Love letter from Founder, Julia Grace Kim
Sanhu House is my heartfelt offering to women and birthing people. As a new mother, I envisioned a space that nourishes the body, mind, and soul, encouraging women to invest in their radical rest and healing from the very first day of motherhood.
The journey through pregnancy and birth is transformative yet often traumatic, leaving many new mothers physically and emotionally drained. Without proper support, the risks of complications—such as prolonged bleeding, infections, chronic pain, and postpartum depression—are high. Comprehensive postpartum care in those tender early days is not just beneficial; it's essential.
Drawing from my experiences growing up between California and Korea, where my aunt ran a renowned sanhujoriwan, I founded Sanhu House to fill a critical gap in U.S. healthcare. Combining 24/7 on-premise expertise, coordinated medical care, and traditional Korean postpartum practices, Sanhu House provides a sanctuary where both mothers and newborns are deeply cared for, against the serene backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.
Our team
Julia Grace Kim
Julia Grace Kim 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.
Avery Pollick
Avery Pollick is the Chief Operating Officer at Sanhu House. She oversees business strategy, finance, 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 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.
Anja Akhile
Anja Akhile is the Maternal Care Specialist at Sanhu House focusing on quality of care and excellence for our guests at Sanhu House. As a mother of 3, Doula, and Resident Midwife, Anja brings deep expertise in the birthing space to our community - from outlining our care standards, to assessing guest needs, and working with our healthcare partners.She has a B.A from the University of San Francisco and also brings 7 years of retail management experience working with companies such as lululemon and Nike, which she translates into valuable direction for our on-site teams.
Elise Peterson
Elise Peterson, the Head of Marketing at Sanhu House, brings over a decade of experience as a strategic brand marketing professional. With a proven track record of innovative campaigns, she excels in executional leadership across consumer marketing, focusing on experiential activations, multi-platform storytelling, and connecting brands with consumers. Previously the Senior Brand Director at ByHeart, Elise has consulted for numerous parent-focused brands, amplifying the stories of working mothers through her entrepreneurial ventures.
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.
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.
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.