Skip to main content
Human Milk Institute HMI
  1. HOME
  2. Support HMI
  3. Enter Title Here

The Founders Circle of Human Lactology

Meet the Founders

In January 2026, the Founders Circle of Human Lactology was seeded with generous gifts from Hannah Kohlberg Johnson, Lauren Klein, and Pelin Thorogood. They invite forward-thinking philanthropists to join them in building and driving this new field from the ground up.

Hannah Kohlberg Johnson

Health Equity Focused Philanthropist
Chief Persistence Officer, Human Milk Institute

Hannah Kohlberg Johnson is a leading advocate for equitable access to vital resources in infant and maternal health. As a co-founder of the UC Health Milk Bank, she has committed her career to ensuring that every baby, regardless of background, has the opportunity to receive life-sustaining nutrition through human milk.

Hannah’s commitment to driving transformative change in infant care has dubbed her the title of “Chief Persistence Officer” at the Human Milk Institute. Through this initiative, she is driving transformative change in infant care, highlighting the power of human milk and the necessity of ensuring access for all. Her leadership at the institute is a testament to her commitment to health equity and her ability to inspire a collective effort toward improved health standards.

Hannah’s vision is a world where every child has the chance to thrive, and human milk is accessible to all families, not just those with privilege. Known for her strategic and collaborative approach, she empowers organizations to close gaps in health and education, helping bring complex and innovative projects from concept to reality.

Lauren Klein

Regional Asset Manager, Klein Financial Corporation

Lauren Klein is the Regional Asset Manager at Klein Financial Corporation, overseeing value-add development projects with affordable housing components in Sacramento and the Bay Area. She holds an M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

A longtime advocate for public health and social impact, Lauren was involved in the early efforts of Proposition 71, supporting education and fundraising for stem cell research in California. She has volunteered extensively with organizations focused on domestic violence prevention, food insecurity, and maternal-child health.

Lauren’s passion for HMI’s mission is deeply personal. Her daughter, Alison, was born at 28 weeks and faced significant challenges accessing donor human milk while in the U.S. foster system. Her advocacy led to a policy change at Alison’s birth hospital, improving access to donor milk for vulnerable infants. She is committed to advancing equitable access to human milk and expanding its therapeutic applications through HMI’s work.

Pelin Thorogood

Cofounder & Executive Chairwoman, Radicle Science
Trustee & Vice Chair, UC San Diego Foundation

Pelin Thorogood is the Cofounder and Executive Chairwoman of Radicle Science, an AI-driven HealthTech pioneer recognized as a “World Changing Idea” by Fast Company for powering Personalized Wellness with clinical proof. Her category-defining efforts earned her the INC 200 Female Founder award in 2023.

Previously, Pelin was a leader in defining the digital marketing industry as CMO of WebSideStory (IPO in 2004, acquired by Adobe/ Omniture in 2008), the pioneer in web analytics, as well as CEO of Anametrix (acquired by Ensighten in 2015), an award-winning predictive analytics company. A prolific speaker and writer on AI, analytics, and entrepreneurship, she’s been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, SXSW, TED, Montgomery Summit and Cornell Enterprise.

Deeply committed to impact, education, and community, Pelin serves as Trustee and Vice Chair of the UC San Diego Foundation and chairs the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Pelin holds a B.S., M.Eng and MBA, all from Cornell.