Imagining a Dream: How One Ursinus Student Started Her Own Business

The prospect of starting a business today is a scary one for most people. Confusing procedures and lack of resources could lead to a dead end in achieving a dream. However, one Ursinus College student has forged her own path in a competitive and grueling industry.

Julia Dees ’26 is the founder of Safe Haven, a doula business dedicated to providing a holistic style of care focused on educational, emotional, and physical support for a birthing person or a family throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Dees, a neuroscience major from Albuquerque, N.M., was initially attracted to doula work as a way to get experience in birth work while finishing her undergraduate degree. She started working initially with the King of Prussia Doulas to gain experience but wanted to start her own doula business and work with her own clients.

“It all seemed very overwhelming and too much to take on as a student,” Dees said.

That’s where the U-Imagine Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial Studies came into play.

The U-Imagine Center teaches students entrepreneurship and integration skills to those who want to pursue a business venture. Run by Director of Entrepreneurship Maureen Cumpstone, the center provides all the resources needed to help make students’ entrepreneurial dreams become a reality.

“The support the U-Imagine Center has given me is what led me to have the confidence to turn my idea into a fully-fledged business,” Dees said.

For Dees, reaching out to the U-Imagine Center as a neuroscience major was initially an afterthought because she didn’t see herself as the entrepreneurial type. As she continued to pass it on her way to class in the Innovation and Discovery Center, Dees eventually decided to stop in and talk to Cumpstone about seeking assistance for her business idea. It was there that Dees learned about the BEAR Innovation Competition, which would help her further craft her business idea and lead to a monetary prize if she won the competition.

With Cumpstone’s help and the resources the U-Imagine Center provided to her, Dees crafted her business proposal. The structure of the competition gave Dees guided questions, which helped solidify some of her unknowns.

“It all seemed so real and anxiety-producing, so making me work on that proposal was a really fantastic resource,” Dees said.

When it came time to present her proposal, Dees’s experience in debate and public speaking gave her an advantage through her presentation. She went on to win the competition, giving her some financial backing as her doula business was in its infant stages.

“It was exciting for me to have the opportunity to speak about something I’m passionate about and get all that feedback and guidance,” Dees said.

Along with the competition, the U-Imagine Center connected Dees to a pro-bono attorney, who helped her file the correct paperwork to start Safe Haven.

This past summer, Dees worked with three families from prenatal to postpartum as a volunteer at the University of New Mexico Hospital back home as a way to give back as she finishes her doula certification. She did their prenatal intake forms, made postpartum plans, and attended the entire labor itself.

“I had a moment during the first delivery where I actively participated as a doula. I saw the joy of a new family and said, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life and be happy,’” Dees said.

Dees’s main career goal is to work as a midwife, a healthcare professional who specializes in providing care during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. After Ursinus, Dees plans to further her education through an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing degree to become a registered nurse, before pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. in nurse midwifery.

For now, Dees’s business continues to thrive thanks to the support systems and resources provided to her by the U-Imagine Center and Ursinus College.

“Not a lot of people get opportunities like I’ve had as young as I am, so the fact those opportunities have been provided to me is really special,” Dees said.