We work together with our members and peers to help define the highest ethical standards in the ART industry.
The Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS) is a nonprofit group created for all U.S. agencies to have a voice in defining a set of ethical standards for egg donation and surrogacy programs. We are working to self-regulate and offer the best ethical standards for all parties including our clients, clinics, donors, surrogates and others in our industry.
Leadership
Adam Winder
Adam Winder, a dedicated leader in the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) industry, significantly contributed to SEEDS’ advancements as President. He organized and professionalized SEEDS, helping the organization achieve core goals and priorities. Under his tenure, SEEDS accomplished milestones like establishing an officer team, expanding the Board, hiring a program director, publishing standards, increasing education offerings and events, and membership growth. Now, Adam strives to have an impact by serving as Chair of the Board, providing oversight, strategic direction, and continuity of leadership.
Adam’s companies, including SeedTrust Escrow and Orchid Software, have revolutionized ART escrow, enhancing efficiency and security while introducing new technology and innovative solutions. Before his involvement in the ART industry, Adam had a successful career in financial services at a large bank, holding leadership and strategy roles. He also serves on the Board of Making the Grade – Hope for African Youth, supporting impactful organizations. Adam is a devoted father who believes in making parenthood accessible to all and finds great fulfillment in serving the ART industry.
Angela Hartshorn
Angela worked in the fertility domain for over 20 years before she opened It’s Time Surrogacy. She has extensive experience working with fertility centers all over the world. She also has clinical experience, having worked directly with more than a dozen Reproductive Endocrinologists at three different fertility centers.
Her mix of personal and professional experience has given Angela the skills to run an efficient agency. She is known for maintaining exceptional standards of staff performance by coaching, mentoring, counseling, planning, monitoring and appraising job results.
More importantly, Angela is equipped by experience with the tools to help others complete their families via third party fertility treatments. She smoothly coordinates with a variety of stakeholders, including patients, families, caregivers, and global partner networks.
If you are in any of these roles, you’ll find Angela to be a professional, intelligent, and extremely capable partner and advocate.
Lisa Stark Hughes
Lisa Stark Hughes is the mother to 6, grandmother to 2, and a 2x surrogate. She carried twins and a single baby for her intended parents. Lisa is an avid advocate for ethical surrogacy and reproductive rights. Lisa is the President of GSMoms which joined the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS) in 2014. Lisa is currently a Board Member with SEEDS and the Education Chair. Lisa and the Education Committee create educational curriculum and host monthly webinars for professionals on ethical best practices in the ART field. Lisa has also consulted with governments looking to create ethical surrogacy regulations and believes that the ability to have a family should be open to everyone. She is passionate about reproductive choice and best practices.
Dr. Joao Feldman DePinho
His research is currently ongoing at Columbia University alongside the New York Stem Cell Foundation and New Berry Diabetes Research Center with Prof. Dieter Egli, which has led to significant advancements toward gene therapy and the future of ovarian renovation.
Dr DePinho founded his practice with offices in New York City and Connecticut, the Reproductive Centers of America and is well-known for his dedication to infertility care and his long-term focus on Third-Party reproduction alternative pathways to parenthood for over 15 years.
Lisa Chiya
Lisa Chiya is one of the original SEEDS founding members and also the President and founder of The Genesis Group, an Egg Donation and Surrogacy Agency. Lisa obtained her bachelor’s degree from UCLA. She has over 15 years of third-party reproductive management experience.
After struggling to conceive for many years, she is now the proud parent to three beautiful children via IVF and surrogacy. She believes that it is her duty to give back to the community that has blessed her with 3 little miracles. Lisa also serves as a mentor and a board member of Ambition, which is a non-profit school-based entrepreneurial program for disadvantaged youths.
Molly O’Brien
Molly O’Brien has worked in the field of Assisted Reproduction since 2005. Previously, she worked for an Egg Donation Agency and a Surrogacy Agency where she became familiar with all aspects of assisted reproduction. Since becoming an attorney in 2011, she has gained extensive experience in drafting and negotiating Surrogacy, Egg Donation and Sperm and Embryo Donation Contracts. Ms. O’Brien has also appeared before many local Judges to help parents finalize their parental rights, and has extensive experience in obtaining all documents necessary for her clients to return to their home country.
Molly O’Brien graduated Magna Cum Laude from Whittier Law School and authored a Whittier Law Review titled: An Intersection of Ethics and the Law: The Frozen Embryo Dilemma and the Chilling Choice Between Life and Death.
Ms. O’Brien is immediate past president of SEEDS (Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy) and now serves on the Board of Directors. She is the Past Chair of the Legal Professional Group section of ASRM and is a member of the ABA’s ART Executive Committee, the ABA Sponsorship Committee, the ABA CLE Committee, and she is the co-chair of the ABA Legislative Committee.
Karen Schafer
Karen resides in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jeremy, two children, Liam and Millie, and everybody’s favorite pup named Obi. Having volunteered on SEEDS marketing committee and as co-Secretary of the Officer team, Karen is excited to continue as a member of the SEEDS Board.
Officers
Adrienne Black | President
Adrienne is the Founder/CEO of Heart to Hands Surrogacy. In her 23 years in the industry, Adrienne has been a surrogate 4 times, for 3 families, resulting in 6 precious human beings. She started her family building career as a doula, childbirth educator, and midwife, and received extensive training in counseling, communication and facilitation, then as a legal assistant in a surrogacy and family formation law firm, and opened Heart to Hands Surrogacy in 2011.
Adrienne has a deep belief in the beauty and hard work of surrogacy. She is committed to supporting and facilitating loving, strong and cooperative relationships between Intended Parents and Surrogates.
Sarah Paige | Co Vice-President
Sarah Paige has been a professional in the ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) insurance field since 2010. As Chief Operating Officer of ART Risk Financial and Insurance Solutions, Inc., she remains current on all insurance issues pertinent to the ART field and works to find the best solutions for the ART Risk Solutions clients embarking on surrogacy journeys. With her extensive breadth of knowledge and expertise in the ART community, Sarah has been requested as a guest speaker for American Bar Association Section of Family Law, SEEDS Brown Bag Series, panel contributor for both SEEDS and Men Having Babies, and podcast, “Put A Baby In Me”.
One of Ms. Paige’s professional accomplishments was serving as an expert witness for Nevada State Assembly Bill AB472 in the 2019 legislature with Nevada accepting surrogacy. She has also completed multiple interviews with Ellen Trachman as the insurance liaison for the Above The Law blog and was appointed as the SEEDS Co-Chair for Membership in 2020. Ms. Paige’s focus is always to offer clients the knowledge to help them better understand their liability exposures and the best available financial risk management solutions, enabling the ART community to make the soundest insurance choices for the surrogacy journey.
Leah Potter | Co Vice-President
After undergoing a personal journey through infertility, Leah embarked on a dedicated career path, serving as an integral member of a local law firm specializing in Assisted Reproductive matters. During this tenure, Leah helped intended parents and surrogates navigate the intricate landscape of surrogacy, embryo donation, and egg/sperm donation. Fueled by an unwavering commitment to family building and inspired by her own transformative experience, Leah launched Family Choice Surrogacy in 2017. Prior to working in ART, Leah was an accomplished Organizational and Human Resources leader for 15 years in many different industries. She has led many teams and organizations to success.
Leah is an active member of the infertility community, providing mentorship and advocacy. She is deeply committed to promoting increased access to family-building options and financial relief for those facing infertility With her extensive knowledge and experience, Leah is a valuable asset to the field of ART and the greater community.
Charlene Kuspa | Co-Treasurer
Charlene is a two‑time surrogate, agency owner, and mother of three who has been actively involved in the third‑party reproduction field since 2017. Her work is shaped by her own experience as a former fertility patient, which inspired her to become a surrogate and support others in building their families. She is deeply committed to advancing safe, ethical, and transparent practices across the industry and brings a strong blend of lived experience, professional insight, and principled leadership to every role she serves.
Charlene has been a SEEDS member since 2019 and has contributed to the organization through her long‑standing service on the conference committee since 2020. She has joined the SEEDS Officer Team as Treasurer, where she supports the organization’s mission through thoughtful stewardship and a dedication to upholding the highest ethical standards in surrogacy and egg donation.
Chris Jackson | Co-Treasurer
A native of Southern California, Chris was raised by a two-time surrogate mother and has been around assisted reproduction since age 5. His mother went on to work at a surrogacy agency for nearly 30 years.
Chris attended a federal service academy for undergrad, receiving his commission in the US Naval Reserve and ultimately reaching the rank of Lieutenant. After sailing for several years aboard merchant vessels, he returned to further his education at law school while his fiancé finished up her own grad school. After joining the bar in 2014, Chris started Shorebreak Law in 2016 after several years of experience in various family law firms working on parentage and child custody matters, both as a legal clerk and associate attorney.
Taking his first ART client in 2017, Shorebreak Law now represents hundreds of ART clients every year.
Outside of the office, Chris enjoys spending time at the beach with his beautiful wife and 3
young children.
Ashley Markeo | Co-Secretary
Ashley Mareko serves as Co-Secretary on the Officers Team for SEEDS Ethics and brings both lived experience and professional leadership to the role. She is the Director of Partnerships at SurrogateFirst and a four-time gestational carrier, giving her a well-rounded perspective on agency operations, surrogate advocacy, and ethical best practices within third-party reproduction. Ashley has been actively involved with SEEDS through committee work, education initiatives, and industry collaboration, with a strong focus on transparency, accountability, and sustainable growth. Known for her practical and relationship-driven approach, she is committed to supporting SEEDS’ mission and advancing ethical standards across the assisted reproduction community.
Jennifer White | Co-Secretary
Jennifer White is the Founder and CEO of Bright Futures Families and co-host of the podcast I Want to Put a Baby in You. After navigating her own infertility journey, Jennifer found a deep passion for advocacy, education, and support within the family-building community. Her personal experience fuels her commitment to helping all parties understand their options and feel empowered throughout the assisted reproduction process.
Jennifer is a dedicated advocate for military families, drawing from her 24 years as a military spouse before her husband, Ryan, retired from service. She co-founded Colorado Fertility Advocates and currently serves on the board of Building Military Family Advocates, working to expand access, awareness, and support for military families facing fertility challenges. Jennifer has also served as a RESOLVE State Captain for several years, including one year as State Captain Chair (for all states) for Advocacy Day, and continues to be an active voice in infertility awareness and policy initiatives. She has contributed her expertise as a panelist for SEEDS and remains engaged in collaborative efforts across the ART community.
Jennifer lives in Connecticut with her husband, Ryan. They are proud parents to one child, Ash, who is a student at the University of Rhode Island. Their household also includes two dogs and ten chickens, reflecting Jennifer’s love for family, community, and a full life beyond her professional work.
Become a Member
SEEDS strives to bring professionals together who have a common goal of navigating surrogacy and egg donor journeys which are rooted in ethical practices.
Your participation will change lives!