Our Story

Founder Carly Buxton gave birth to her first child in Boston in 2017, far from the support of family and close friends. As an overwhelmed new parent, Carly spent countless hours online, trying to research her way out of all of the problems she was having feeding and caring for a new baby—and for her own postpartum body. As a user researcher, she couldn’t believe there wasn’t a better way for parents to get the tailored perinatal guidance they needed online, free of judgmental trolls, well-meaning but outdated advice, and sponsored posts.
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Carly was determined to build a solution. She founded Nessle in 2019, earned her certifications as a postpartum doula and lactation counselor, and started supporting families in person and online. Since then, she has partnered with a dynamic technical co-founder, Michelle Cunningham who, as a fellow mother, is deeply motivated to improve the lives of parents through user-friendly technology. Supported by a team of mission-driven strategists, marketers, and designers, Nessle is helping new and expectant parents to get the immediate support they need online from qualified perinatal experts.

Meet The Team

Carly Buxton, PhD - Co-Founder and CEO - Carly is a postpartum doula and Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC) based in the West End of Richmond, Virginia.
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Also a historian, user experience researcher, and writer, her mission is to promote empathy in everyday action: in our communities, in research, in education, and in business.
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After many years of living away from home (in Chicago, Boston, China, and Japan), Carly has returned to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, where she lives with her husband and their two children.

Michelle Cunningham - Co-Founder and CTO - is an engineering leader, full-stack web developer and startup veteran with a passion for protecting the earth and improving the lives of the people who inhabit it. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and 2 children.

Maryann Snow - Head of Customer Experience - Has an extensive background in all aspects of product management. As an energetic and driven business leader she has a passion for teamwork, solving problems and building products that go above and beyond to delight customers. She lives in Boston with her husband and three young boys.

Ethan Parker - Brand and Product Designer - A strategic designer that's focused on the intersection of product and brand through storytelling. He loves solving problems and crafting for mission driven companies. During his free time, you can find him working on his bonsai trees or building something that he could've bought for cheaper.

Our values

Always Learning

Rooted in research, our approach is open, flexible, and ever-evolving as we learn from science and from our customers

Genuine Connection

We’re dedicated to building authentic, trusting relationships–whether online or in-person.

Compassion

We know that health and wellbeing blossom when caregivers listen with empathy

Personalization

Our experts meet you where you are, giving support that’s tailored to your style, history, and goals

Meet our Experts

Here are just a few of the growing number of experts who support Nessle clients.

Browse Experts