Stephanie Simmons

Stephanie Simmons is the founder of The Village. Originally from Arizona, she moved to Nashville in 2004 to attend Belmont University with dreams of becoming "the next Reba." She graduated in December 2008 with a degree in Entertainment Industry Studies, right as the recession hit. Like many Millennials, she pivoted to grad school, moving to Portland, OR to attend Portland Seminary. It was there that she honed her desire to walk alongside people on their journey toward holistic relationships with oneself and each other.

Seminary also brought her husband, Evan. She graduated in 2015 with a Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership and married three months later. Six months after the wedding came a surprise: she was pregnant with their daughter Lizzie (born 2016). Thirteen months later, another surprise - son Levi. After several early pregnancy losses, their third child Ezra arrived in July 2021.

Motherhood transformed her. She struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety, wrestled with her new identity, and developed a complicated relationship with her body - both in awe of it and at war with it. These experiences deepened her thinking about the example she wanted to set for her kids around food, body image, and her progressive Christian faith. She now brings 7 years of doula experience and 22 years working with children and families. She's trained in childbirth education, lactation education, and John Gottman's "Bringing Baby Home.” She describes herself as a natural empath - someone people instinctively trust and open up to, often sharing their life stories within moments of meeting her.