As CEO of ConceiveAbilities – Nazca loves breaking barriers and working with people who are willing and able to challenge the status quo for excellence.
Founded as an egg donor service in her apartment nearly 25 years ago, Nazca has grown ConceiveAbilities into a multinational, full-service family creation agency by breaking down barrier after barrier. Driven by Nazca’s vision and instinct, the agency embodies her qualities of courageousness, vibrancy and tenacity.
She has gathered the best clinical expertise, combined with the strength of the latest business strategy, to deliver a truly exceptional offering in contemporary family building. A mom of two boys, Nazca is a sought-out thought leader both domestically and internationally for her per- spective on this growing industry. www.conceiveabilities.com
Conceivabilities, is helping end the nationwide formula shortage. They have launched the #MilkBankChallenge, a movement aimed to replenish milk bank supplies across the nation. And, because #MilkBankChallenge can not succeed without donations from eligible women, ConceiveAbilities, is offering a compelling incentive: A one-time $250 gift card to anyone who meets the requirements.
“We stand ready to assist all women who are able to help provide much needed nutrition to the babies in need,” says Fontes. “While there is much work to be done to address the infant formula shortage, we hope an increase of breast milk donations will be the lifeline these families need at this critical time.”
FWM: You are a sought-out thought leader as an innovative force in modern family building. Tell us about your background.
My professional background in fertility clinic laboratories led me to become a protégé of the industry’s premier practitioners. I was dissatisfied with the current state of donor recruitment and decided there has to be a better way.
Founded as an egg donor service in my apartment 26+ years ago, ConceiveAbilities has grown into a multinational, full-service family creation agency by breaking down barrier after barrier. We have deep relationships with IVF clinics, fertility experts, and scores of surrogates and families who built their families with surrogates.
FWM: How is ConceiveAbilities breaking barriers?
I love breaking barriers for myself and others. I like to work with people who are willing and able to challenge the status quo for excellence.
In 2008, ConceiveAbilities developed a first-of-its-kind gestational surrogacy offering, complete with the most detailed surrogate screening to date. We introduced a proprietary Matching Matters® process that connects surrogate mothers with intended parents.
FWM: Take us through the process of working with ConceiveAbilities.
With a team of experts – not limited to medical and legal professionals, counselors and therapists – ready and able to guide intended parents, a complex process is made possible. Consumers are challenged to find a trustworthy source to do something so profound. ConceiveAbilities prides itself on being that source. We are dealing with life, and for those who want to build a family with a third party, they need to be confident that they are in the hands of a company that really puts their interests first and offers the professional support to carry out the process.
That process no longer feels out of reach; the modern family is built from viable resources. Surrogacy and egg donation used to be the last resort option. Obviously, we help those who do find themselves at this juncture in their family building and this is the last resort as a medical treatment, but for others, it is more of a deliberate and cautious decision to build a family.
Our surrogates are strong and selfless. They love being parents and they love being pregnant. And while we are always looking for women to answer this call, we don’t just take anyone. Whether you’re interested in becoming a surrogate or are a parent that’s looking to build their family through surrogacy, take a look at our strict requirements. ConceiveAbilities is proud of our vigorous intake and screening process. It’s how we reduce the time it takes to get to parenthood and increase the likelihood of pregnancy the first time.
We believe that anyone who possesses the desire to become a parent, deserves a family. You can find details about becoming a parent through our surrogacy www.conceiveabilities.com.
FWM: What makes the ideal match?
ConceiveAbilities is the first agency worldwide to use a matching methodology called Matching Matters. The Matching Matters process focuses on the art and science of human connections, and results in 97% of intended parents being matched with the first surrogate presented and shortens the average ConceiveAbilities engagement to between 13-18 months (as opposed to 18-24 months with other agencies). In the 26+ years of building families, ConceiveAbilities continues to flourish in its ability to match thousands of parents globally.
FWM: Tell us about GivingTuesday ConceiveAbilities and how it is saving lives.
Inspired by the giving nature of our surrogates, ConceiveAbilities Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agency launched the #MilkBankChallenge to help families feed their babies during the infant formula shortage.
This year, if you are a lactating woman, you can join a movement to donate breast milk to babies in need, with the #MilkBankChallenge. Sponsored by ConceiveAbilities, this challenge has already inspired women to donate 350,000 ounces this year, lessening the impact of the infant formula shortage. You can contribute to a 2022 goal of 500,000 ounces, transforming the lives of babies and families.
A premature baby in the NICU only needs one ounce of milk a day. That means if you’re donating a hundred ounces, as so many of those who’ve already stepped up to the #MilkBankChallenge have done, 100 of the most fragile babies can be nourished for an entire day. What an incredible gift.
FWM: How can we join #TheMilkBank Challenge?
There are three ways to join the #MilkBankChallenge:
- Become a milk donor. Surrogates and other lactating moms are in a unique position to be able to donate their milk, which is a priceless gift to a family in need. ConceiveAbilities is offering a one-time $250 gift card to milk donors.
- Make a financial donation. Milk banks are in need of supplies and labor to help meet the increased demand for donor milk. ConceiveAbilities will make a one-time match of your monetary donation to a non-profit milk bank of up to $250.
- Share the #MilkBankChallenge with your community
Learn more about joining the #MilkBankChallenge at ConceiveAbilities.com
FWM: What is your goal?
Our year-end goal is 500,000 ounces of donor milk. We have 150,000 more ounces to go. With your help, the #MilkBankChallenge can raise even more money and milk donations to support milk banks around the nation and feed as many as half a million of our most fragile babies.
FWM: Please share statistics on surrogacy and egg donation.
Surrogacy is a modern and growing means of bringing new life into the world, where a woman carries a baby for another person or a couple. The intended parents undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF), meaning fertilization outside of the body, to transfer an embryo into the surrogate mother’s uterus. In our work at ConceiveAbilities, surrogates are not genetically or legally related to the baby and are compensated for their time and service by the intended parents.
In 2018, more than 10,000 births took place by surrogate in the United States, and the market is steadily growing at 15 percent per year based on data from the Centers for Disease Control. And, in the past ten years, the percentage of all IVF transfers that took place with a gestational carrier grew from just over 1 percent to 4.8 percent.
FWM: What have you learned through your journey as CEO of ConceiveAbilities?
We found that the single biggest motivation for surrogates is the simple desire to help. Eighty-seven percent said they find joy in helping others; 74 percent reported they are motivated by a sense of empowerment as a surrogate. Surrogates are courageous. Many have been inspired to help by a loved one who struggled to build a family.
FWM: What are the requirements to be a surrogate/how can one apply
We have made it easy for you to apply to become a surrogate in a short 5-minute survey. Watch this video to see how the surrogate application process works. Requirements include:
Age: 21 – 40
Must already have given birth without complications
Long term US resident
Uncomplicated medical history
Emotionally healthy
