A love letter to maternal wellbeing—
We’ve crafted an experience that nurtures the body, mind, soul, and spirit.
The journey from pregnancy through birth is a deeply transformative—and inevitably traumatizing—experience. Too many new mothers find themselves physically and emotionally depleted. Without proper care, new mothers are susceptible to prolonged bleeding, infections, chronic pain, incontinence, postpartum anxiety and depression, among other complications. In the tender first days, truly comprehensive postpartum support—to process, re-integrate, and recover—is mission critical.
Sanhu-jori is the philosophy and practice of postpartum care that prioritizes maternal health. Derived from the Korean words for “after childbirth” and “active restoration,” sanhu-jori is a tradition of month-long rituals that center healing, bonding, and preventative care.
Sanhu House was founded to provide meaningful interventions that are woefully absent from the United States healthcare system. 24/7 on-premise expertise and coordinated medical care meets eastern traditions against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. Augmented by community support and educational workshops, Sanhu House ensures that both newborns and mothers are truly taken care of.
Our team
Julia Grace
Julia Grace is the CEO and founder of Sanhu House. Julia grew up in a family of nurses and hospitality professionals. She started her career in not-for-profits and her mission in life is to make life-improving medical services more accessible. Prior to starting Sanhu House in 2022, Julia worked at Open Society Foundations, one of the largest grant making institutions in the world, advancing justice, education, and public health around the globe. Julia holds an MSc from Columbia University and a BS from Northeastern University.
Jenelle Bossett-Allen
Jenelle Bossett-Allen is the Director of Business Development at Sanhu House. She brings 10 years of strategic planning and donor relations insight from the non-profit sector, working on external partnerships with C-suite constituents and Fortune 500 companies. Jenelle has her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles and serves on the board of Compton Girls Club where she advises on fundraising initiatives and growth opportunities.
Anja Akhile
Anja Akhile is the General Manager at Sanhu House focusing on guest satisfaction, the day to day operations and development of the on-staff doulas. She has a B.A from the University of San Francisco and brings 7 years of retail management experience working with companies such as lululemon and Nike. A mother of 3, Anja has been supporting birthing people as a doula in the Los Angeles community for over 5 years and is a resident midwife.
Avery Pollick
Avery Pollick is the Chief Operating Officer at Sanhu House. She oversees all business strategy, operations, and guest services. Prior to joining the Sanhu House team, Avery spent the first decade of her career as a tech executive for companies like Google and Nike. But in 2014, a challenging birth and postpartum journey disrupted her path, shifting her focus to transforming the U.S. birthing experience. Now a successful serial entrepreneur, Sanhu House is her third startup specializing in women's health.
Kerry Nakayama
Kerry Nakayama is the Head of Operations at Sanhu House. She focuses on financial budgets, data needs, and oversees operational activities of the company. She holds her Masters in Data Science from SMU and a BS in Mathematics and Studio Art from Tulane University. She brings her expertise from the corporate world of Analytics and Data Science from companies including Apple, AT&T, and Scopely.
Jeong Ok Kwon (Advisor)
Jeong Ok Kwon is the Senior Advisor of Sanhu House. She started her career as an ICU nurse at Korea’s Hanyang University Hospital but realized how much she loved working with newborns and mothers and transitioned to working at a postpartum center in Korea as an RN. Her career quickly advanced and she became the Head Medical Director of the Prenatal Center, where she oversees the infant and mother care program, training, as well as management of all nursing staff.
Miri Kwon (Advisor)
Miri Kwon is an operational executive with proven experience in building and scaling businesses across multiple industries. Prior to co-founding Sanhu House in 2022, Miri was SVP & Head of Operations at Jetty, a leading real-estate tech startup based in NY. She’s also held various leadership roles at Accenture Consulting, Venmo, Bank of America, and SoFi. Miri has an MBA from University of Michigan and a BA from Ewha University in Korea.
Jay Desai (Advisor)
Jay Desai is the Founder and CEO of PatientPing, a care coordination platform. Jay has deep experience in healthcare as a policymaker, investor, executive, and most recently as an entrepreneur who built and sold PatientPing for >$550m over 7.5 years. Jay advises and invests in dozens of healthcare companies.