Meet our Team

About Kathryn

Motherhood didn’t come easily to me. Starting in 1999, my (then)-husband and I went through 6 fresh IVF cycles, 3 frozen cycles, over 100 embryos, 3 miscarriages, two Gestational Surrogates, and an Egg and Sperm Donor to create our family. Thanks to their help, my identical twin sons were born in 2003. It was a heart-wrenching, expensive, lonely, 4-year journey and I wished that I had met others who I could have leaned on and received support from.

The Fertility Agency (formerly Agency for Surrogacy Solutions, Inc.) was created in 2004 and was inspired by my own challenging experience and the desperate need in the fertility industry for compassion combined with professionalism for each person involved. Along with Lauri de Brito, we have created an agency that is world-renowned for its ability to offer support and provide professional expertise and services well above most other agencies, while still maintaining a personal touch.

I adore being a mother (the greatest gift I’ve been given in life) and l love helping others. Prior to starting The Fertility Agency, Lauri and I were both friends and television producers. We agree that producing babies is much more rewarding than producing television. Beyond my children, I enjoy traveling, painting and snow skiing.

Kathryn is an active member of Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS), American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Men Having Babies (MHB), Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED), RESOLVE, the American Bar Association (ABA), and as a former TV producer she is also a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA). She has appeared on The Today Show, Voice of America, numerous documentaries, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Wired Magazine, iParenting, Vogue and many other publications.

About Lauri

I was 37 when my then-husband and I decided to start a family. My first daughter came easily and when she was born we immediately started trying for number 2. Six and a half years, countless infertility treatments (including IUIs, IVFs, ZIFT, Donor Egg/IVF, heparin, immune testing and more), all I had to show for it was 8 heart-breaking miscarriages – so I turned to surrogacy.

I interviewed many top agencies but they were all about the money with no regard for my emotional state. We eventually “settled” for an agency and our Surrogate was wonderful, but our agency was not. We turned to my friend Kathryn (who by now had started her own agency) for support. Our first Surrogate gave birth to Kira, next came our son, Wyatt. In 2013, with different Surrogate and new Egg Donor, we added one more son, Shane, to our family. My kids are everything to me and it’s hard to remember that at one time, I was so depressed about my infertility that I could barely get out of bed.

Prior to joining The Fertility Agency in 2005, I was a TV producer. I am now living proof of ‘do what you love, love what you do’. I don’t go to ‘work’ every morning – to me, creating families is not a job, it is truly a passion. When not helping make babies, I like to try new recipes, garden, travel and help my kids grow up to be the best adults that they can be.

Lauri is an active member of Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (SEEDS), American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED), RESOLVE, Men Having Babies (MHB) and The Directors Guild (DGA). She has appeared on, Voice of America, numerous documentaries, plus she has been featured as an expert in articles in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, ABC Evening News, Vogue and many other publications. She is a sought-after fertility/infertility expert at conferences around the globe.

About Heather

My passion for children and families began when I started working with special-needs children after graduating from high school. I spent 8 years working my way up at a corporate preschool from a teacher to the assistant director. Eventually I decided to open my own home daycare.

In 2010, I married and had 2 children of my own. I knew I wanted to be pregnant again but was not ready for another baby at home. That’s when I remembered that a mom from my daycare center told me she was a surrogate. A light went off and I knew that’s what I had to do.

My surrogacy was an unbelievable experience and as soon as I had my embryo transfer I knew I was ready for a career change and wanted to help others experience the same. I delivered a baby boy in 2014 and have been working in the industry ever since. Now, I enjoy helping others pursue their dream of surrogacy and spending time with my husband, (now) 3 children and pets.

About Michelle

In the summer of 2016, I moved to Portland, Oregon with my teenage daughter, 2 older dogs and one cat. Having worked in the entertainment industry in Southern California for over 20 years, in the fall of 2015, I found myself yearning for a new adventure. Up until that point, I had been content with collaborating on projects that educated and/or entertained the public and now I wanted to impact people’s lives on a more personal level.

Over the years I watched many of my friends struggle with the challenges of infertility so I was thrilled when the opportunity came up to join The Fertility Agency. I saw it as an amazing avenue to work with the most incredible people from every imaginable walk of life, and help them create loving families. The journey to becoming a parent is different for everyone and I have personally have benefited from all the advances in reproductive medicine and am grateful every day for the gift of my wonderful daughter.

I find it an honor and a privilege to be able to share the surrogacy process with Intended Parents, Surrogates and reproductive specialists from around the world. As Charles Dickens once said “Tis love that makes the world go ‘round, my baby” and I hope to continue the chain of love and babies for many years to come.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, gives me the opportunity to explore beautiful new locations in my free time. I am also an avid reader, film watcher and novice gardener.

Jessica is a three-time experienced surrogate who has worked in the world of creating families for many years, finding the work to be very fulfilling. She joined The Fertility Agency team in 2017 as a Surrogate Intake coordinator, working with potential and current surrogates, helping them understand the process from beginning to end. She strives to show her passion for the fertility industry in the work she does with our clients every day, utilizing the knowledge gained from both being a surrogate and having worked in the industry for several years.

In her free time Jessica enjoys reading, hosting foreign exchange students, and traveling around the world with her husband and three daughters.

About Rochelle

I am a native Angeleno – born in Santa Monica and currently living in Sherman Oaks. After experiencing my own fertility issues, I was very fortunate to adopt my beautiful daughter from Vietnam in 1998. I was drawn to assist others and have been working in the surrogacy field for many years and with The Fertility Agency since 2009. This is such a fulfilling career.

Being a parent who suffered with infertility, I can certainly understand the need and desire to be a parent, and for many, surrogacy is the best choice. I am so honored to be part of the process of women giving the gift of life, and bringing joy to those creating or expanding their families.

I am an avid tennis player and animal lover. I have a small close-knit family that all live nearby. I enjoy movies, plays, music, reading a good book, seeing friends and keeping up with exercise

About Brittany

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, where I reside with my husband and our wonderful blended family of 4 children – 2 girls and 2 boys; and 2 dogs – a Shorkie-Shipoo named Biscuit and a Multipoo named Butter. They are all the center of our world. In my free time, I love watching my kids in their sports, swimming with them in the summer, and vacationing with our entire family. I also enjoy walking in our local state park when the weather is nice.

My introduction to surrogacy came in 2013 after my cousin’s wife had carried for a family. I knew this was something I wanted to do. I started with the process of becoming a Gestational Surrogate in 2013 and have brought 4 babies into the world for 3 separate families, surrogacy has just become my life passion. Being a Surrogate is something that fills my heart with such joy and it is so rewarding to be able to do such an amazing thing.

My passion for surrogacy led me to The Fertility Agency family to work as a Surrogate Coordinator and I am so blessed to be part of this team. I enjoy being my surrogates’ first point of contact from their initial intake call to being a support person to them through the end of their surrogacy journey.

About Rebecca

I was introduced to the world of infertility when friends of mine struggled to get pregnant. I wanted to help them and others like them, but how could I? Later, 2 friends of mine became surrogates. I took it as a sign! In 2018, I became a gestational surrogate and carried twins for an amazing couple. It created an amazing bond between our families and we are still in touch. That experience led me to accepting a job with The Fertility Agency. Being a Surrogacy Coordinator allows me to continue to create families and assist other women like me who want to help make that happen.

I grew up in the DMV, which to me stands for DC/Maryland/Virginia – not the Department of Motor Vehicles. . I currently reside in Pennsylvania and live in a lovely little suburb with my husband, our 3 daughters, and our Alaskan Klee Kai named Yoshi. Spending time with my family is number one on my list when I’m not working. Whether that means being a taxi for my kids to their extra curriculars, vacationing to get away for a weekend, or just snuggled up on the couch watching a movie.

About Cortney

Hi! My name is Cortney. I was born and raised in Texas, and I currently call Oklahoma home. I have been married to my wonderful husband for over a decade now and together we have three beautiful daughters. I love volunteering in my community and helping those in need. I have been a Gestational Surrogate twice and while I have retired my body, my desire to help complete families only strengthened. This is what led to my career with The Fertility Agency and I am grateful to be here. From the initial inquiry to the final stages of your journey I am here to support you!

“I grew up and currently live in Northeast Wisconsin. My husband and I met while I was in college and since then we got married and had 2 beautiful children who are 6 and 4 years old. In December of 2019 I began the process of looking into becoming a surrogate. While going through the process of becoming a surrogate, I had such a passion to help a family either have one or add another baby to their family. This last month (March 2023) I had my first surrobaby with the best intended parents a gestational surrogate could ask for! It was a beautiful journey and it made my desire to keep helping others that much stronger. There is just something about seeing the parents holding their baby for the first time! I hope to be able to help other Intended Parents have that beautiful first moment.”

Hello! I’m Stacie Poole. I was born and raised in West Tennessee where I raised 2 beautiful daughters and met my husband. We moved to Savanah Georgia about 7 years ago because we loved the area so much and quickly became empty nesters, besides our 7 dogs- Maggie, Marley, Layla, Lucy, Ziggy, Bruno, and Jack!

I started in the Surrogacy world in 2019 when I began my first Surrogacy journey as a Gestational Surrogate. Since that start, I’ve now had 3 Surrogacy journeys for 3 different families with 3 beautiful baby boys! Becoming a Surrogate was such a blessing and changed my life so much for the better. I have also helped many Surrogates start their journeys and walked them through their first steps! I am addicted and passionate about all things surrogacy related and am so blessed to be able to work as a Case Manager now for The Fertility Agency.

In my free time I enjoy listening to live music from local bands or even attending a concert when we can, finding new spots for great food, exploring downtown, shopping and decorating, and taking photos for families and weddings!

About Stephanie Terry

I am a native Texan residing in Washington State since 2016. I live with my husband, our daughter, and our giant pit bull, Kona. My journey into the fertility field is deeply personal, as I have had the privilege of being a surrogate myself. This life-changing experience ignited a fire within me to support others on their own fertility journeys. I know how much surrogacy changed my life and my IP’s lives, and I am passionate about helping others achieve the same!

With a degree in Social Work and a background as a counselor and case manager, I approach my work with a strong foundation in empathy, active listening, and a commitment to equity. As a counselor, I had the privilege
of working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds, navigating complex emotions and challenging situations. In my role as a case manager, I am dedicated to providing exceptional support to surrogates and IPs, ensuring that they feel heard, seen, and empowered throughout their journey. I am honored to be part of a team that shares my values and is dedicated to helping individuals and families grow.

When I’m not working, you can find me exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my family, at the park with my daughter, or at a comic convention with my husband. And during football season, you can find me in front of the TV, watching the New Orleans Saints and obsessively checking my fantasy football app.

I’m originally from New York but moved to Virginia when I was 13. My husband and I have been married since 2000 and we moved to TX in 2011 for his new job. I am a mom to six kids and Nonnie to three grandchildren. I volunteer at my kids’ schools and enjoy having the flexibility to be present in their daily lives, especially as they grow up. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, camping, reading Danielle Steel books, and helping people plan vacations.

I was a surrogate for twin girls in 2014 and again in 2018 for a one girl. I am able to keep in touch with both families and see the girls grow up, which is really fun. I had an amazing experience with both surrogacies and was looking for a way to use my experience to help others. I’m excited for my role with The Fertility Agency, getting to meet others along the way, and helping them on their journey to having children.

I was born, raised and currently live in Northern California with my wonderful husband and our blend of 7 children. I watched two cousins struggle for many years through infertility which opened my eyes as to how many men and women struggle with infertility. As I was done with completing my own family, I began to look into the possibility of egg donation which led me to surrogacy. Over the past seven years I have been blessed to be able to help three families bring their babies into the world. Little did I know being a surrogate was just the start of my love for the field. I wanted to continue to help other surrogates and intended parents along their journeys and that is why I became a case manager. I absolutely love what I do.