The Future of Surrogacy

Surrogacy Ethics, Standards and Community: A Candid Conversation with Adrienne Black, President of Seeds

Adrienne Black, President of SEEDS (Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy) [https://seedsethics.org/], shares a candid perspective on ethics, industry standards, and the future of accountability in surrogacy. What is changing in the surrogacy industry in 2026? In this episode of The Future of Surrogacy, Adrienne Black [https://hearttohandssurrogacy.com/about/#our-team]—President of SEEDS and owner of Heart to Hands Surrogacy—breaks down how the industry is evolving, where ethical standards are tightening, and what still needs to change. With nearly a decade of industry insight and personal experience as a surrogate, Adrienne brings a direct, principled perspective on what it means to operate responsibly in a rapidly growing and increasingly scrutinized field. What role does SEEDS play in surrogacy standards and regulation? Adrienne explains how SEEDS is working to elevate professional standards across agencies [https://cdn.wildapricot.com/263053/resources/Documents/Standards/2025%20SEEDS%20Standards%20with%20Guidelines%20and%20intro.pdf?version=1747940670000&Policy=eyJTdGF0ZW1lbnQiOiBbeyJSZXNvdXJjZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2RuLndpbGRhcHJpY290LmNvbS8yNjMwNTMvcmVzb3VyY2VzL0RvY3VtZW50cy9TdGFuZGFyZHMvMjAyNSUyMFNFRURTJTIwU3RhbmRhcmRzJTIwd2l0aCUyMEd1aWRlbGluZXMlMjBhbmQlMjBpbnRyby5wZGY~dmVyc2lvbj0xNzQ3OTQwNjcwMDAwIiwiQ29uZGl0aW9uIjp7IkRhdGVMZXNzVGhhbiI6eyJBV1M6RXBvY2hUaW1lIjoxNzc1Nzc0Mjk5fSwiSXBBZGRyZXNzIjp7IkFXUzpTb3VyY2VJcCI6IjAuMC4wLjAvMCJ9fX1dfQ__&Signature=saoV2zqRxYsUZu-3lBFg4rZU~CQ41r53gRBHTXGZSVDdYExkUTeamo-Ny25cy6YOXkbc5ItZtu0K9GdqKVE8Z~gQyt-rZBB8FgCSHbLTs7gt9w7hhkEOU2PbLDgWwuLgsTovRoG0e4rcEFADH8Vh4eRJboCNouPrHMLNDVeBME9Iugm4-TlUzxWPzoLI-QCiFBlNVtdnGD05pgfGbL~FV1mxTXiBAekMBtdCGAWANT8JS6RcUPbcbjmN-H3EciKopzMWl4HBIysynANvrFiqh2Uo74sc-lt4LMiVCFhsVhWEk~IOog699AVY5JJGzJC4kxEOKuu45I2aA~vEsIf77A__&Key-Pair-Id=K27MGQSHTHAGGF], attorneys, and clinics—while navigating the tension between guidance and enforcement...The conversation explores: * Whether SEEDS should move toward regulatory authority  * The risks of both under-regulation and over-regulation  * Why SEEDS is hiring a full-time Operations Manager to help facilitate the day-to-day  What are the biggest ethical challenges in surrogacy today? This episode tackles some of the most debated issues in modern surrogacy, including: *  Compensation structures and ethical boundaries  *  Paid advertising and recruitment of surrogates  *  The gap between stated standards and enforced behavior  Adrienne also addresses her reputation for holding high ethical standards—and why, when you boil it down, ethics is really about ensuring safety for everyone involved.

How are surrogacy agencies being discovered today—and what is Simbe building next?

In this episode of The Future of Surrogacy, Erin Quick is joined by Simbe co-founders Billie Simmons (CEO) and Shraddha Jain (CTO) to discuss major changes affecting surrogacy agencies—from ad platform crackdowns and CAPI tracking to AI-driven discovery and AEO websites—and what Simbe is building next. Advertising platforms are tightening policies and flagging surrogacy-related campaigns more aggressively. Tracking gaps are affecting ad performance. And discovery is increasingly happening through AI systems and large language models, not just traditional search. That means agency websites now need to do two things well:  • emotionally convert intended parents and surrogate candidates  • structurally communicate clear answers that AI systems can interpret and surface We break down what agencies should understand about CAPI (Conversion API), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and AI-driven discovery, and how these changes affect surrogate recruitment and intended parent inquiries. We also share a surprising engagement insight: when surrogate candidates are given the choice to communicate with Riley via text or web chat, continuation and conversion rates increase significantly compared to forcing a single communication channel. Finally, we walk through the next major capabilities being developed within the Simbe platform. Medical Records Integrations Connecting with multiple surrogacy medical record providers to reduce delays, improve visibility, and simplify how agencies track medical clearance. One-Off Recruiting Campaigns Targeted campaigns that allow agencies to run state-specific, seasonal or special surrogate recruitment pushes. Human Override in Riley Case managers can pause Riley, step in, and then restart Riley. Structured Intended Parent (IP) Flows Use Riley to answer IP questions, and onboard them – including document signature workflows. Key Topics in This Episode * Why surrogacy agencies are seeing increased ad platform scrutiny * What CAPI (Conversion API) is and why it matters for surrogate recruitment ads * Why agency websites must now work for both humans and AI search * How AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) affects how intended parents find agencies * What we’re learning about surrogate engagement and communication choice * The next phase of the Simbe platform for surrogacy agencies

How Negative Press in Surrogacy Turns One-Off Stories into Major Policy Threats (and How to Prevent It)

The surrogacy industry is at an inflection point. In today’s media environment, a single negative surrogacy story—often involving a bad actor or isolated failure—can quickly spiral into national headlines, public mistrust, and real legislative consequences. In this episode of The Future of Surrogacy, we explore how negative press in surrogacy can evolve into policy risk and what agencies, advocates, and leaders can do to prevent that momentum from shaping regulation. We’re joined by crisis communications and long-term narrative experts, Lori Ruggiero and Rob Ford, from 5WPR [https://www.5wpr.com/], to break down how industries ranging from tech to sports to food safety have faced similar moments—and what surrogacy can learn from their successes and missteps. Together, we unpack how perception is formed, how media narratives gain traction, and why reactive PR is no longer enough in a fragmented, fast-moving news cycle. Our conversation goes beyond crisis response. It’s about proactive reputation strategy for the surrogacy field—before journalists call, before policymakers draft bills, and before misinformation hardens into “truth.” This episode makes the case for groundwork: monitoring narratives, aligning messaging across the industry, preparing leaders for media engagement, and investing in grassroots storytelling that reflects the ethical, responsible family-building journeys that are the norm.

What Top-Tier Agencies Understand About Insurance (That Others Don’t)

In this episode of The Future of Surrogacy, we speak with Sarah Paige, CEO of ART Risk Solutions [https://artrisksolutions.com/], about one of the most misunderstood—and most critical—components of modern surrogacy: insurance. The conversation breaks down how surrogacy insurance has evolved, and how insurance - when handled proactively -  becomes a true competitive advantage. Sarah outlines what she considers a “top-shelf” insurance package for surrogacy agencies, and makes the case for reviewing insurance before matching, not after—when options are already limited and costs are higher. The episode also covers: • Red-flag insurance requests and shortcuts that often backfire • The possibility of using data analytics & technology to hit open enrollment windows. • How ACA volatility and shortened open enrollment windows affect surrogacy planning -- and why you should be preparing for an EVEN SHORTER open enrollment window in 2026: Nov 1-Dec 15 • How smart agencies are using insurance planning as a competitive advantage This episode is essential listening for surrogacy agencies that want to understand how best to dial in insurance for surrogacy journeys.

What Drives Long Wait Times for Surrogacy Medical Records? And What Can Surrogacy Agencies Do To Reduce Timelines, Costs, and Risk? with Julie Egor of Predoc

In this episode, we speak with Julie Egor from Predoc [https://www.predoc.ai/solutions/automated-record-retrieval] about one of the most persistent challenges facing surrogacy agencies today: surrogacy medical records. For many surrogacy agencies, medical records are the single biggest bottleneck in the surrogacy process—driving up costs, and extending timelines (and increasing stress/anxiety). Julie explains why surrogacy medical records often take so long to retrieve and how surrogacy agencies, like Alcea [https://www.predoc.ai/post/predoc-accelerates-screening-and-increases-match-rates-at-alcea-surrogacy], improve outcomes when surrogacy medical records are complete, accurate, and delivered in a format that clinicians can quickly interpret and trust.  Julie also discusses how healthcare technology and AI can responsibly support surrogacy agencies—not by replacing human review, but by accelerating surrogacy medical record retrieval, organizing complex histories, and ensuring nothing critical is missed. And how Predoc is doing this for less, and how their surrogacy record retrieval and analysis turnaround times are often <5 days. When surrogacy medical records are treated as foundational healthcare, surrogacy agencies can reduce delays, lower costs, and move families forward with greater confidence. Bonus: PreDoc offers every surrogacy agency a risk-free trial, allowing agencies to use Predoc to pull medical records for one surrogate at no cost. Feel free to reach out directly to Julie to take advantage of this: julie@predoc.ai