Speakers at the 2020 Tel Aviv Surrogacy and Fertility Conference

Conference Speakers / דוברי הכנס

Panel Speakers / משתתפים בפאנלים

Victoria Ferrara, Esq.

Victoria Ferrara is the Founder and Legal Director of Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists, LLC, a successful surrogacy matching agency, through which she has helped many couples and individuals have children. One of her achievements is the landmark decision of Raftopol v. Ramey, 12 A.3d 783 299 Conn. 681 (2011), a Connecticut Supreme Court case that essentially created a new way to establish legal parentage in Connecticut, i.e., by being a party (Intended Parent) to a valid gestational agreement regardless of genetic connection to the child to be born to the gestational surrogate. Attorney Ferrara appears frequently in courts throughout the State of Connecticut for all matters in involving assisted reproduction law, pre-birth orders, and adoptions, including co-parent and step-parent adoption matters. She is a member of the Academy of Assisted Reproductive Law Attorneys, the Family Law Institute, the National Gay and Lesbian Bar Association, the Connecticut Bar Association, and the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association.

Virginia Hart

Virginia Hart has been an insurance broker for the past 25 years, the last 17 years specializing in insurance for all aspects of assisted reproduction. As founder and CEO of ART Risk Financial and Insurance Solutions, Inc. she remains current on insurance issues pertinent to the field and works with her clients to find the best solution, whether it be through commercial insurance, specialty products, or financial case management. Licensed in all 50 states, this allows her to work with clients regardless of location in the U.S. as well as internationally. With her extensive breadth of knowledge and expertise in the Assisted Reproductive Technology insurance industry, Virginia is often requested as a guest lecturer at numerous conferences and recently published an article in the American Bar Association Section of Family Law "Family Advocate" magazine. Focusing on offering clients the knowledge to help them better understand their liability exposures and the best available financial risk management solutions is always one of Ms. Hart's highest priorities.

Steven H. Snyder, Esq.

Steven H. Snyder, Esq., is the founding and principal partner of Steven H. Snyder & Associates, and he is the Director of IARC Surrogacy a full-service surrogacy agency, located in the U.S. in Minnesota. Mr. Snyder is an active leader in numerous professional organizations, including RESOLVE, the American Fertility Association, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and the American Bar Association Assisted Reproductive Technology Committee. Mr. Snyder is the author of numerous articles and continuing legal education materials. He is also a frequent national and international lecturer and continuing legal education presenter in the area of assisted reproductive technology law. Mr. Snyder regularly contributes to various media interviews and publications as a legal expert in assisted reproduction and third party reproduction legal issues.

Said T. Daneshmand, MD, FACOG

Dr. Daneshmand has experience in complex IVF cases, and Egg Donor/Surrogacy care. Dr. Daneshmand completed his fellowship and residency at UCLA. He is specialty board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and sub-specialty board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Eileen Pike Medical School Valedictorian Award, the PCRS Fellowship and Practicing Physician Research Award, and the ASRM STAR AWARD. He has served as the President of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (Iota Chapter) and is a member of the DeCherney Society, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). Dr. Daneshmand speaks French, Spanish and Farsi. As a leading physician in fertility care at San Diego Fertility Center, intended parents have travelled from more than 40 countries in 2019 alone to seek his help in their journey to parenthood. He was the Principal Investigator in the Multi-Center Global research trial of non-invasive PGT-A, the latest technique for assessing embryonic genetic health without the need for embryo biopsy.

Dawn Baker

Dawn Baker is the founder and Director of US Surrogacy LLC. She enjoys her family of three amazing young adult children and traveling with her husband. An ardent supporter of the ability to have a family, much of her passion for surrogacy comes from her experience as an infertility patient and her 5 year journey to have her second son. Dawn brings significant work experience from the legal field, having worked as a paralegal for 20 years. Prior to her legal career, she served as a Personnel Specialist in the US Army and as Assistant to the Personnel Director on Yokota Air Base, Japan. She believes that an inherit desire for a family is within many of us and we are blessed to have the options in our society to realize that desire. She is passionate about the ability to help parents throughout the world as they follow their dream to build or grow their family!

Brandon J. Bankowski, MD, MPH

Dr. Bankowski is one of the most-respected and experienced physicians helping LGBTQ+ intended parents build their families through donor egg surrogacy in the USA. He is a board-certiﬁed reproductive endocrinologist with extensive experience in IVF, egg donation, surrogacy and genomics. He has practiced at ORM Fertility (ORM) since 2005. He and his partners at ORM have helped LGBTQ+ intended parents from across the world build their families. Dr. Bankowski is passionate about providing ORM’s patients the best care and the highest chance for success on their first attempt, while looking after the genetic health of their family. His vision led to the formation of ORM Genomics, ORM’s industry-leading reproductive genomics program and in-house genetics laboratory, as well as the integration of advanced genetic screening of all donors in the ORM Donors program. He is committed to helping LGBTQ+ intended parents using donor egg surrogacy benefit from the latest advances in genetic screening to help them have the best chance of a healthy baby on their first attempt.

Scott Buckley

Scott Buckley is the Vice President of Client Services at Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation, LLC. He received his bachelors at Boston College and his law degree from Boston College Law School. In his current role as the Vice President of Client Services, Scott oversees the Circle team, as well as serving clients. He enjoys meeting with Intended Parents, whether in Boston, on Skype, or in their hometowns throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia. Scott has moderated and presented on panels focused on different aspects of surrogacy and egg donation; including legal, budgeting and insurance across the world. He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers each year since 2012.

Sara R. Cohen, LLB

Sara Cohen is a fertility law lawyer at Fertility Law Canada in Toronto, with clients throughout Canada and beyond. She regularly acts for intended parents, surrogates, donors, cryobanks, hospitals, distributors and fertility clinics on a wide range of fertility law issues. Sara was recently named by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada. She is on the board of directors of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, sits on the ethics committee of one of Canada’s pre-eminent clinics, and is the president of Fertility Matters Canada. She is also an adjunct professor of reproductive law at Osgoode Hall Law School, a fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), and on the executive of the American Bar Association’s Family Law Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Sara is a frequent guest speaker in Canada and abroad. She loves what she does, cares about her clients, and it shows.

Marjorie E. Dixon, MD, FRCSC, FACOG, REI

Dr. Dixon founded Anova Fertility & Reproductive Health with the vision of a reproductive medicine centre where evidence-based medical care could be balanced with compassion for any person who requires assistance to create their families. With over 18 years of reproductive health experience, Dr. Dixon has taken the approach of educating to empower – with both patients and peers. In addition to presenting at international conferences, she is involved in physician/community outreach, offering lectures and information sessions to facilitate patients' management through the often challenging process of dealing with infertility. To further public education, Dr. Dixon was involved in developing a documentary for the Discovery Channel, looking at the human reproductive system. She is a staunch advocate for women's health and the right to a family for the LGBTQ community. In 2018 she won the RBC Canadian Women of Influence Momentum Award and, in 2017, was recognized as the YMCA Woman of Distinction. In 2020/2021, Dr. Dixon is proud to be a Perspectives Columnist for the organization Women of Influence.

Michal Dviri, MD

Dr. Dviri completed her medical training in Israel. She received her medical degree (MD) from Ben Gurion university of the Negev and did her Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at Sheba medical center, affiliated to Tel Aviv University. Following residency, she practiced fertility for 2 years in one of the biggest IVF units in Israel, at Tel Aviv Sourasky medical center. She joined the CReATe Fertility Centre two years ago and since then she has helped many IP's and is also involved in some science and clinical research projects at the clinic.

Victoria Gelfand

Victoria Gelfand runs Israel's oldest and most experienced firm in the field of surrogacy abroad, which has successfully led the vast majority of related legal achievements. It’s also the only law firm outside North America which is a member of all major professional groups and societies in the field: the American Bar Association, the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and SEEDS (Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy). The meaning of these memberships is compliance with the most stringent standards, and extensive networking with the most prominent attorneys in dozens of states in the US and in Canada. Combined with our diverse and intensive experience in the legal world and beyond, it allows us to provide our clients with the most comprehensive and individually-suited support throughout the process. Even after having assisted with over 350 surrogacy procedures, having accomplished naturalization and parentage of nearly 500 children and having executed hundreds of prenuptial and co-parenting agreements since 2004, we continue to see each of our clients as a whole world.

Nir Keren

Nir Keren, originally from Israel now lives in Toronto, Canada with his partner Bob. Nir has assisted several of his friends throughout their surrogacy journeys, in different countries which has opened his eyes to the many challenges intended parents are facing to create their families. Nir's background is in business improvment and marketing however after seeing first hand the obstacles international IP's endure, he felt that his mission and passion is to bring the awareness of the Canadian surrogacy option to IP's seeking alternative options. He has now dedicated his life to support IP's around the world to have a smooth and straight-forward journey in Canada. Alongside Dr. Librach and The CReATe Fertility Centre, he has now established 'Babies Come True', a concierge service in Canada that will help and support international IP's throughout their surrogacy journey. Nir and his husband are currently going through the process of surrogacy in Canada themselves and love to share their story.

Gad Lavy, MD

Gad Lavy, M.D., F.A.C.O.G, is the medical director and founder of New England Fertility (NEF), the first non-hospital-based outpatient in vitro fertilization (IVF) center in the state of Connecticut. Dr. Lavy received his training at Hadassah Medical School at Hebrew University in Israel and completed his residency at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, where he served on the medical faculty of the Department of OB/GYN. Prior to founding NEF in 1991, Dr. Lavy was an assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine and served as the director of the program for assisted reproduction. Dr. Lavy is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology. He is a medical staff member in the Department of OB/GYN at Stamford Hospital and a consulting physician in the Department of OB/GYN at Greenwich Hospital. A member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, Dr. Lavy is an internationally recognized speaker and author.

Lori S. Meyers

Lori S. Meyers is a California attorney at Meyers & O'Hara, LLP, with 23 years experience in third party reproductive law. Lori first researched the area of surrogacy and reproductive law for a close friend in 1995 and never left the field. She believes in maintaining close contact throughout the process of the arrangement, and works hard to build relationships with her clients so that all legal aspects are completed with confidence. Lori has built a strong reputation for creating open, trusting relationships with her clients. Lori is a Member of The Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), a credentialed organization dedicated to the competent and ethical practice of adoption and assisted reproduction law. It advocates for laws and policies to protect the best interests of children, the legal status of families formed through adoption and assisted reproduction, and the rights of all interested parties.

Michelle Pine, former board member, chair of the Surrogates Advisory Committee

Michelle Pine is a special education teacher for students with mild disabilities at an alternative high school in Klamath Falls, Oregon, having previously taught special education and Language Arts in Portland. Michelle holds two Masters in Education from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Eastern Oregon University. When not working, Michelle enjoys reading and writing and spending time with her family exploring Oregon. Michelle is a two-time surrogate. In 2015 she carried boy/girl twins for a same-sex couple in Israel. She delivered a baby girl in September 2017 for a mixed-status same-sex couple from San Francisco. Michelle and her husband have three amazing children, all who played an important role in both surrogacy journeys and have enjoyed being a part of helping others become a family.

Nurit Winkler, MD

Dr. Nurit Winkler is the co-founder and co-owner of Los Angeles Reproductive Center. She completed her training as a fertility specialist at Brown University School of Medicine and at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where she earned multiple teaching and research awards. Dr. Winkler received her medical degree from the University of Pavia in Italy where she graduated with the highest distinction. After completing her training in both Europe and Israel, she moved to the US bringing with her expertise and unique approaches to fertility treatments especially in the field of egg donation and surrogacy. Dr. Winkler is in fact licensed to practice medicine on 3 different continents. With her unique international background and fluency in 3 languages Dr. Winkler treats regularly couples and singles from the LGBTQ community from all around the globe. Her ultimate goal as a fertility specialist is maintaining a high pregnancy rate which can only be achieved by combining advance technology, more than 15 years of experience in the field and personalized care.

MHB דוברי

Asaf Rosenheim, board member / treasurer

Asaf Rosenheim serves as the head of Business Development for family owned real estate practice, Profimex in Israel. Prior to joining Profimex he was a VP at Ares and served in the Israeli Army as a Medic Staff Sergeant. He graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University with a BS in Business and Finance and received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Asaf is married to Eric Patton and together they are parents to boy and girl twins born at the beginning of 2012 with the help of a surrogate who became a close friend. In the past, Asaf served at the Head of ‘Rutgers Newark Gay and Lesbian Alliance’, fostered and rehabilitated three rescue pit-bulls for ‘Earth Angels,’ a Bronx based non-profit canine rescue and taught yoga community classes. After speaking at Men Having Babies' workshop and facilitating in the formulation of The Gay Parenting Assistance Program and the 2013 New York annual seminar he joined the board in May 2013. Asaf is passionate about providing information and support to perspective parents on their journey to what he and his husband Eric see as the greatest gift that they have ever gotten, becoming parents.

Jenny Congiardo, Director of Operations

Jenny joined MHB in October 2017 and held several roles in the organization before being appointed as Director of Operations. She brings her many years of non-profit and corporate communications experience to help improve MHB’s efficiency and effectiveness, while drawing on her experience in the education field to help make every person’s experience with MHB rewarding and pleasant. Jenny received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Central Florida, and she enjoys living with her husband and two children among the happy faces in sunny Florida.

Sara Miller, Director of Business Development

Sara joined the Men Having Babies team in June of 2020 as the Director of Business Development. Her primary focus is to expand and strengthen strategic partnerships with fellow third party reproductive professionals, to allow continued growth and education of the Men Having Babies' mission. Sara has a Bachelor's Degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, and completed two years of an MD program at The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine before opting to discontinue her medical studies to spend more time with her growing family. Sara spent 10 years doing consulting work for a leading biotech company, before working as a Case Manager followed by Program Director and COO for a surrogate and egg donation agency. Additionally, Sara is a one-time surrogate, delivering in 2019 for a same-sex couple in Spain.

Ron Poole-Dayan, board member / Executive Director

Ron is the executive director and founder of Men Having Babies. He has over 20 years of experience in marketing and business strategy development both in the USA and internationally. Ron earned his Masters degree in political economy and comparative politics from Columbia University, and his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ron is married to Greg Poole-Dayan, the COO of the Wartburg, a leading provider of senior healthcare and residential services in NY. The couple met in 1994, and are among the first same-sex couples in the nation to father children through gestational surrogacy. The twins, born in 2001, were conceived with the use of eggs donated by Greg's sister, and carried by a gestational carrier. Ron has been the MHB program coordinator since 2005, and was appointed as the Executive Director of Men Having Babies upon its incorporation in July 2012.

Lisa Schuster, Director of Programming

Lisa joined the MHB team in January of 2018 as the Stage II GPAP Case Manager and has grown in her role to become the Programming Director. Lisa’s responsibilities include managing the Gay Parenting Assistance Program and Membership Benefits Program, developing and implementing content for educational programs, and working with partner organizations to help fulfill MHB’s mission. Lisa’s professional background is in business development and government contracting, and she also served as treasurer and financial planner for a local non-profit. Lisa was a gestational carrier twice for an international same sex male couple, and she lives with her husband and three children in Maryland.

Breakout Session Speakers / דוברים במפגשי ההיכרות

Sam Hyde

Sam Hyde is the President of Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation. Having experienced fertility challenges when starting his own family, Sam understands firsthand the importance of support and help to fulfill dreams of parenthood. Sam and his wife are now blessed with two beautiful girls with the help of IVF. Sam earned his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and his MBA at the University of Michigan. He then spent time with both Deloitte Consulting and McKinsey & Company helping advise and build a variety of businesses. At Circle, Sam is responsible for the overall management of the business, including meeting with prospective parents during consults. He finds the most joy both in supporting Circle's staff in their own growth and in seeing the many beautiful baby pictures that come across his desk as a result of all the hard work from the team.

Susanna Park, MD

World renowned for her fertility expertise, IVF success and excellence in medical care, Dr. Susanna Park has practiced as an infertility physician for the past 15 years. Dr. Park joined the San Diego Fertility Center in 2012 following her tenure at Columbia University in New York City. Her passion is to combine her extensive experience as an infertility physician with individualized care and compassion. Dr. Park is double board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She graduated summa cum laude from Siena College and obtained her medical degree at Albany Medical College. Dr. Park completed her residency and her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Park has developed a large international referral practice due to her excellent patient rapport and high success rates with a variety of treatments including IVF, donor eggs, egg freezing and gestational surrogacy. Dr. Park works closely with the leading surrogacy agencies to assist the LGBT community build families.

Erez Baron

Erez Baron is the Director of Patient Relations at ORM Fertility. Erez is a parent to two twin girls via egg donor surrogacy. His journey took him and his partner Roy to the USA to pursue their lifelong dream of becoming parents. He knows first-hand the multiple difficult and incredibly important decisions that intended parents need to make. At ORM Fertility, Erez educates international intended parents and coordinates new families' surrogacy and egg donation journeys. He works to tailor the parenthood journey to the needs of each couple or single parent. With the experience of guiding hundreds of couples and single parents through their journey, he has become a resource for ORM patients. Before becoming a dad and joining ORM, Erez worked as a product manager and project leader in the global hi-tech sector, and is one of the first activists at the Israeli Gay Dads association.

Liat Ben Senior

Liat Ben Senior manages communication and marketing for Anova Fertility. Liat holds an MBA and MSc in Human Genetics from the Sackler School of Medicine of Tel-Aviv University, Israel. With this unique combination, she has focused her career in medical knowledge translation. Taking complex scientific processes and presenting them in a way in which the end recipient, the patient, can understand and apply is something she takes pride in. With over a decade of experience in the field of reproductive care, Liat strongly believes that an informed, educated patient is an empowered one. At Anova, she is involved in developing the Third Party education program and creating a consistent client experience.

Sarah Paige

Sarah Paige has been in the insurance field for the past 10 years. As COO of ART Risk Financial and Insurance Solutions, Inc., she remains current on all insurance issues pertinent to the ART field and works with her clients to find the best solution, whether it be through commercial insurance, specialty products, or financial case management. With ART Risk Solutions licensed in all 50 states, this allows her to work with clients regardless of location in the U.S. as well as internationally. With her extensive breadth of knowledge and expertise in the Assisted Reproductive Technology insurance industry, Sarah has been requested as a guest lecturer or expert witness with both the American Bar Association Section of Family Law and the Nevada State Assembly. Focusing on offering clients the knowledge to help them better understand their liability exposures and the best available financial risk management solutions is always one of Ms. Paige’s highest priorities.

Keely Seaverson

Keely is IARC Surrogacy’s Operations Manager and one of our Associate Attorneys. She has been a part of the IARC team since 2006, acting as an educator and guide to parties undergoing surrogacy and egg donor journeys. Her time in this field has been spent working side-by-side with fellow professionals in the U.S. and internationally, including attorneys, fertility physicians, psychologists, and medical insurance specialists, which has led to a broad and deep understanding of all aspects of this complex process. She has been active in educating law school students through various speaking engagements and has contributed to educational panels for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association, and the Family Equality Council. Keely has an immense passion for helping families through surrogacy, and she is grateful for the lasting relationships she has created with many of IARC’s surrogates and intended parents. Keely is known for her willingness to help our clients and our team in any way she can to make this process as positive, smooth, and gratifying as possible.