:: Aspen Baker, Executive Director
Aspen Baker is the leading voice in the nation on the personal experiences of women post-abortion. It was Ms. Baker's own experience with abortion in 1999 that led her to found Bay Area-based Exhale, an award-winning pro-voice organization dedicated to promoting post-abortion health and well-being. Exhale"s unique programs reach more than 35,000 women every year and our pro-voice strategies create a more supportive and respectful abortion dialogue. Aspen was named a "Local Hero” by San Francisco's KQED for Women"s History Month in 2009, "Young Executive Director of the Year 2005” by the Bay Area’s Young Non-Profit Professional Network, and a “Top Activist Under 30” by Choice USA in 2003. She is a member of the Women’s Health Leadership Network of the Center for American Progress. As a spokesperson for Exhale, Ms. Baker has been featured in a variety of media outlets across the country, including T.V. and radio, on such programs as CNN Headline News, CNN with Paula Zahn Now, Fox National News, Ladies Home Journal, New York Times Magazine, National Public Radio, Associated Press, Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, The New Republic, Alternet, Women’s eNews, Bust and many more. She is a regular contributor to RH Reality Check and the Huffington Post. She maintains her own personal blog and is currently at work on her first book.
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Kristen Schultz Oliver, Director of Programs
Kristen Schultz Oliver manages Exhale’s cornerstone program, the After-Abortion Counseling Talkline, an indispensable resource to women and healthcare providers across the country. She is responsible for Exhale’s dynamic corps of volunteers, developing their leadership as peer counselors and pro-voice ambassadors for the cause of after-abortion emotional wellbeing. Under Ms. Schultz Oliver’s stewardship, Exhale received the “Excellence in Nonprofit Volunteer Management Award” presented by the San Francisco Bay Area Volunteer Center in 2009. Ms. Schultz Oliver facilitates all Exhale trainings, conducts outreach and public education presentations, and focuses on program improvements that maintain high quality and thriving culture. Prior to Exhale, Ms. Schultz Oliver gained valuable experience in women’s health through her work with the Power of Choice Project, in abortion services at Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, and in the fields of fertility technologies and prenatal care. Ms. Schultz Oliver credits her education at Oberlin College with nurturing her sense of community service and social justice, and was among some of the first counselors at Exhale when she began volunteering in 2002. She finds great joy in watching her young daughter grow, in many literary and musical pursuits, and in doing such fulfilling professional work.
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