Speakers + Guests
Building Queer Families Together, and Why it Matters
From vision to reality – exploring the power of queer family-building and why it matters in today’s world. And get oriented to the conference!
Presenter:
Marea Goodman, LM, CPM, is a licensed midwife who specializes in supporting the LGBTQ+ community throughout conception, pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
They got their midwifery license from the California Medical Board in 2015 and founded their midwifery practice, Restore Midwifery, in 2016 in the Bay Area.
Marea is the co-author of the book, Baby Making for Everybody—Fertility and Family Building for LGBTQ+ and Solo Parents, and the founder of PregnantTogether— the queer family building community.
Marea is deeply passionate about empowering people with the information they need and deserve to grow their families, and fighting against the isolation endemic in our culture. Their work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Autostraddle, Mother.ly, Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, ParentaData.org, and others.
What they are most proud of is getting to be a parent for their awesome kids.
Unlocking Your Options: LGBTQ+ Family Building in a Fertility Clinic Setting
Join select fertility providers with Spring Fertility who specialize in working with the LGBTQ+ community for a thorough overview of LGBTQ+ family building options in a fertility clinic setting. Sponsored by Spring Fertility.
Presenters:
Dr. Serena Dovey is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. She completed her undergraduate studies at The College of William & Mary before attending medical school at The University of Virginia. She then completed her Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency through Harvard Medical School at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dr. Dovey went on to complete her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center / Magee-Womens Hospital. Dr. Dovey’s decision to join Spring was driven by her dedication to achieving the best possible clinical outcomes while maintaining the highest caliber of patient experience. Most recently, Dr. Dovey was the lead physician at Kindbody in San Francisco. Prior to that, she worked in the Reproductive Endocrinology division at the University of Colorado, where she served as Director of the Fertility Preservation Program.
Caroline McCrae joins Spring Fertility as a Genetic Counselor. As an undergraduate student at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Caroline majored in Biology and Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. She then completed a master’s degree in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College.
Rethinking Reproductive Research for Queer Families*
Dr. Brent Monseur unpacks gaps in the data—and imagines what’s possible when LGBTQ+ families lead the research.
Presenter:
Dr. Brent Monseur, MD, ScM, FACOG (he/they) is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and the founding director of the LGBTQ+ Family Building Clinical Research Program at Stanford University School of Medicine. As an Instructor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, they lead a specialized team dedicated to improving reproductive outcomes for sexual and gender minority populations. Dr. Monseur earned their MD from the Medical College of Virginia and completed OB/GYN residency training at Thomas Jefferson University, followed by a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility at Stanford.
They also hold an ScM in reproductive biology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BS in biochemistry (with a concentration in Spanish) from the University of Mary Washington.
A recognized leader in queer reproductive science, Dr. Monseur has received the inaugural Stanford Graduate Medical Education Award for Promoting Health Equity, the Diversity Fellowship Research Award from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and an NIH Health Disparities Research Loan Repayment Program award. They serve as chair of ASRM’s LGBTQ+ Special Interest Group and have previously held board roles with Medical Students for Choice and Path2Parenthood (now Family Equality), reflecting their commitment to advancing reproductive justice and health equity.
*Continuing Education Credits available: ASWB & ACNM- 1 general credit
Protecting Parenthood: LGBTQ+ Family Legal Essentials*
Family law experts unpack key legal considerations for queer families, including parentage, custody, and navigating systems with confidence.
Presenters:
Amira Hasenbush is the co-founder and managing attorney of All Family Legal, a California law firm dedicated to ensuring that individuals and families—especially those in the LGBTQ+ community—are legally recognized and protected. Her practice focuses on family formation, including adoption, surrogacy, and sperm and egg donation. Known for her compassion as well as her precision and efficiency, Amira is widely respected for her client-centered approach and deep understanding of the unique legal needs of LGBTQ+ families.
Before founding All Family Legal, Amira served as the Jim Kepner Law and Policy Fellow at the Williams Institute for over five years, where she conducted and published research on issues such as discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, legal concerns of transgender parents and children, and the needs of people living with HIV. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School, offering a course on family formation for LGBTQ+ families. In recognition of her leadership and advocacy, Amira received the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2023. Learn more about Amira and All Family Legal here.
Angie Martell is the founder and managing partner of Iglesia Martell Law Firm, PLLC, and brings over 30 years of experience as an attorney and mediator. Licensed to practice law in Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, and the District Court of Puerto Rico, she has litigated in state, federal, and administrative courts nationwide. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Angie is a strategic thinker and compassionate problem-solver with a wide-ranging practice in civil rights, family law, LGBTQ+ issues, employment law, and criminal defense. She is fluent in Spanish, American Sign Language, and Portuguese.
Angie is committed to transforming the practice of law through collaborative, client-centered approaches. She holds certifications in mediation, collaborative practice, conscious contracts, and is also a certified Reiki Master. Angie serves as Chair-Elect of the State Bar of Michigan’s LGBTQA Section and has received numerous honors, including the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” Award from the Washtenaw County Bar Association for her dedication to justice, equity, and community engagement. Learn more about Angie and Iglesia Martell here.
Milan Pham is a founding member of her firm and an experienced attorney licensed in both North Carolina and Maryland. She has dedicated her career to civil rights, economic justice, and family formation law. Milan was the founding Director of NC LEAP, a statewide program offering free legal services to low-wealth entrepreneurs, and previously led the Orange County Human Rights and Relations Department.
She is a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and serves on the National Family Law Advisory Council for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Milan is active in her profession and community, serving on multiple NC Bar Association committees and the boards of Equality NC, the Pauli Murray Center, and Carolina Jews for Justice. She speaks Vietnamese and Spanish. Learn more about Milan here.
Elizabeth Schwartz is a nationally recognized attorney and advocate who has championed the legal rights of the LGBTQ+ community since 1997. Based in Miami, her law practice focuses on family law, estate planning, and family formation, including adoption, surrogacy, and assisted reproduction. Board certified in Adoption Law, Elizabeth has been instrumental in advancing legal protections for LGBTQ+ families, including challenging Florida’s marriage ban and anti-LGBTQ+ laws. She is the author of Before I Do: A Legal Guide to Marriage, Gay and Otherwise and a frequent lecturer on marriage equality, family law, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Elizabeth has received numerous honors for her service, including SAGE’s 2023 Pioneer Award and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's Leading Practitioners Award. She is a fellow of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and has authored key legal texts on surrogacy. Deeply rooted in her community, she serves on the boards of several national and local organizations and brings a compassionate, collaborative approach to her legal practice. She lives in Miami with her wife, writer Lydia Martin, and their dog, Gracie. Learn more about Liz here.
*Continuing Education Credits available: ASWB & ACNM- 1 general credit
Resilient Roots: Emotional Wellness for Queer Families*
Mental health professionals share essential tools for navigating the emotional journey of family-building.
Presenters:
Ivonne Mejia, PhD, is a queer, immigrant Latinx clinical psychologist and somatic psychotherapist based in Sacramento, CA. As a Certified Brainspotting therapist, she specializes in supporting clients from marginalized communities who aspire to lead authentically joyful and meaningful lives but find themselves immobilized by anxiety and trauma.
Dr. Mejia guides individuals through shedding unhelpful reactions and relational patterns while healing the underlying experiences that fostered them. By integrating mind-body approaches, she helps clients reconnect with their physical sensations, reclaim their intuition, and rediscover a life rich with possibility. Learn more about Ivonne here.
Dr. Suzanne Mungalez (she/they) (Dr. Zann) is a Black Congolese-American, gender-expansive clinical psychologist (PSY 35061) and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician (PMH-C) based in California. With additional certification as a lactation educator (CLES), childbirth educator, and trained doula, she brings her lived experiences—as a queer mother and birth giver—into her work, holding space with tenderness for individuals from all backgrounds.
In private practice at The MaMA Space and as a clinical supervisor and adjunct faculty member at The Wright Institute, Dr. Zann offers process-oriented, psychodynamic care rooted in attachment theory and liberation psychology. Fiercely committed to decolonization, anti-racist, and anti-capitalist values, she advocates “tender with people, tough on systems,” uplifting those most marginalized through her clinical and teaching roles. Learn more about Dr. Zann here.
Mo Satyshur, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and perinatal mental health counselor specializing in anxiety, trauma, fertility and family building, birth, and early parenting. She serves a diverse clientele with a focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and families. Dr. Satyshur is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she practices in the THRIVE LGBTQ+ Clinic and the Women’s Wellness Clinic.
Known for her open, grounding, and authentic style, Dr. Satyshur creates a supportive environment in which clients can explore areas of stuckness, gain self-understanding, and move toward what matters most. She offers online individual therapy and third-party reproductive assessments to adults across California. Learn more about Mo here.
*Continuing Education Credits available: ASWB & ACNM- 1 general credit
Expecting Better Futures: Emily Oster’s Guide to LGBTQ+ Fertility Research*
Emily Oster, PhD, presents a data-driven look at fertility trends, access gaps, and what the numbers say for LGBTQ+ families.
Presenter:
Emily Oster, PhD, is a Professor of Economics at Brown University and the founder and CEO of a data-driven parent support platform. With a doctorate in economics from Harvard and extensive research experience in health economics, she combines rigorous academic training with a passion for translating complex findings into practical guidance. As a parent of two, Emily was motivated by her own experience navigating pregnancy without clear, evidence-based information. She leveraged her expertise in data analysis to write bestselling books—Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected—that demystify topics from prenatal health to parenting strategies.
A New York Times bestseller and sought-after speaker, Dr. Oster is dedicated to empowering families by providing the tools and insights they need to make confident, informed decisions. Her work bridges the gap between research and real-world choices, equipping social workers and other professionals with the evidence they need to support clients through every stage of family building.
*Continuing Education Credits available: ASWB & ACNM- 1 general credit
Centering Racial Justice in Queer Reproductive Care*
Midwife Mari-Carmen Farmer, CNM, MSN, breaks down how racial justice informs fertility care and how to improve care outcomes for queer & trans people of color growing their families.
Presenter:
A first-generation Afro-Latina midwife and educator, Mari-Carmen has been engaged in reproductive justice work for over 20 years. Prior to midwifery, Mari-Carmen completed a degree in Sociology and became engaged in activism and community organizing in Philadelphia. She is an Americorps alum, a seasoned doula and childbirth educator, and an experienced facilitator with a strong background in designing and leading trainings, retreats, workshops, and healing circles. She has also applied these facilitation skills in the Centering Pregnancy model to care for diverse client populations and to lead workshops focused on equity and antiracism for clinicians around the country.
Since graduating from the CNM/WHNP program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, Mari-Carmen has been providing midwifery care for families from a wide range of cultures in Philadelphia.
She is a co-founder and outgoing President of Philly Metro Midwives, the Philadelphia Chapter of the PA Affiliate of the ACNM, and the founder/creative leader of Midwife y Maestra, a consulting collaborative focused on addressing trauma, building capacity, and nurturing community among midwives and other healthcare providers. Mari-Carmen is a recently-inducted ACNM Fellow this year and the recipient of the 2024 ACNM Excellence in Leadership and Innovation Award.
She is currently serving as the Midwife of Color at Large on the ACNM Board of Directors. Mari-Carmen is committed to centering the narratives of the people she serves, as she believes that stories create connections between individuals and communities that can catalyze powerful social change.
*Continuing Education Credits available: ASWB & ACNM- 1 general credit
Affirming Parenthood for Trans and Non-Binary Parents
A roundtable conversation featuring Ericka Hart, M.Ed., Trystan Reese, Erin Reed, and Ro Tamayo on love, identity, and raising children with authenticity.
Presenters:
Ericka Hart is a kinky, poly, cancer-warrior, activist and sexuality educator with a Master’s of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University, Ericka Hart has taught sexuality education for elementary aged youth to adults across New York City for over 10 years, including serving as a Peace Corps HIV/AIDs volunteer in Ethiopia from 2008-2010.
Diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in May 2014 at the age of 28, she realized that neither her identity as a queer black femme, nor her sex life as a survivor, was featured prominently in her treatment. She decided to do something about it: going topless (and viral) in public, bearing her double mastectomy scars to end the lack of black, brown LGBTQIA+ representations and visibility in breast cancer awareness.
Erin Reed is a transgender woman who uses she/her pronouns. She tracks anti-LGBTQ+ legislation around the world and helps people become better advocates for their queer family, friends, colleagues, and community. Her content has been viewed hundreds of millions of times with one goal: to achieve gender justice for queer and marginalized people through education and understanding.
You can catch Erin on your TikTok feed discussing transgender rights and life on a random weeknight. You can see her informational social media posts on twitter and instagram bringing you news and information so that you can be a good advocate. You may find her on Google where her informed consent hormone therapy map has been used in millions of transitions. You can find her on NPR discussing her latest equity project. Or you may fight with her in the trenches of legislative hearings on fundamental rights for queer and trans people.
Trystan Reese is a professional transgender educator with an emphasis on reproductive justice, fertility, and family-building. Through his online and in-person trainings, he has helped hundreds of medical providers understand, support, and welcome the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ community into their work.
An adoptive and gestational parent, Trystan weaves personal and professional expertise into his consulting and training with medical professionals. His award-winning memoir, How We Do Family, was released in 2021, and his second book, The Light Of You, is a picture book detailing his family’s preparation for the arrival of their third child, whom Trystan gave birth to. Trystan also co-authored a chapter on the mental health needs of transgender patients undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology, which can be found in Cambridge University Press’ Fertility Counseling: Clinical Guide.
He is married to his partner Biff, and they live in Portland, Oregon, with their three children: Riley, Sully, and Leo. They are very happy.
Ro Tamayo (they/them) is a queer, trans solo parent by choice. They are a retired midwife working in food justice, invested in liberation and tending to a sprouting toddler in the southwest desert.