About Us

We’re building a human-first fertility ecosystem that empowers everyone to own their own family-building timeline and journey.

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We’re Cofertility.

We want to rewrite the family-building experience to give everyone access to the knowledge, options, and support they need to grow their family on their own terms.

Regardless of where you are on your journey, we believe that you deserve knowledge, choices, and someone to support you through it all. Our vision is to not only to improve the family-building journey for all, but to be a place of support, connection, and encouragement for all of our members. It is your stories, your courage, and your unwavering determination that have become the heart and soul of what we do.

Being a part of your journeys, standing with you as you reach your own significant milestones, and sharing in the joy of realizing your dreams every single day is such an incredible honor. We’re living our dreams every day, and with every match, egg retrieval, transfer, and pregnancy, we grow even more committed to our mission of helping you live yours.

If you’d like to learn more about what drives us and why so many families choose to work with Cofertility, you can read more about our stance here.

The Cofertility Team

Meet the team

From lived experiences to professional expertise, our team shares one goal: to make fertility care more inclusive, accessible, and empowering for all.

Lauren Makler

CEO, Co-Founder
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Halle Tecco

Chair, Co-Founder
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Meera Shah, MD

Medical Advisor
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Samuel Pang, MD

Medical Advisor
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Mare Mbaye, MD

Medical Advisor
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Saira Jhutty, PhD

Medical Advisor
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Katie Hornberger

Genetic Counseling Advisor
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Bryan Kloos, PhD

Embryology Advisor
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Pomi Tefera

Head of Product and People Operations
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Meela Imperato Team Photo

Meela Imperato

Head of Marketing
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Brittany Izrailov

Head of Member Experience
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Jeremiah Atwood

Head of Engineering
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Jessie Goldman Team Photo

Jessie Goldman

Head of Business Development
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Robert Smith

Head of Finance
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Lily Dobberteen Team Photo

Lily Dobberteen

Product Management Lead
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Cailin Jessup

Sr. Manager, Product Operations
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Jennifer Chang

Program Lead, Frozen Donation
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Alice Bailey

Program Lead, Fresh Donation
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Alex Neumann

Clinic Partnerships Lead
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Rachel Steiner

Member Advocate, Lead
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Coco Searcy

Member Advocate, Lead
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Erin Graham

Member Experience Lead
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Xilo Vasquez

Member Advocate
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Feliz Ruiz

Member Advocate
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Emily Paulin Delgado

Member Advocate
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Juli Textor

Member Advocate
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Allie Cvitanovic

Member Experience Manager
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Idalisa Polanco

Cycle Coordination Manager
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Franki Sciacchitano

Growth Lead
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Addison Hagarty

Marketing Manager
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Sarah Miller

Matchmaking Support
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Emma Reilly

Executive Operations Associate
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Michele Rampen

Finance Associate
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Liana Mancini

Full Stack Engineer
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Cicely Stamper

Clinical Operations Specialist
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Danielle Brown Team Photo

Danielle Brown

Clinical Operations Specialist
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Anna Winebrenner

Clinical Operations Specialist
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Tara Scopa Team Photo

Tara Scopa

Clinical Operations Specialist
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Sarah Whittington

Clinical Operations Specialist
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Arielle Spiegal Team Photo

Arielle Spiegel

Advisor, Co-Founder
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Join Us

We’re a mission-driven company powered by individuals who are fired up about making egg freezing and third party reproduction more accessible. We’re proud to engage in meaningful work that will impact tons of people through the family-building process.
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Family-building options that put you first

Whether you want to freeze your eggs for free when donating half to another family or you’re looking to build your family through egg donation, we’ve got you.

Lauren Makler

CEO, Co-Founder

About

Lauren previously founded Uber Health, where under her leadership, the business helped millions of patients get the care they need. Prior to that, Lauren spent the early years at Uber launching the core business throughout the east coast. Her own fertility journey gave her immediate clarity that she wanted to build something meaningful in reproductive health.

You can say hi to Lauren on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Halle Tecco

Chair, Co-Founder

About

Halle (MBA, MPH) previously founded Rock Health and then Natalist (acquired by Everly Health). Halle is a Board Director at Resolve and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School. Halle received her MBA from Harvard Business School and her MPH from Johns Hopkins University with a concentration in Women’s and Reproductive Health.

You can say hi to Halle on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Meera Shah, MD

Medical Advisor

About

Meera Shah, MD, FACOG, is a double board certified OBGYN and reproductive endocrinology and fertility specialist at NOVA IVF in Mountain View, California. She received her Bachelor’s degree at UC-Berkeley and completed a post-baccalaureate research fellowship at the National Institute of Health Academy program. She attended Stanford Medical School and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco. She rounded out her training with a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Stanford University. She is an active member of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and Bay Area Reproductive Society.

Dr. Shah has authored numerous research articles on topics ranging from fertility preservation, pregnancy loss, reproductive genetics, and ethnic differences in IVF outcomes. Her work has been featured in Fertility and Sterility, Fertility IQ, and Natalist. Her medical practice incorporates the highest level of evidence based medicine and the most cutting edge technologies to optimize outcomes for her patients. 

When Dr. Shah isn’t busy working with her patients at NOVA IVF, she enjoys playing pretty much any sport, learning new piano pieces on YouTube, and spending quality time with her husband and three boys.

You can find her on Instagram providing fertility related advice and education.

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Samuel Pang, MD

Medical Advisor

About

Dr. Samuel Pang is a board certified OBGYN and subspecialty board certified reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF.  He is the medical director of the Third Party Reproduction Team at Boston IVF – The Lexington Center. He attended the University of British Columbia and completed his internship and residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Toronto. He completed his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at UCLA. 

Dr. Pang joined IVF America Boston (later Reproductive Science Center of New England) in 1993 and was appointed Medical Director in 2007. He has been the director of the Third Party Reproduction program since 1997, serving patients who utilize IVF with donor eggs and/or gestational surrogacy to have children. In October 2014 he joined Boston IVF following a merger with RSCNE.

Dr. Pang is a pioneer in providing reproductive care to LGBTQ+ patients.  In 1998, he was among the earliest physicians applying ART to gay men who sought parenthood via donor eggs and gestational surrogacy. In 2007, he began providing IVF services to lesbian couples without infertility, coining the term “reciprocal IVF” for one person providing oocytes and the other gestating. In 2012, he began treating transgender men for fertility preservation and reciprocal IVF, and transgender men who choose to gestate themselves. He was recently selected by ASRM for their Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award in 2022.

Mare Mbaye, MD

Medical Advisor

About

Dr. Mare Mbaye is a top OBGYN based in New York City. She has worked in the private practice setting caring for pregnant and non-pregnant people with a variety of medical concerns. Dr. Mbaye also boasts several years of experience as a medical advisor, digital health startup consultant, and content creator. She is on a mission to bring empathetic, holistic, and affirming reproductive healthcare to all, with a particular focus on historically marginalized groups.

You can follow Dr. Mare on Instagram.

Saira Jhutty, PhD

Medical Advisor

About

Dr. Saira Jhutty is a licensed fertility psychologist — a clinical and industrial organizational psychologist in private practice specializing in fertility. She obtained her PhD from California School of Professional Practice. She has spent the last 11 years focusing on assisting people build their families using third-party reproduction. Her expertise lies in the evaluation of potential surrogates and egg donors and meeting with intended parents to discuss their decision to use alternative methods to build their family. 

Dr. Jhutty is a member of the Mental Health Professionals group for ASRM and sat on the committee to help revise surrogacy guidelines.

Katie Hornberger

Genetic Counseling Advisor

About

Katie is a board-certified genetic counselor with 10+ years in reproductive genetics, including roles at a top fertility clinic, a global PGT lab, and a major sperm bank. As both a genetic counselor and former fertility patient, she champions transparency and education for donors and intended parents. Through her YouTube channel and speaking engagements, she educates thousands and partners with DCP groups and recipient parents, ensuring their voices shape her insights and clinical practice.

Bryan Kloos, PhD

Embryology Advisor

About

Dr. Bryan Kloos, PhD HCLD (High Complexity Clinical Labratory Director) is a highly accomplished and respected scientist, embryologist, and laboratory director with over 20 years of experience in the field of human reproduction. Recognized as a leading authority in clinical IVF, Andrology, and Tissue Banking, he brings deep expertise in Laboratory Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and Total Quality Management—critical components in achieving consistently high pregnancy success rates. He earned his PhD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and has contributed to some of the most successful IVF programs in the United States to advance both clinical protocols and laboratory standards.

Pomi Tefera

Head of Product and People Operations

About

Pomi started her career in a leadership development program spanning finance, supply chain efficiency, and IT across various businesses at General Electric. Pomi then moved into a role bringing products to life at Uber where she helped develop the business case for Uber Health. After Uber, Pomi led Growth & Partnerships for Token Transit. She is deeply curious about tech that transforms how people live and manage their basic needs in the physical world and building partnerships across public and private sectors that address human needs. This curiosity has led her career from mobility to fertility. Originally from Ethiopia, Pomi holds a BA in Finance and International Business from the University of Minnesota.

Meela Imperato Team Photo

Meela Imperato

Head of Marketing

About

Meela has led Marketing teams at several startups (Aaptiv, Noom, Seated, Jumprope), and held advisory roles at companies like Vestwell, Google, Lyft, SoWell Health, etc. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Professional Writing and Investigative Journalism and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Creative and Professional Writing from Carnegie Mellon University. Her passion for health tech, particularly the fertility and maternity spaces, stems from the challenges she faced when expanding her own family.

Brittany Izrailov

Head of Member Experience

About

Brittany is an experience-obsessed leader, bringing her background in creating seamless, human-centered consumer experiences to healthcare. Brittany previously led product, brand, and experience at health & wellness brand Care/of, focusing on creating a seamless and delightful end-to-end journey for women hoping to take better care of their health. Her passion for reproductive health is deeply personal—shaped by her own experience as a patient, and her journey to becoming a mom. She started her career at Bain & Company and holds an MBA from Stanford and a BS from Wharton.

Jeremiah Atwood

Head of Engineering

About

Jeremiah is an engineering leader with 18+ years of experience building technology that makes a difference. Before Cofertility, he was CTO at Avant-garde Health, leading teams and developing software to improve healthcare outcomes. Passionate about Cofertility’s mission, he’s proud to build secure, impactful products that support people on their family-building journeys. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Miami University.

Jessie Goldman Team Photo

Jessie Goldman

Head of Business Development

About

Jessie began her career leading best practice research and offering consultative services to medical device, pharmaceutical, and health care technology companies. Her passion for improving health care access stemmed from her experience a health clinic volunteer, where she connected lower income patients with social services that could improve health outcomes. Jessie has a BA in History from the Unviersity of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School with a focus in healthcare management.

Robert Smith

Head of Finance

About

Robert is an accomplished Finance and Operations leader with broad, progressive experience across industries and geographies. Most recently he led high-growth, venture-backed companies Inkitt and StyleSeat through fundraising, financial maturation, and international expansion. He’s built teams, scaled operations, and loves making complex things simple. His passion for purpose-driven work and his own experience as a parent brought him to Cofertility. Robert holds an MBA from Kellogg and a BS from Boston College.

Lily Dobberteen Team Photo

Lily Dobberteen

Product Management Lead

About

Lily is a seasoned Product and Operations leader with a health and financial technology background, passionate about building tech interventions for human challenges. She previously worked at Oscar Health supporting their virtual care offering, and spent two years driving Product initiatives on a private capital investment platform under JPMorgan Chase. Before working in tech, she graduated from Barnard College and is a published clinical researcher. She lives in Washington, DC.

Cailin Jessup

Sr. Manager, Product Operations

About

Cailin has 6 years of experience in the healthcare tech space, where she began her career as a Member Advocate at Collective Health, helping members navigate their health plans. She then worked at Uber Health helping health systems and patients access reliable transportation. Her husband is donor conceived and Cofertility’s mission is close to her heart. She works to provide Cofertility’s members with a seamless product experience on their egg freezing and family building journeys and optimize internal operations. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Public Health.

Jennifer Chang

Program Lead, Frozen Donation

About

Jennifer is a third party reproductive specialist with over 12 years of diverse experience in surrogacy and egg donation. She has played a key role in hundreds of successful parenthood journeys, both stateside and internationally. At Cofertility, she continues to channel her passion and expertise to support intended parents and Split Members, with the goal of fostering a compassionate and empathetic experience for everyone involved. Jennifer earned her BA in Media Studies from UC Berkeley.

Alice Bailey

Program Lead, Fresh Donation

About

Alice has over a decade of experience in case management and patient advocacy. She previously worked at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a Program Manager for a multidisciplinary center of excellence for children with a genetic syndrome, overseeing clinical operations and facilitating access to care. Her passion for reproductive care and health equity led her to Cofertility, where she finds deep fulfillment from supporting members on their journeys to grow their families. Alice holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Spanish from Ursinus College.

Alex Neumann

Clinic Partnerships Lead

About

Alex started his career working for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign in the Iowa Caucus. Before joining Cofertility, he spent four years in product and expansion at transit technology company Via, where he partnered with public transit agencies to launch new services. As a donor-conceived person raised by gay dads, Alex has always been passionate about making family building more inclusive and accessible. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and, outside of work, competes in professional pickleball tournaments.

Rachel Steiner

Member Advocate, Lead

About

Rachel has 6 years of experience as an egg donor and third-party coordinator. She has worked as a coordinator at two different fertility clinics and is exceptionally well-versed in the matching process. Her experience working with intended parents and egg donors is what drives her passion for her work at Cofertility, where she uses her prior experience and knowledge of the industry to offer support through every step of the process. Rachel has a BS in Public Health from James Madison University.

Coco Searcy

Member Advocate, Lead

About

Coco started her career in fertility over 7 years ago, at RMA NY, and later Spring Fertility, where she coordinated treatment cycles, educated patients on the various reproductive health options and technologies available to them, and encouraged them to feel comfortable advocating for themselves. She’s passionate about making her patients feel seen and validated throughout the emotional landscape of fertility. Coco graduated from Occidental College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry.

Erin Graham

Member Experience Lead

About

Erin has completed 3 journeys as a gestational carrier, which inspired her to build a career helping people reach their family building goals. She previously worked for an online fertility marketplace connecting fertility patients with the providers best suited to meet their individual needs and preferences. She has also worked for a surrogacy and egg donation agency matching intended parents with gestational carriers and coordinating surrogacy and egg donation journeys. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and is also certified as lactation counselor through the ALPP.

Xilo Vasquez

Member Advocate

About

Xilo brings extensive experience in healthcare management and patient care to Cofertility. Her career at mission-driven healthcare startups has fueled her passion for creating more equitable healthcare experiences and advancing women’s health. Driven by her commitment to reproductive healthcare access, she finds purpose in helping members navigate their family-building journeys at Cofertility. Xilo holds a Master of Public Health degree from NYU and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University.

Feliz Ruiz

Member Advocate

About

Feliz is a public health professional with 5+ years of experience in community engagement, data-informed strategy, and program development. She is passionate about advancing health equity by expanding access to care, resources, and health education. She brings an equity-centered approach to guiding individuals and families through their reproductive health and family-building journeys. Feliz holds an MS in Health, Community, and Policy and a BS in Public Health from The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Emily Paulin Delgado

Member Advocate

About

Emily is a purpose-driven healthcare enthusiast with expertise helping families reach their goals. She entered family-building at the nation’s only adoption agency with an on-site nursery, and most recently worked to expand access to insurance-covered lactation support. As a mother of 4, her commitment to reproductive health grew from personal insight as a patient. Experience has taught her the importance of empathetic, informed care, and to embrace both challenges and triumphs. She is a proud Northwestern University Wildcat, and earned a Bachelor of Philosophy in Psychology with distinction.

Juli Textor

Member Advocate

About

Juli brings extensive expertise and compassion to Cofertility, with a background in fertility care, surrogacy case management, and birth work. She has supported families through every stage of the surrogacy journey and previously served as a doula, birth assistant, and childbirth educator. After navigating her own 15-year fertility journey, Juli offers a uniquely empathetic approach. As part of the LGBTQ+ community, she advocates for inclusive, equitable family building. She holds a BA in Communicative Disorders from the University of Central Florida College of Health Professions and Sciences.

Allie Cvitanovic

Member Experience Manager

About

Allie brings extensive experience in fertility care and third-party reproduction to Cofertility. She spent the last several years working at Spring Fertility, where she supported intended parents, egg donors, and surrogates throughout their treatment cycles. Allie is passionate about helping our members navigate their family-building journeys while ensuring they feel informed and empowered every step of the way. Allie holds a BS in Molecular Biology from UC Berkeley, where she focused on reproductive health and early human development.

Idalisa Polanco

Cycle Coordination Manager

About

Idalisa has 7+ years of experience in women’s health and 5+ years in fertility, where she has managed biorepository operations, embryology workflows, and specimen integrity at biotech companies like TMRW Life Sciences and NYU Langone Fertility Center. She is passionate about making patients feel seen and supported throughout their fertility journey. Idalisa earned her Bachelor’s in Criminology with concentrations in Biology and Chemistry from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

Franki Sciacchitano

Growth Lead

About

Franki has worked in marketing for over 7 years. She has spent the majority of her career focused in women’s health and is passionate about building meaningful, mission-based brands. She is an avid believer that everyone deserves access to family-building and reproductive care, and connects deeply with Cofertility’s mission to make this care more equitable and accessible for all. Franki has her BFA in Photography and a Master’s in Digital Audience Strategy. Outside of her role at Co, she enjoys art, reading, and spending time with her husband, newborn daughter, and two dogs.

Addison Hagarty

Marketing Manager

About

Addison is a mission driven marketer with a passion for growing online communities that support diverse health journeys. She has spent over five years working in marketing at startups such as Natalist and Everlywell, with the majority of that time focused on the women’s health space. Addison believes everyone deserves to feel seen and supported throughout their healthcare experience, and she is deeply aligned with Cofertility’s mission to expand access to family-building and reproductive care.

Sarah Miller

Matchmaking Support

About

Sarah is a creative professional who brings a compassionate and fresh lens to her work in marketing and writing. She began working in educational spaces for children and families after graduating with a BA in English Literature. She started her career post-graduation as a preschool teacher, and has since supervised summer camp programs for kids and families. As an IVF baby herself, accessibility to reproductive care is a personal passion for Sarah. Outside of work, Sarah self-publishes and writes for the independent literary scene in Los Angeles.

Emma Reilly

Executive Operations Associate

About

Emma is a Finance Associate with experience in equity capital markets and shareholder activism at Bank of America. Her passion for advancing fertility care and making family-building accessible to all led her to join Cofertility. In her role, Emma supports intended parents with their financial needs throughout their journey. She holds a B.A. in History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health from Yale University.

Michele Rampen

Finance Associate

About

Michele brings a rich background in finance and a deep personal connection to Cofertility’s mission. Prior to joining, Michele spent nine years at The Walt Disney Company. She then helped scale a consumer product brand, leading growth and profitability. Michele holds an MBA from the University of Southern California. She is also a proud mother of two and has experienced her own fertility journey. That experience has shaped her perspective on parenthood and purpose, fueling her passion for helping others build the families of their dreams.

Liana Mancini

Full Stack Engineer

About

Liana is a software engineer with a distinct perspective, shaped by a career that blends technical skill with a strong commitment to reproductive justice. Prior to transitioning into tech, Liana worked as a reproductive rights organizer and direct practice counselor in reproductive healthcare. Liana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University and dual Master’s degrees in Social Work and Human Sexuality Education from Widener University.

Cicely Stamper

Clinical Operations Specialist

About

Cicely is a Nurse passionate about reproductive health. She has experience in the women’s health start up space as a Nurse Health Coach and Fertility Specialist. She also brings 5+ years in inpatient & outpatient OB/GYN settings. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from The City College of New York & 2 Nursing degrees from BCTC. With personal & professional experience in IVF, she is excited to empower people with ovaries to take the reigns of their reproductive health journeys.

Danielle Brown Team Photo

Danielle Brown

Clinical Operations Specialist

About

Danielle has a decade-long career in digital healthcare that developed her passion for women’s health. Prior to joining Cofertility, she led the patient and provider experiences for a virtual mental health platform dedicated to improving outcomes for women throughout their pregnancy, postpartum, and fertility journeys. Most recently, she completed a fellowship at IDEO where she applied her diverse skill set to deliver human-centered experiences within healthcare. In addition to this, Danielle is a registered yoga instructor and She holds a BS from Florida State University.

Anna Winebrenner

Clinical Operations Specialist

About

Anna is a registered nurse with experience at the highest-volume labor and delivery unit in the PNW and as an IVF coordinator at Seattle’s top fertility clinic. Originally from Kentucky, she graduated first in her class from the University of Louisville’s BSN program. She’s particularly passionate about fertility preservation and LGBTQ+ family building, and brings clinical expertise, a love of reproductive science, and a deep connection to Cofertility’s mission to reimagine how people access and experience fertility care.

Tara Scopa Team Photo

Tara Scopa

Clinical Operations Specialist

About

Tara is a Registered Nurse with experience in pediatrics, the NICU, and fertility care. She’s cared for patients across all stages of life and helped fertility teams streamline care through EMR training. She later worked to expand access to reproductive health services through mission-driven partnerships. An IVF baby and former egg donor, she brings clinical expertise, empathy, and a personal passion for making fertility care more inclusive and accessible.

Sarah Whittington

Clinical Operations Specialist

About

Sarah has a comprehensive fertility background, working as an embryologist prior to joining Cofertility, and an IVF coordinator, supporting patients through treatment. She holds a Master of Public Health focused on Health Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health, both from the University of Washington. Sarah is passionate about women’s health, making fertility care accessible for all, and helping individuals feel supported on their journey.

Arielle Spiegal Team Photo

Arielle Spiegel

Advisor, Co-Founder

About

Arielle previously founded the original CoFertility, a community and content platform that aimed to answer every fertility question. Before that, Arielle spent several years working in digital marketing at Victoria’s Secret PINK. CoFertility was inspired by her own experience trying to conceive and she is passionate about starting the fertility conversation at an earlier age.

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You can say hi to Arielle on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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