Our Story & Mission

Emma Rukhotskiy, PhD

Emma Rukhotskiy founded Bili Blanket Baby in 2014. Each one of her four children had been born with jaundice and needed phototherapy, so she knew it could be hard for parents to find the tools needed to care for newborns with jaundice at home. "I know how important that initial bonding period is," she says. "The business is built on my desire to help families stay together and out of the hospital."

More than just a durable medical equipment company, Bili Blanket Baby provides personalized care for families. Emma works directly with new families and medical professionals to provide support during a stressful time and to promote bonding. Recognizing the importance of protecting breastfeeding relationships, Emma also recently expanded Bili Blanket Baby's services to offer breast pump rentals and lactation support to expecting mothers on Medicaid.

Evelyn Costigan

Evelyn graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder in with a major in psychology, a minor in business, and a certificate in care, health and resilience. At Bili Blanket Baby, her role has grown from office management tasks - such as processing orders, managing inventory, insurance billing, and training new staff - to talking to pediatricians in Colorado and beyond to educate them about Bili Blanket Baby's offerings and increase access to home jaundice treatments.

"My favorite part is getting to speak with all of our doctors and parents so families get to take their newborn home!" she says. "I am so happy to work at a place that is devoted to the wellbeing of parents and their newborns to make sure they can stay together at home during crucial bonding times."

When Evelyn is not at the office, she enjoys traveling and exploring Colorado with her friends.

Katie Halverstadt, BSN, RN, IBCLC

An Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and Registered Nurse, Katie joined Bili Blanket Baby in 2024 to help expecting moms on Medicaid get lactation services and supplies early in their pregnancies. Through prenatal classes, video calls and postpartum home visits with women as well as building connections with medical professionals, Katie hopes to offer women in Colorado the support they need to give their babies a healthy start.

"I'm extremely passionate about women who are in an underserved community getting high- level lactation support," she says. "How do we support exclusivity - which is a mom who gives more of her milk than having to use formula? They often don't get enough education or support in pregnancy to make this decision. If we can get them the pump and the prenatal consult, that's a big piece of the solution."

Katie earned a BFA from the University of Northern Colorado and a BS in nursing from Regis University. She began volunteering with the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition in 2012, helping organize community events. In 2016, Katie helped plan the first Colorado Breastival, and she has been serving as the president of the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition for the past 8 years. She was a 2014 nominee for the Florence Nightingale Nursing award, and won the Luminary Nightingale award in 2021. Katie is also proud to be a faculty member of CAPPA, and has taught her lactation class to over 200 professionals, and has focused her efforts in helping women of color become Certified Lactation Educators.

Katie is the proud mom of two amazing kids and loves rafting and camping with her husband every summer.