Lisa Schuman, LCSW is a highly respected and qualified professional in the fertility field having lectured extensively and written numerous articles on a variety of subjects including LGBTQIA+, single parent, and third-party family building. Lisa has been working as a licensed therapist in the US for more than two decades, and is currently the Director of Mental Health Services for Illume Fertility and Gay Parents to Be.
Avital has spent her career supporting children, families and individuals and couples throughout their fertility journey and beyond. Avital has worked across CAMHS, Paediatric and peri-natal settings. In her work with children and adolescents, Avital has often worked with children who are donor conceived, adopted or are no longer in contact with a biological parent.
As a Senior Solicitor specialising in family law, Anest has a particular specialism in fertility, surrogacy and modern parenting law and advises heterosexual and same sex couples as well as individuals seeking to create their family. She is experienced in international and domestic surrogacy arrangements. She advises intended parents and donors as to their legal parenthood status.
Christina is a medical anthropologist with a strong interest in assisted reproductive technology and reproductive rights. She has conducted research on surrogacy in Russia and the UK, and egg donation in the UK, Belgium and Spain. Christina works at the Centre for Reproduction Research at De Montfort University.
Sharon is a clinical psychologist who also trained as a family therapist. She worked in the NHS for over 30 years, mostly in child and family settings. She has researched the impact of late disclosures about biological parentage, and how parents who choose to be open share information about DC origins with their children.
Hayley and her wife have two children via donor sperm IVF. In a twist of fate, Hayley is also a donor conceived person herself, which she found out later in life. Hayley recently started educational and advocacy work around donor conception, and hopes to raise awareness and help others on their parenting journeys.
Egg Donation & Clinical Relations Lead - Sarah is responsible for leading the services offered by the Altrui & Apricity teams, alongside liaising with their partner clinics. She has 30 years of experience in medical nursing, community nursing and gynaecology, and is a passionate advocate on how egg donation changes lives.
Mel is a solo mum (single mother by choice) to her 3 year old daughter. She's an experienced coach with 15 years of personal development and leadership coaching, skills which she now uses to work with single women who want to ensure that they don’t miss out on motherhood because of their relationship status.
Susan Golombok PhD FBA is Professor of Family Research and Director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge. She has pioneered research on lesbian mother families, gay father families, families with transgender parents, families formed by single mothers by choice, and families created by assisted reproductive technologies including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination, egg donation and surrogacy.
Vince is Dad to three sperm-donor conceived children ages 15, 13, and 10. Vince is regularly quoted in the media on his experiences as an infertile man, with support groups for infertility, and with donor conception. Vince serves as Chair of Donor Conception Canada.
Danny discovered he was infertile about 30 years ago and, through many ups and downs, he now has 2 boys aged 16 & 18 through donated sperm. He works mainly as an actor, but he also facilitates for the Donor Conception Network.
Julie Marie is the author of the Happy Together Children’s Book Series, a collection of six heartwarming books to help introduce young children to the family building concepts of egg donation, embryo donation, sperm donation and IVF.