Our Purpose

Whether you’re a new parent, a medical professional, or the manager of a corporate community, have peace of mind that Limerick is your partner across every stage of the new parent journey.

Limerick exists to:

Support parents as they welcome a new baby into their lives.

Provide New Parent Programs inclusive of all families that provide support in the following areas: Lactation Support, New Parent Wellness and Workplace Coaching.

Develop the highest quality research-based products, services, education and support for breastfeeding moms and new families.

The Limerick Story

As an elementary school student, Kristina Harris was mortified by the bumper sticker on her mother’s car that said: “Ask me about breastfeeding.” But while it made Kristina blush, she was the inspiration behind the Limerick story. The year was 1989, and Joan, a registered nurse, her newborn daughter, Kristina, and her mother, Patricia, a registered dietician, had just visited a lactation consultant.

Suddenly Patricia had an epiphany: they should go into business together, and Limerick was born, named after Patricia’s mother’s birthplace. They knew from personal experience that working breastfeeding moms needed support; so they started by providing Limerick’s workplace lactation programs. Then, after ten years of providing workplace lactation programs for companies, they saw another need. New moms were looking for something that better mimicked a baby’s nursing pattern. With the help of an engineer, and input from the moms participating in their workplace lactation program, Patricia and Joan designed a pump that did just that. They called it PJ’s Comfort (Pat and Joan), and new moms loved it.

Limerick realized that today’s parents need more support, leading to the partnership with Carla Greenan at 3Be Coaching in 2018. In addition, Limerick is continuing to expand its services to support more new parents, focusing on whole parent harmony at the office and home.

And as for Kristina, now a mom herself, she realizes the importance of lactation services and a good breast pump so much that she is now Operations Manager. And she is no longer embarrassed by the bumper sticker.

Our Team

Led by Patricia Kelly (Co-founder, President and CEO), Joan Ortiz (Co-founder and Vice President) and Kristina Harris (Operations Manager) – three generations of the same family in partnership with Carla Greenan, founder of 3Be Coaching

Patricia Kelly

Co-founder, President and CEO
Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC)
RD, BS in Nutrition

Patricia spearheaded the creation of Limerick’s revolutionary breast pump, PJ’s Comfort. She credits its intuitive design and uncompromising comfort to her daughter, Joan Ortiz, whose contact with and constant feedback from the mothers in their Workplace Lactation Program inspired the idea. Patricia has received numerous industry awards, including Business Life Magazine’s Women Achievers award and a Special Congressional Recognition for Women in Science and Technology. She’s also active in her community, having served on the board of philanthropic organizations, like the Burbank Noon Rotary Club and the Kids’ Community Dental Clinic. Patricia launched a business partnership with Villa Esperanza Services, a nonprofit organization for the developmentally disabled, which continues to this day.

Joan Ortiz

Co-founder, Vice President Limerick
President of Workplace Lactation Program
International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant
(IBCLC) RN, BSN

Joan is responsible for Limerick’s research study, published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing — one of the most proven and comprehensive breastfeeding support models available. Further, she contributed to the research that helped commission the Friendly Airports for Mother’s Act, introduced by Senator Tammy Duckworth and Representative Stephen Knight, requiring all large and medium airports to have a readily available lactation room separate from the bathrooms. Joan is also responsible for training and overseeing all of the company’s lactation consultants and registered nurses. Under Joan’s purview, Limerick’s Workplace Lactation Program has won the Working Women Entrepreneurial Excellence Award for Customer/Client Service, and Joan has personally been the recipient of Burbank’s Women of the Year award, Business Life Magazine’s Women Achievers award, and Special Congressional Recognition for Women in Science and Technology. She has been active in Rotary International where she’s a Paul Harris Fellow, the National Charity League, and Leadership Burbank, and is a current board member of The Boys & Girls Club of Burbank & Greater East Valley and past President and current board member of BreastfeedLA.

Kristina Harris

Operations Manager
Third-Generation Breastfeeding Advocate

In the spring of 2020, Kristina will graduate from California State University, Northridge, with a Bachelor of Science in systems and operations management. Limerick was founded by her mother and grandmother, so she literally grew up in the business, helping out in grade school and becoming an official employee in 2010. Since then she has served as supervisor of customer service and accounts receivable manager, and when she graduates from college, she will become the head of operations and logistics. This year, in addition to her classroom studies, Kristina is looking forward to “having a healthy birth experience with my daughter and breastfeeding her with the support of the Limerick team and our innovative products.”

Carla Greenan

Professional Certified Coach

Carla started her career as a CPA and eventually found her way to coaching, which she has been doing for 13+ years. Her base of clients is primarily working parents, with a specialty in coaching through personal and professional transitions. She has expanded her skills to include certifications in The Gottman Institute’s Bringing Baby Home program, EQ in action and TRACOM Social Styles. Carla lives in Seattle with her husband, Dan, their three kids and puppy.