Meet Michelle Nirumandrad

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michelle Nirumandrad. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michelle, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

My journey to confidence and self-esteem has been one of transformation and growth. I wasn’t always a confident person —in fact, I used to be overweight and a bit of a wallflower. Taking ownership of my health and fitness was my first major step. With the support of Lifetime Fitness, I not only lost the weight but also kept it off. That accomplishment gave me such a strong sense of empowerment and new belief in our ability to push outside of our comfort zones.

Around that same time, I decided to try skydiving—what I thought would be a “one-and-done” experience turned into nearly two decades of jumping out of planes as a professional skydiver. Each leap reinforced a powerful lesson: we are capable of so much more than we can even imagine!

That confidence carried into motherhood, a role that challenges you in ways nothing can prepare us for. As a mom of four, I discovered another calling: supporting other parents in their lactation journeys. My personal experiences as a peer-to-peer milk donor, providing nearly 40,000 ounces of milk to families in need, has deepened my commitment to this cause.

All of these experiences—taking charge of my health, pushing boundaries as a skydiver, and embracing the challenges and joys of motherhood—led me to found my platform, a digital health service that helps families access human milk for their children. Each chapter of my life has taught me there is a great sense of accomplishment in doing something you once thought impossible.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m the founder of a platform dedicated to sustainable access to human milk and improving lactation outcomes for families. As a mother of four and a peer-to-peer milk donor, I’ve seen firsthand how life-changing access to human milk can be. That personal experience, combined with my passion for advocacy, led me to create a platform that supports families, promotes milk donation, and protects lactation rights through data-driven education and advocacy.

What excites me most about this work is the ripple effect it creates—empowered families lead to healthier communities and healthier communities lead to a healthier future for all of us.
Currently, I’m working on launching some of the first features, including “My Milk Week by Week,” a personalized, stage-specific content series to guide families on what they can expect and how their milk is changing through the duration of recommended lactation. I’m also authoring a book, The Original Superfood, which explores the science, advocacy, and cultural impact of human milk.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

When I reflect on my journey, three qualities stand out as being instrumental: resilience, empathy, and adaptability.

Resilience was something I developed early, especially during my transformation from being overweight and unsure of myself to someone who embraced challenges head-on. Losing the weight and keeping it off hasn’t been easy, especially through four pregnancies, but it has taught me the value of persistence and the rewards of seeing things through. Same with becoming a professional skydiver; every jump requires you to confront ‘fear’ and trust in your abilities. That resilience grows, then begins to carry over into other aspects of life.

Empathy became essential as I grew into the role of a mother and peer-to-peer milk donor. Becoming a parent opens your heart to the struggles of others, and my own experiences with lactation gave me insight into the challenges so many families face. It’s this empathy that drives my work today—creating tools and advocacy to support parents in their own journeys.

Adaptability has been critical in navigating unexpected challenges and opportunities, whether it was switching gears professionally, raising four children, or founding a platform in a niche space like lactation support. Life rarely goes as planned, and being able to pivot and embrace new directions has been a key part of my growth.

My advice for those starting out: Start small but stay consistent. Build your resilience by setting and achieving tangible goals, develop empathy by truly listening to others, and hone adaptability by staying curious and open to change. These qualities are like muscles—the more you use them, the stronger they become.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Absolutely! Collaboration is at the heart of what I do. I’m eager to connect with healthcare professionals, lactation consultants, policy advocates, nonprofit leaders, and technology developers who are passionate about improving maternal and child health.

But more than that, I want to hear from parents—expecting or otherwise. Your experiences matter. I want to know about your needs, your struggles, the things that helped you, and the things that held you back. Understanding your journey is vital to creating resources and advocating for the kind of systemic change that truly makes a difference.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to connect! You can reach me through my website or social media channels. Let’s create something meaningful together!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thehumanmilkyway.com
• Instagram: @thehumanmilkyway
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571546664657
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-nirumandrad-442a312bb/

Image Credits

Kadi Tobin
OHUB