Christy Turlington Burns

Overview

Christy Turlington Burns is an American model and social entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to improving maternal health globally. After experiencing childbirth complications in 2003, she founded Every Mother Counts (EMC) in 2010, a nonprofit organization focused on making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere. Under her leadership, EMC has invested over $48 million in community-led programs across 17 countries, including the United States, Bangladesh, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Tanzania, Afghanistan, El Salvador, Peru, and Ukraine. EMC's initiatives encompass awareness-raising, community-led solutions, and advocacy for systemic change in maternal health care. In addition to her philanthropic endeavors, Turlington Burns has been involved in various business ventures. She co-founded Sundari, an ayurvedic skincare line, and collaborated with Puma on clothing lines. She has also contributed writings to magazines such as Marie Claire, Yoga Journal, and Teen Vogue, and has appeared in the Apple TV+ docuseries titled 'The Super Models.' Her work has been recognized by TIME magazine, which included her in its 2025 TIME100 Philanthropy list, and by Glamour Magazine, which named her Woman of the Year in 2013. Turlington Burns holds a Bachelor of Arts from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Studies and has studied Public Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. She serves on the Yale Nursing School Dean’s Leadership Council and is on the advisory committee of the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative. She resides in New York City with her husband, filmmaker Edward Burns, and their two children.

Investment Focus

• Focus on maternal health and related sectors
• Community-led initiatives
• Advocacy for systemic change in healthcare

Portfolio Companies