Questions you're probably about to ask.

Do I have to be a doula or birth worker?

No. Yemaya is for clinicians, doulas, midwives, journalists, columnists, podcasters, and advocates working in women's health. The work is broad — maternal, gynecologic, reproductive, mental health, advocacy, policy. Birth work is a focus area, not a gate.

I'm not a clinician — am I welcome?

Yes. Journalists, podcasters, columnists, researchers, advocates and organizations are partners on the same terms as clinicians. There are no tiers: every partner joins the same way and makes the same quarterly contribution.

I'm international. Can I still apply?

Yes. Most of our infrastructure is digital and reaches anywhere with a connection. The editorial, intelligence, and salon access work globally.

I haven't been invited. Can I join?

Yes. Apply for the Research Access Beta, our beta for the first 10 partners. We talk with every applicant, and if it's a fit you sign the partner agreement and the research access agreement online. Apply here and choose “Research Access Beta.” We also keep inviting people directly because of specific work we want to amplify or build on.

If I'm an Invited Partner, do I pay anything?

No. Invited partners receive a complimentary Diosa Insiders membership in Labora Collective for as long as they keep up the quarterly contribution. The exchange is your contribution — one piece of clinical or editorial intelligence per quarter, or an agreed amount of reviewing our work — not money.

Can my employer pay for membership?

Yes. Organizations get seats, custom data pulls and help with their questions, set up in a conversation with each organization. It can be invoiced to a practice or institution. Write to laboracollective@diosara.com.

Can I deduct membership as a business expense?

This isn't a tax-deductible donation. If you use your membership for your work, ask your accountant whether it counts as a business expense.

How much time does this actually take?

The minimum is one contribution per quarter, done in your partner home. The first choice is reviewing our work: check 10 signal cards a month, or review one playbook. Or publish your own piece in our journals, under your name.

What if I miss a quarter?

Life happens. If a quarter passes without a contribution, we talk about what works for you, and your membership may pause until your contributions resume. We don't penalize you for a busy quarter; we do ask you to stay in the loop.

Can I take a sabbatical or pause?

Yes. Tell us, and we'll work out what fits. Your membership may pause until your contributions resume. We'd rather hold your seat for six months than have you grind through a piece you don't want to write.

Can I write more than one piece a quarter?

Yes. The quarterly minimum is a floor, not a ceiling. The cap is your time, not our capacity.

Do you fact-check my work?

We edit every piece for clarity and accuracy before we publish it. Responsibility for its accuracy stays with you. We fact-check our own work, and you get our fact-checking tools to check yours. Your piece is published in our journals under your name.

Can I publish elsewhere too?

Yes. You keep ownership of your work. We publish it first; after that, you can republish it anywhere, with a link back to our publication.

What if I have a clinical observation but I'm not a writer?

Choose review of our work. It needs no writing: check 10 signal cards a month, or review one playbook, in your partner home.

How fast do you answer?

Write to laboracollective@diosara.com, with Dr. Connor (yconnor@diosara.com) copied. Ayesha answers within 48 hours.

Is there a marketplace?

Not yet. Coming soon, and not offered yet: a marketplace with a 10% booking commission, and a 60/40 revenue share, through the MSO, each with its own agreement. When they open, partners hear about it first.

What if I want to leave?

Tell us, with 30 days' notice (email is fine). No exit penalties. No clawback. We'll do an exit conversation, end your access when the 30 days are up, and keep your published work where it is (you keep ownership). Either party can step back at any time, on the same 30 days' notice, with no hard feelings.

Do I keep access if I stop contributing?

No. Partner access is in exchange for the quarterly contribution. If your participation ends, we'll talk about the right fit for you, whether that's continued research access or a Labora Collective membership.

What do I sign?

One short document, and sometimes a second:

• Exchange MOU — covers the partnership, what we provide, the quarterly contribution, term and termination. Annual rolling.
• Research access agreement — only if you join the Research Access Beta.

Co-authorship of a specific publication is agreed project by project, in a separate written agreement made before the work starts.

Who owns the content I create?

You do. You keep ownership of every contribution; you give us a license to publish it, with your name and credentials on it. Co-authorship of a specific publication is agreed project by project, in a separate written agreement made before the work starts. Your independent writing remains yours.

Are there conflict-of-interest restrictions?

Disclose, don't restrict. If you have a commercial or institutional relationship that bears on what you publish — pharma, device, hospital system, advocacy group — tell us. We'll add a disclosure. We don't ban relationships; we make them transparent.

Can I represent Yemaya externally?

You're listed as a partner publicly. For statements of position — on policy, regulation, controversial clinical questions — align with us first. Not because we control your speech; because Yemaya speaks with one voice on certain issues, and we want to make sure your statement and ours don't contradict each other in print.

How big is the network?

The inaugural cohort is small — targeting ten partners to start. Selective on purpose. The list of who is here defines what here is. We grow deliberately, by personal invitation. There is no fast lane.

Who else is in?

The roster goes live as the inaugural cohort confirms and onboards. Until then, the people in the room are Dr. Yamicia Connor and the founding team. Each partner fills in a profile, chooses one of five designs for a partner page, previews it and sends it to us; we publish it and list it in our partner directory.

What happens at the salons?

Cross-disciplinary conversation. Real questions, not pitches. Once a quarter, virtual or in-person. Bring a problem from your practice or beat. Leave with three new contacts and at least one piece of intelligence that changes how you think about it.

Is there a community channel?

Yes. Dr. Connor adds you to the partners' group chat in the Labora Collective app, and you can start your own groups.