Rhonda “Rho” Sims is a maternal health advocate, community organizer, and systems leader working to advance equitable care for mothers and families. Driven by her lived experience and personal loss, Rho has become a powerful voice for community-informed maternal health solutions across South Carolina.

She is the Founder and Director of the BLK Maternal Health Collective, a statewide coalition that mobilizes community organizations, birth workers, and families to improve outcomes for mothers of color through advocacy, education, and resource connection. Under her leadership, the Collective launched Columbia’s first Black Maternal Health Week and continues to build community-driven initiatives that center the voices of families most impacted by maternal health disparities.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Rho is the founder of Nurture Consulting Group, where she partners with healthcare systems and organizations to design culturally aligned strategies that better support mothers, families, and communities through community-informed engagement, program design, and systems-level insight.

Rho previously served as a Program Manager with the Preeclampsia Foundation, where she worked to expand patient education and support programs nationwide. She currently contributes to several state and national initiatives, including the South Carolina Birth Outcomes Initiative, the South Carolina Rural and State Maternal Health Task Force, and serves as a patient reviewer for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), helping ensure research reflects the priorities and lived experiences of patients.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Rho is also a trained community doula through HealthOne Connect. In addition to her advocacy work, she is a licensed real estate professional serving families across South Carolina. As a mother of four and military spouse, Rho brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to her work supporting mothers through pregnancy, birth, and the transitions that follow.

Through her leadership, Rho continues to build bridges between community voices, healthcare systems, and policy leaders to create lasting change in maternal health.