Dr. Kris Pizur-Barnekow is second generation American whose family immigrated to the Unites States in the early 1900’s from Slovakia. She is associate professor emeritus in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Continuous Quality Improvement Lead at the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health and a reflective supervisor for Nurture Collective. In addition, she is endorsed by the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health as an Infant and Family Specialist, serves as the CDC’s Act Early Ambassador to Wisconsin and is the founder of Families First, LLC. In 2003, she graduated from her doctoral studies with a focus on maternal-infant attachment and bonding and early childhood development. She has co-authored 34 papers, 10 book chapters and 80 presentations related to early childhood. Kris identifies as a white female who has a deep understanding of how her privilege enabled her family to climb out of poverty within one generation. She embraces diversity, equity and inclusion in her practice and believes that multiple perspectives enhance and enrich everyone’s lives.

Angie is passionate about “all things babies,” but she truly enjoys advocating and listening compassionately to new mothers. She is bilingual and had received training in perinatal mental health disorders from Postpartum Support International.