In this episode of the Courageous Public Health Podcast, Le’Jon Godwin-Chumley, MPH, HTL (ASCP), reflects on what happens when we stop waiting to feel qualified enough and recognize that we already have something valuable to contribute.
From walking into a public health business summit where she didn’t know anyone, to shifting from laboratory science into maternal and child health equity, to starting her own consulting business, Le’Jon shares how curiosity, authenticity, and a willingness to ask questions have helped her step into unfamiliar spaces.
This conversation explores what becomes possible when we recognize that we don’t have to know everything to belong in the room—and that our own knowledge and experience belong there too.
Meet Le’Jon Godwin-Chumley, MPH, HTL (ASCP)✨
Le’Jon Godwin-Chumley, MPH, HTL (ASCP), is a public health researcher and Founder of Linea Health Strategies, LLC, a maternal and child health equity research consultancy currently in development. She brings more than two decades of clinical laboratory experience — including work as a certified Scientist in Histotechnology — to the study of population-level health disparities. Her path from microscope to population health reflects a career-long commitment to rigor: the same precision she once applied to cellular diagnostics now drives her geospatial and equity-centered analysis of maternal and child health outcomes.
Le’Jon holds an MPH in Global Health from Southern New Hampshire University and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Public Health Informatics at the University of Missouri. As a Risk Resources Intern with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, she contributes to policy analysis and evidence translation that advance equitable maternal mental health systems nationwide.
Through Linea Health Strategies, she is building a practice grounded in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and real-world evidence (RWE). She uses GIS mapping and equity-centered data analysis to help maternal-child health organizations translate complex research into clear insights, disparities maps, and policy-ready evidence.
Conversation Highlights 🎙️
- I Deserve to Be Here — Le’Jon reflects on recognizing that her own knowledge, experience, and perspective belong at the table.
- Walking Into the Room — From attending a public health business summit alone to reaching out to CEOs, Le’Jon shares the value of entering unfamiliar spaces, asking questions, and making connections.
- From the Laboratory to Public Health — Le’Jon discusses bringing her love of data from laboratory science into public health and using it to understand people’s health.
- Finding Her Place in Maternal Health — Le’Jon shares how learning about maternal health inequities shaped her commitment to maternal and child health equity.
- Just Being Me — Le’Jon reflects on authenticity, connection, and realizing that what others see as her “superpower” is simply being herself.
“I deserve to be here and sitting at the table ’cause I have a lot to say.” — Le’Jon Godwin-Chumley, MPH, HTL (ASCP)
Stay in Touch 🔗
With Le’Jon Godwin-Chumley, MPH, HTL (ASCP)
LinkedIn ↗: https://www.linkedin.com/in/le-jonchumley/
With Dr. Kristi McClamroch
LinkedIn ↗: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-mcclamroch
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Speaking & Leadership Development 🤝
Dr. Kristi McClamroch partners with organizations navigating complexity through keynote presentations, workshops, and leadership development.
Her work helps leaders better understand themselves, one another, and the conditions that shape what’s possible.
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