations and business strategy, and is also responsible for driving operational excellence at the company. He has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard. In 2020, Brian worked remotely while he traveled the country for seven months in an RV with his wife, four kids, and dog. In 2023, they added a fifth kid. And now they need a bigger RV.