Kristin Revere, founder of Gold Coast Doulas, is shining a national spotlight on Grand Rapids, earning two major honors this year: a spot on the entrepreneurial reality docu-series “The Blox” and selection for the 2024 Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship. Revere was chosen from 50,000 applicants to compete on “The Blox” and from thousands of female founders to join the Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship’s class of 50 entrepreneurs nationwide.
"I’m honored to represent Grand Rapids on a national stage and showcase the powerful work we’re doing through Gold Coast Doulas," Revere says. "’The Blox’ was a transformative experience that challenged me to think bigger, lead bolder, and own the full potential of what we’ve built, including our book, “Supported,” which continues to educate and empower families beyond Michigan."
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Tiffany Sage for the Tory Burch FoundationKristin Revere speaks at the 2025 Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship gathering.
‘The Blox,’ now in its 16th season, follows entrepreneurs through real-world business challenges under the mentorship of MTV reality star-turned-business mogul Weston Bergmann. Filmed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the series simulates the pressure and pace of startup life, with 12-hour days of back-to-back competitions, mentoring, and strategy sessions.
“It was really action-packed,” Revere says. “Just rushing from room to room, competing against other entrepreneurs, it was much different from any traditional business competition.”
Her episode, “Crush the Small Scale Experiments and Build Through the Big Scale,” highlights her mission to elevate postpartum and newborn support services, an often misunderstood and underrepresented sector in the business world.
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Courtesy of The BloxGrand Rapids entrepreneur Kristin Revere was featured on The Blox reality show.
"Some of the male judges, when I was describing what I do, looked at me like, 'What in the world?'" Revere says. “By using national platforms like “The Blox” and the Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship, I'm able to raise awareness and respect for the doula profession.”
Response to own experience
Revere founded Gold Coast Doulas in 2015 after experiencing the life-changing value of doula support during her own pregnancy. The agency includes 25 subcontracted doulas and educators, offering birth, postpartum, sleep, and virtual support to families across Michigan.
"Building Gold Coast after hiring doulas for my second birth became more of a passion," she says. "Even when I worked in politics, it was about supporting and elevating women. Now, I get to do that at one of the biggest times of transition in life, pregnancy and parenthood."
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Courtesy of The BloxKristin Revere gives a presenation on The Blox reality show.
Drawing from her earlier career in advertising sales, political communications, and consulting, Revere says her business and marketing background gave her a strong foundation to launch and grow her agency.
"Especially with Yellow Pages, we worked with businesses from A to Z, and I asked a lot of questions, learned a lot," she says. "That consulting experience helped me when starting and scaling Gold Coast."
Her commitment extends beyond business growth. Revere advocates for maternal and infant health at state and national levels, volunteering with the Preeclampsia Foundation, March of Dimes, and Michigan’s Safe Sleep and Infant Health Action Teams.
"Because women's health is such an important issue politically, and unfortunately, our maternal health rates are not where they need to be in the U.S., I’m passionate about advocacy at all levels," she says.
Spotlight on service business
The 2024 Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship further amplifies her voice. The year-long Fellows program provides extraordinary women entrepreneurs business with resources to grow and business advisors that connect Fellows to essential tools to scale, lead, and shape the economy. Tory Burch Fellows have access to a growing community of peers and a resource pathway tailored to their stage of business.
"The Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship provides mentors, customized advice, and a community of passionate entrepreneurs," Revere says. "It’s been amazing to get feedback and insights beyond what I've had access to locally in West Michigan."
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Tiffany Sage for the Tory Burch FoundationKristin Revere answers questions about her business at the 2025 Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship gathering.
Although many ‘The Blox’ and Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship participants run tech or product-based businesses, Revere says she welcomes the opportunity to bring visibility to service-based fields like birth and postpartum support.
"There are a lot more tech or product-based businesses," she says. "Tory Burch's Foundation Fellowship has done a great job supporting some service-based companies, but there was certainly no one else in the birth and baby industry."
Building on her mission
As Gold Coast Doulas approaches its 10th anniversary this October, Revere plans to celebrate the milestone during its annual diaper drive, continuing her mission to make postpartum support accessible to all families, not just those with significant financial resources.
"I try to expand the awareness of postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists," she says. "Support shouldn’t just be seen as something for celebrities or upper-class families, it’s a critical service for all families."
With a growing and diverse team, Revere remains committed to ensuring Gold Coast reflects the community it serves.
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Courtesy of The BloxKristin Revere with the other participants in the The Blox reality series.
"From the start, I've focused on having a diverse team, not only in background but ethnicity," she says, noting ongoing efforts to further increase cultural and language representation among her doulas.
As she balances growing her agency, advocating nationally, and mentoring future entrepreneurs, Revere remains focused on one goal: expanding the reach and respect of the doula profession.
"Opportunities like ‘The Blox’ and the Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship help elevate a profession that was originally unpaid," she says. "Now it's a paid profession, but not necessarily respected the way other careers are. By using these platforms, I'm not only helping my clients, but I’m also impacting the doulas who work for my team and helping redefine what support looks like for families everywhere."
Season 16 of ‘The Blox,’ including the episode featuring Revere, is available for streaming on the BetaBlox app through Google Play, the App Store, and at betablox.com/theblox.
For more information about Kristin Revere and Gold Coast Doulas, visit
www.goldcoastdoulas.com.