Revolutionizing Breastfeeding: A Conversation with Jenney Korasick, Co-Founder of Leche

All Things Conceivable: A Surrogacy Podcast with Nazca Fontes

As Told by Jenney Korasick, Co-Founder of It’s My Leche

Empowered Women Empower Women

As the co-founder of Leche, Jenney Korasick is revolutionizing breast milk storage through freeze-drying technology, transforming frozen milk into a lightweight, shelf-stable powder. This gives moms more flexibility, whether for travel, long-term storage, or donating to families in need.

Her own journey with oversupply and the realization that so many parents struggle with limited breastfeeding options inspired this entrepreneurship. 60% of moms don’t breastfeed as long as they intend to, and one in four women return to work just two weeks postpartum. Pumping and milk storage shouldn’t be a barrier, and Leche is changing the game.

What is Leche?

Jenney Korasick (JK): Leche offers a freeze-drying service where moms send us their own breast milk. They can use their own storage bags, and our service transforms the milk into a shelf-stable powder.

This extends the shelf life of the milk up to three years. Many parents use it for a second baby. Others use it to fortify first foods, or for travel and caregiver feedings. A freeze-dried product retains nutrients much better than freezing, and there’s less waste.

If you’ve ever spilled a thawed milk bag or left it out too long, you know how frustrating that can be. With our powder, it’s easier, safer, and more flexible.

I had a huge freezer stash myself. I was donating milk to neighbors and still running out of space. I thought, “There has to be a better way.”

Freeze-drying has been trusted by pharmaceutical and food companies for 50 years — we freeze-dry plasma, dairy, protein powders, even mac and cheese. At Leche, we’re applying that to breast milk, and it works beautifully.

A Donor Network That Empowers

JK: Beyond the personal milk service, we’ve also launched a breastmilk donor network. We’re screening donors medically, compensating them, and using their milk to create a shelf-stable donor milk product for others in need.

This donor milk is used by parents who may be using formula, or need help getting into a breastfeeding rhythm. It’s also great for same-sex couples who may not have access to breastmilk.

Nazca Fontes (NF): How does Leche differ from other donor services, such as milk banks?

JK: When we talk about milk banks, not all 50 states even have one. Parents may have to drive two hours to the nearest bank. If they’re approved to receive donor milk, they load up, then drive two hours back. It’s not a great experience.

If we can create an outlet that empowers donors and makes parents excited, we’ll have a winning recipe — for donors, new parents, and eventually, globally. And for the milk donors themselves, one thing we know from being moms and donors ourselves: our time is not free.

From the beginning, we made it a point that our donors are compensated, even for the blood tests they have to complete. Think about it — these are new moms, often in the first six months of postpartum. Screening for donation or pumping? That’s time, and that time matters.

The Inspiration

JK: Leche stems from our experiences as moms, donors, and women who saw a broken system. A system where storing and donating breast milk was complicated and inefficient.

My co-founder Trish and I had our babies less than a month apart, and she was an overproducer as well. We were really good friends on this motherhood journey together. I knew we couldn’t be the only moms with this oversupply and storage problem.

At Leche we’re looking at the whole picture: How can we help moms with oversupply preserve or share milk? How can we give them a backup plan if they need it?

Trials and Challenges of Entrepreneurship

JK: I’d always had this question in mind of how we take a dairy product and turn it into something else: a powdered cheese, a whey protein, even powdered milk, which is very common in Latin America or Europe. Why can’t we do that with breast milk? The answer was, we absolutely can.

Trish and I decided to do it with our own breast milk. We did a couple of test runs. We found a lab in the Midwest that would do it for us. We started testing and realized: this is a thing.

Trish and I knew this was possible, but we also realized there’s so much on new moms’ shoulders. We said, “Let’s make this service easy”: they receive the kit, follow instructions, pack their milk, and either drop it off or schedule a pickup. The next day, it arrives and begins the freeze-drying process.

We spent a year doing research, running a launch group, and testing logistics. It went really well. The more we took a mom-first, community-first approach, the more gaps we uncovered in the breast milk market. We were overproducers and donors first, creating this for ourselves, but now we see the real impact we can have — not just in the U.S., but globally. There’s so much potential in breast milk that’s already out there.

The entrepreneurial journey is not for the faint of heart. Some people go into business thinking fundraising or team-building will make it easier. It’s never easy.

Building a Community of Trust

JK: Trish and I have been in every layer of this company from day one. We built our social community organically. We are the faces and the voices behind our social. It truly matters. We want to know what our community has to say — what struggles they have, what worries they feel.

We’re deeply involved in customer service because we need to know these challenges if we’re going to scale this company from the ground up. If we’re not involved in every aspect — from customer support to social media chatter to logistics and product improvements — we lose incredibly valuable touchpoints with our customers.

People are intentionally buying this product. They expect high quality. They expect top-notch experience. And you have to pay for that to ensure ultimate safety and happiness.

NF: Leche is one of our #MilkDonationChallenge champions. How has this challenge empowered donors and helped advance Leche’s mission?

JK: First and foremost, we always encourage moms to choose what feels right for them. If they want to donate their milk for free elsewhere, that’s wonderful. If they’d rather give locally to a mom in need down the street, that’s fantastic too. As moms ourselves — breastfeeding, pumping, and donating — we know firsthand that a mother’s time is incredibly valuable, especially in those first six months with a new baby.

Unfortunately, many organizations either don’t compensate donors at all, or they require restrictive contracts. We believe moms deserve to feel valued and appreciated for their generosity. That’s why, from the very beginning, we made it a priority to compensate our donors for their time and effort, including covering the costs of the necessary blood tests for donating to the Leche network. We recognize that asking a new mom to go to a lab for testing is no small request, and that time shouldn’t be taken for granted.

We’re also working to enhance our donor experience by offering even more options. Not every mom wants or needs monetary compensation; some might prefer rewards like a new stroller, an Amazon gift card, or a spa day. Our upcoming affiliate program will give donors more choices, helping them feel connected and valued, regardless of their circumstances.

What’s so special about the #MilkDonationChallenge is the sense of excitement and community it creates. For many moms, especially those who might be feeling isolated or navigating a new chapter in life, this challenge gives them something to look forward to and a way to connect with others. Sharing their experiences on social media and celebrating together makes the process fun and meaningful.

Ultimately, our philosophy has always been to put moms and donors at the heart of everything we do. If we can keep them engaged and excited — just as ConceiveAbilities has done with the Milk Donation Challenge — we’re confident we’ll continue to create positive outcomes for both donors and recipients alike.

Celebrating Our Superheros

JK: From day one, we’ve believed that if we can keep moms excited and cared for, we’ll create successful outcomes on the receiving side as well.

Anyone who’s ever breastfed or managed milk knows — it’s a full-time job. Moms make the best team members. You’re suddenly the CEO of someone else’s life, with no training manual. It’s wild. But that’s why moms are superheroes. Your bandwidth, your problem-solving skills — they change completely. When I became a mother, my productivity skyrocketed because I had to be intentional with my time.

Put me in a tough meeting any day — I’ve already had a 30-minute negotiation over which banana is going in the lunchbox. Mothers are masters of patience, strategy, and problem-solving. Those skills are too often under-celebrated.

Leaving A Legacy

NF: As a female founder, what do you hope Leche’s legacy will be — not only for breastfeeding and infant nutrition, but for women?

JK:I hope our legacy shows that when you’ve lived the pain points of a system, you’re in the best position to fix them.

What we’re solving isn’t just personal — it’s global. There are better ways to do things, whether in infant nutrition, healthcare, agriculture, or pharmaceuticals. These systems have been the same for generations.

We need creative thinkers — entrepreneurs willing to dig into the challenges others think are too hard or too complex. I hope Leche inspires other women to do just that. Tackle the things that affect your health, your family, your future.

That’s what legacy means to me — solving hard problems for a better life, together.