Conference Day One
Thursday, November 6, 2025
The Westin South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa, CA
| Time |
Description |
Presenter |
| 8:00 – 9:00am |
Registration (East Galleria) and breakfast (Terrace Pavilion) |
|
| 9:00 – 9:20am |
Welcome! President’s Message & Emcees Welcome |
|
| 9:25 – 10:25am |
“I don’t want to be a gatekeeper but …” |
Heather Ross, Melanie Mikkelsen, Jenn White, Nina Vyas |
| 10:30 – 11:25am |
“No Magic, Just Medicine – Myths of IVF Cycles” |
Dr. Julian Escobar, Dr. Leah Kaye |
| 11:30am- 12:25pm |
Diversity in ART, or lack there of … – Experience of IPs and GCs |
Mariam Sahab, Shantay Thompson, Darlene Arreola |
| 12:30 – 1:30pm |
Lunch Roundtables (Terrace Pavilion) |
|
| 1:40 – 2:05pm |
Board of Directors |
|
| 2:05 – 3:00pm |
Plaza Ballroom Track 1: “DIY or GPS? – Partnering Across Pathways: Independent vs. Agency Journeys
Mesa Verde Track 2: “Beyond the Base Fee! – The True Impact of GC Benefit Packages” |
Track 1: Molly Corcoran, Virginia Hart, Marni Denenberg
Track 2: Allie Weinstein, Melissa Fleck, Christy Leonardo |
| 3:05 – 4:05pm |
Plaza Ballroom Track 1: “The Fertility Files – Rogue Attorneys Edition”
Mesa Verde Track 2: “Plot Twists and Panic Attacks – IPs’ Worst Fears & Biggest Challenges” |
Track 1 : Amira Hasenbush, Meryl Rosenberg, Lisa Stark-Hughes
Track 2: Rob Kuffel, Zach French, Leslie Lopez, Eric Calvario |
| 4:05 – 4:20pm |
Networking & Snack/Coffee (East Galleria) |
|
| 4:25 – 5:20pm |
“Pitchfork Management 101 – Calling Out Bad Actors, Not the Whole Industry” |
Adam Winder, Joanna Wilkinson, Karen Synesiou, Stephanie Caballero |
| 5:20 – 5:30pm |
Emcees Closing |
|
| 7:00 – 9:00pm |
Cocktail Party at Calo Costa Mesa – Offsite |
|
Conference Day Two
Friday, November 7th, 2025
The Westin South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa, CA
| Time |
Description |
Presenter |
| 8:00 – 8:45am |
Breakfast (Terrace Pavilion) |
|
| 8:50 – 8:55am |
Emcee Welcome! – Plaza Ballroom |
|
| 9:00 – 9:55am |
Plaza Ballroom Track 1: “The IVF Shuffle: Different Clinics, Different Moves”
Mesa Verde Track 2: “Not All Roots Grow from the Same Seed – The Generational Ripple Effect of Donor Conception and Surrogacy” |
Track 1: Carol Weathers, Angela Richardson-Mook, Dr. Arnold Mahesan
Track 2: Julie Egor, Chris Jackson, Molly McCafferty, Melissa Bornico |
| 10:00 – 10:55am |
“Tales from the Cryo Crypt: Nightmare Cases to Haunt Your Dreams” |
Joni Franklin, Nicole Charara, Tina Sarkisyan |
| 11:00 – 11:35am |
Important Industry Updates |
|
| 11:45am – 12:45pm |
Lunch Roundtables (Terrace Pavilion) |
|
| 12:50 – 1:45pm |
Plaza Ballroom Track 1: “The Cost Factor: Are Hybrids the Right Hack?”
Mesa Verde Track 2: “From Insight to Impact – Educating & Advocating for GCs, EDs, & IPs” |
Track 1: Stephen Page, Raquel Arana, Kim Surratt
Track 2: Sheriann Hicks, Kylee Warren, Mary Riddle |
| 1:55 – 2:50pm |
Diversity in ART, or lack there of … – Experience of Professionals |
Shadina Blunt, Lisa Chiya, Joey Guzman-Kuffel, Corlandos Scott |
| 2:50 – 3:20pm |
Networking & Snack/Coffee Break – East Galleria |
|
| 3:25 – 4:40pm |
“From Vulnerability to Verification: Harnessing Emerging Technologies to Prevent Exploitation in Surrogacy” |
Shawnna Hoffman – CEO of The International Center for Missing and Exploited Children |
| 4:40 – 4:45pm |
Emcees Closing |
|
*Times/topics are subject to change
