Journey to Parenthood: Surrogacy, Egg Donation, & IVF Expert Presentations

Join Growing Generations, NYU Langone Fertility Center and other esteemed fertility doctors and specialists, on Sunday, May 18th 2025, for a private event focused on surrogacy, egg donation and IVF. This intimate, one-day only event offers expert guidance from doctors and leaders in the field, as well as insights from parents who have personally navigated the fertility journey. You'll also have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with specialists to ask your personal questions and gain clarity on your next steps.

Event Details:

📅 Sunday, May 18th | 🕙 10:00 AM–2:45 PM (Expert presentations begin at 10:30 AM)
📍 The Langham, New York - Kips Bay Foyer and Suite
🎟️ Free registration | Afternoon tea and sandwiches included
👥 Limited to only 120 attendees

The day will feature presentations from fertility professionals across multiple specialties—including surrogacy and egg donation agencies, ART attorneys, an IVF doctor from NYU Langone Fertility Center, Carrot (a fertility benefits company), and RESOLVE.

The event concludes with a heartfelt panel of personal stories from individuals and couples who have experienced IVF, surrogacy, and egg donation firsthand.

Attendees can enjoy a fully catered afternoon tea, network with speakers, and gather resources to support their unique family-building journeys.

If you're on the journey towards expanding your family through surrogacy, egg donation, and IVF, this event is an invaluable intimate opportunity that you don't want to miss!

Reserve your spot today—space is limited to the first 120 registrants!

AGENDA:

10:00am

Check-in Opens

10:30– 10:35am

Welcome and Introductions

Presenter: Sam Hyde, President, Circle Surrogacy

10:35am to 10:55am

Introduction to the IVF Process for Intended Parents

Presenter: Jacquelyn McKeehan Shaw, MD, NYU Langone Fertility Center

Embarking on IVF with surrogacy opens the door to the possibility of having a biological child. Dr Shaw will offer an overview of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, providing insight into what it entails to build your family through this method.

10:55am – 11:20am

Introduction to Egg Donation: The Process Explained

Presenter: Aisha Lewis, President, Everie

Navigating the search for the ideal egg donor can be overwhelming. In this session, we will discuss how to find your perfect match, types of qualities to look for in an egg donor, and we'll delve into the various matching options, including the distinctions between fresh and frozen donation.

11:20am to 11:45pm

An Introduction to Surrogacy

Presenter: Sam Hyde, President, Circle Surrogacy and Kelly Enders-Tharp, Education and Experience Specialist, Growing Generations

During this session, we'll guide you through the intricacies of the surrogacy process, outline timelines, discuss why surrogate screening and support is important, and highlight what you can anticipate on your journey.

Break (coffee/ tea):

11:45am to 11:50am

11:50am to 12:20pm

Legal Considerations and Overview of Contracts

Presenter: Dean Hutchison, Vice President of Legal Services and Anthony Brown, Esq., Manager Client Services and New York Attorney, Circle Surrogacy

This session will delve into the legal aspect of surrogacy, emphasizing what goes into protecting your rights and ensuring you have a seamless journey. A local attorney will also discuss essential contracts with your agency, egg donor, and surrogate, along with an overview of available insurance options.

12:15pm to 12:40pm

Costs and Benefits for Your Surrogacy and Egg Donation Journey

Presenters: Anthony Brown, Esq., Manager Client Services, Circle Surrogacy and Marni Denenberg, Carrot

This session aims to provide you with an understanding of the associated costs, offer guidance on financial preparations and employer benefits, as well as provide an overview of insurance for surrogacy and egg donation.

12:40pm to 1:15pm

Panel Discussion: Family Building Support

Panelist: Elizabeth A. Grill, Psy.D. Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of Psychological Services, The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, RESOLVE Chair, SSTAR Past President, Resolve

Moderator: Jen Rachman, LCSW, Manager of Intended Parent Support, Circle Surrogacy

In this session, we’ll have a conversation with Resolve about how they support individuals and couples on their journey to growing their families through surrogacy and egg donation.

1:15pm to 1:35pm

Panel Discussion: Family Building Support from a Legislative Perspective

Panelists: Brian Esser, Chairman Emeritus, Equality New York

Moderator: Kelly Enders-Tharp, Education and Experience Specialist, Growing Generations

IIn this session, we’ll have a conversation with Brian Esser about his work to pass the Child Parent Security Act in New York state and how this law protects and supports gay and heterosexual New Yorkers through the surrogacy process and beyond.

1:35pm to 1:55pm

Personal Journeys Panel: Parents Share Their Personal Journeys

Moderator: Jen Rachman, LCSW, Manager of Intended Parent Support, Circle Surrogacy

In this session, parents through surrogacy will share valuable insights into their firsthand experience with IVF, surrogacy, and egg donation.

2:00pm to 2:45pm

Afternoon Tea / Mingle with Speakers

About our Agencies / Clinics

With over a 99% success rate and nearly 30 years of experience in assisted reproduction, our approach at Growing Generations is founded on dedication to innovation and individuality. As an intended parent with us, your experience is tailored to meet your individual needs and preferences, accommodating the highest expectations and the most exacting details on your journey to parenthood. At every level, we provide the highest caliber of service to make your vision a reality. We take care to keep your goals at the center of our work as we guide you and your surrogate through the journey. Rest assured, our team pays close attention and is always working in the background to give you the experience of a lifetime. Growing your family’s future means expecting the best.

NYU Langone Fertility Center has been a leader in world-class fertility care, providing comprehensive, patient-centered treatment to individuals and families throughout New York City for over 25 years. Our team of top-rated fertility specialists offers a full spectrum of advanced reproductive services, including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg freezing, egg donation, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and LGBTQ+ fertility care.

With conveniently located clinics on Manhattan’s East and West Sides, as well as in Westchester, we are accessible to patients across Midtown, Downtown, Chelsea, and the entire New York metro area. Our mission is to empower individuals with education, cutting-edge science, and compassionate care, ensuring each patient receives the highest level of personalized treatment.

Join the thousands who have entrusted NYU Langone Fertility Center to guide them on their journey to parenthood—with expertise, transparency, and outstanding clinical outcomes.

Carrot Fertility is the leading global fertility, family-building, and lifelong hormonal healthcare platform providing care for everyone, everywhere. Trusted by more than a thousand multinational employers, health plans, and health systems, Carrot's comprehensive clinical program delivers industry-leading cost savings for employers and award-winning experiences for millions of people worldwide. From maternity through menopause and pre-pregnancy through parenting, Carrot is dedicated to expanding access and improving outcomes. Carrot empowers members with compassionate, personalized, and inclusive support.

Circle Surrogacy is the leading full-service surrogacy agency with an impressive thirty-year track record. To date, Circle has delivered over 3,500 babies to parents via surrogates, guiding each to develop meaningful relationships with a 99.4% success rate. Circle has a dedicated team of tenured experts, including lawyers, social workers, case managers, and accountants. Additionally, we have the invaluable perspective of parents, surrogates, and egg donors on staff, with 44% of our team members having personal fertility journey experience. Circle helps intended parents and surrogates navigate all aspects of the surrogacy journey beyond matchmaking — from legal counseling to insurance coverage to financial planning. We’ve been there, we understand, we’re experienced and ready to help you every step of the way.

Founded October 2023, Everie is a comprehensive fresh and frozen known egg donor program with 100+ clinic partners. Everie is supported by a team of fertility experts including Aisha Lewis (President), Brian LoManto (Chief Science Officer), and Mark Trolice (Medical Director). Everie supports thoughtful decision-making around Disclosed Donations and Mutual Matching™, so that every donor-conceived individual can have the choice to know their origin.

Testimonials From Previous Conferences

"This session filled a lot of our gaps in knowledge about starting a surrogacy journey. The information went above and beyond what we could find online. We learned about aspects of the process we hadn't even considered before". ~DD FB

"Loved this conference! It was great learning about the different options when it comes to growing families. It was also great meeting other couples going through the same journey". ~Anonymous