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The NotMom Summit 2017: The ONLY international conference for and about women without children by choice or by chance.
Friday, October 6
 

8:00am EDT

Registration & Help Desk
Friday October 6, 2017 8:00am - 6:00pm EDT
3rd Floor Foyer

10:00am EDT

WELCOME! Your Sisters Have Been Waiting for you
Speakers
avatar for Laura M. LaVoie

Laura M. LaVoie

Blogger/Co-Administrator, The NotMom.com
Laura M. LaVoie is a freelance writer living in a 120 square-foot house in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her partner, Matt, and their hairless cat, Piglet. In 2011, Laura and Matt took their tiny house experience to Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa to build a shelter... Read More →
avatar for Karen Malone Wright

Karen Malone Wright

Founding Voice & Chief Executive, TheNotMom®
Karen Malone Wright launched The NotMom.com in 2012 for herself and the one of every six American women who are childless or childfree. Her insights and ideas spring from a notable career directing communications strategy in philanthropy, health care, television and print media in... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 10:00am - 11:15am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

10:00am EDT

Bookstore
You'll find books written by speakers at The NotMom Summit here, thanks to Appletree Books, an independent, female-owned bookstore. If you're tired of looking for relevant women's stories and research, do stop by!

Friday October 6, 2017 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
TBA

11:15am EDT

Women Without Children: Then and Now
Speakers
avatar for Laura Carroll

Laura Carroll

Author,, Families of Two and The Baby Matrix
Laura Carroll, M.S., is a seasoned communications consultant and writes nonfiction. Her book on childfree couples, Families of Two, received international recognition and paved the way for her to become a leading voice on the childfree life. For over the last 15 years, she ha... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 11:15am - 11:45am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

12:00pm EDT

LUNCH - Keynote Speaker Marcia Drut-Davis
Speakers
avatar for Marcia Drut-Davis

Marcia Drut-Davis

Author & Pioneering Advocate for Parenting Choice
Memorably profiled in a 1974 episode of “60 Minutes”, Drut-Davis was one of the first American women to speak publicly about making the decision to live childfree. She is an outspoken author and pioneering advocate for parenting choices. Her primary focus is on reaching hearts... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 12:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

2:00pm EDT

BREAK
Friday October 6, 2017 2:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope C

2:30pm EDT

Lasting Impressions: Philanthropy & Volunteering
Speakers
avatar for Connie Hill-Johnson

Connie Hill-Johnson

Owner, Visiting Angels & member, Cleveland Foundation African-American Philanthropy Committee
Connie Hill-Johnson knew the struggles of caregivers to find appropriate supports first-hand when she was making repeated trips from her home in St. Louis to help her elderly parents in Cleveland. After losing her job to corporate downsizing, she moved to Ohio and used savings to... Read More →
avatar for Stephanie L. Jones

Stephanie L. Jones

Stephanie L. Jones is an author, speaker and life success coach. Since graduating Taylor University she has lived a crazy life from private investigator to police officer to a top-rated senior manager in a Fortune 100 company.  She’s a recipient of the Cisco Humanitarian Award... Read More →
avatar for Rasheda Williams

Rasheda Williams

Founder and Chief Empowering Officer, Empowered Flower Girl LLC
Rasheda Kamaria Williams is a communications professional and mentor on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another. As the founder and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl LLC, Rasheda works with schools, communities and families seeking solutions... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street D

2:30pm EDT

NotMoms On the Job: Insights from HR
Speakers
avatar for Sharon Berezne

Sharon Berezne

Motivational Speaker and Blogger, Positively Inspired
I am a motivational speaker and blogger (sharonberezne.com is where I publish "Positively Inspired"). I enjoy helping others dream, inspire, heal and create peace in their lives. Personally -- I enjoy singing, dancing, theater, writing, traveling and laughing until my sides hurt and... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street A

2:30pm EDT

Couples Without Kids: Bennies & Challenges of Romantic Partnerships Without Parenthood
Moderators
avatar for Laura Carroll

Laura Carroll

Author,, Families of Two and The Baby Matrix
Laura Carroll, M.S., is a seasoned communications consultant and writes nonfiction. Her book on childfree couples, Families of Two, received international recognition and paved the way for her to become a leading voice on the childfree life. For over the last 15 years, she ha... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dawn Barnett

Dawn Barnett

Local Coordinator/ PreKinder Teacher, CCI- Greenheart
Originally from Texas, Dawn now hails from Denver, Colorado with her husband and her four legged best friend. Dawn works as a local coordinator for international exchange students and teaches Pre Kinder Children at a private school. On February 19, 2008 at the age of 30, she became... Read More →
avatar for Crystal Money

Crystal Money

Crystal N. Money lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Mike, and two adorable pups, Olivia and Archie. She is currently pursuing a career in academia at Kennesaw State University, with a primary focus in practical and multi-disciplinary approach to ethics education. In her... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street B

4:00pm EDT

4:30pm EDT

How to Tell Your Story (Even If It's Just for You)
Speakers
avatar for Airial Dandridge

Airial Dandridge

Coach, The Veteran Woman, LLC.
“My passion is to propel women veterans forward by giving them the tools, strategies and moral support needed to make the smooth transition to civilian life” Airial W. Dandridge, a Certified Life & Veteran Development Coach, is the founder of The Veteran Woman, LLC., a group... Read More →
avatar for Laurie Lisle

Laurie Lisle

Author, Without Child: Challenging the Stigma of Childlessness
Laurie Lisle writes mostly about the lives of American women, including her own. Besides Without Child: Challenging the Stigma of Childlessness, She has written two biographies about women artists—the best-selling Portrait of an Artist: A Biography of Georgia O’Keeffe as well... Read More →
avatar for Karen Peterson

Karen Peterson

Karen Peterson is a passionate leader of women’s retreats that focus on the intersection of creativity, nature, and spirituality.  She is a trained labyrinth facilitator, and designed a month long program for women titled “Acknowledging the Mystery of Pregnancy Loss”.   Karen... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street D

4:30pm EDT

How to Manage Your Money (When Saving for College Isn’t a Thing)
Speakers
avatar for Jessica Garbarino

Jessica Garbarino

Founder and Owner, Every Single Dollar
Jessica Garbarino is the founder and owner of Every Single Dollar, a company dedicated to helping single women navigate the world of personal finance.  She realized that she was experiencing a financial hangover in her early 30s after the lifestyle choices in her 20s caused her to... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street A

4:30pm EDT

Singles Without Kids: How to Be a Magnet for Love

You’re interested in dating but you are sure that you don’t want to be or can't be a parent.

You probably don’t want to date someone, grow attached and then feel hurt when the parenthood issue sends you off in separate directions.

Do you wonder if it’s worth it to risk dating those who aren’t sure if they want kids (but may be sure later on?) Are are you afraid you’ll scare away the “one” if you spell out your condition too soon?

Most important, how do you become a magnet and attract “the one” that will love and accept you as you really are?

Join single NotMoms and discover a proven path to finding true love.


Speakers
avatar for Susanna Goulder

Susanna Goulder

CEO, Live Your GOODLIFE Speaking & Coaching
Susanna Goulder, GPCC, ACC, Interfaith minister and an award-winning wedding business owner, has married over 350 couples in exquisitely personalized, romantic ceremonies.  She has decoded what attracts true love from the detailed questionnaires answered individually by hundreds... Read More →


Friday October 6, 2017 4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street B

6:00pm EDT

9:00pm EDT

PJ PARTY SNEAK PEEK To Kid or Not to Kid: The Choice to Live Childfree, The Movie
We're screening the latest by award-winning documentary producer Maxine Trump, a film about the decision to live without motherhood. Maxine interviewed several attendees at the first NotMom Summit, and we can't wait to see the final product! Tasty munchies and wine and beer on hand.  https://www.facebook.com/tokidornottokid

Moderators
avatar for Maxine Trump

Maxine Trump

Director, Helpman Productions
Maxine Trump's feature documentary Musicwood, was a New York Times Critics' Pick, a festival award-winner and played in theaters and on TV networks around the world. TO KID OR NOT TO KID is Maxine's latest documentary, the film has just finished production so we are in the very fortunate... Read More →
avatar for Karen Malone Wright

Karen Malone Wright

Founding Voice & Chief Executive, TheNotMom®
Karen Malone Wright launched The NotMom.com in 2012 for herself and the one of every six American women who are childless or childfree. Her insights and ideas spring from a notable career directing communications strategy in philanthropy, health care, television and print media in... Read More →

Friday October 6, 2017 9:00pm - 11:30pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114
 
Saturday, October 7
 

6:30am EDT

Fitness Stretch & Walk
We'll meet in the Hilton lobby with walking shoes on and ready to go! (Rain Option: Stay in hotel for synchronized stretches)

Speakers
avatar for Olga Chwa

Olga Chwa

Owner, Surya Wellness
Olga Chwa is a NotMom on a mission to make women shine through bodywork, breathwork, mindfulness and lifestyle. For over 20 years of study and practice, Olga has woven together many somatic trainings: traditional yoga, modern dance, therapeutic massage, ayurvedic healing, wellness... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 6:30am - 7:30am EDT
Meet in Hilton lobby

7:00am EDT

Registration & Help Desk
Saturday October 7, 2017 7:00am - 4:30pm EDT
3rd Floor Foyer

8:00am EDT

Breakfast with NotMoms from Around the World
Speakers
avatar for Jody Day

Jody Day

Author, Psychotherapist and Founder,, Gateway Women
Jody Day is an author, social entrepreneur, integrative psychotherapist trainee and the founder of Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women. Jody is a founding member at AWOC.org (the ageing without children collective)  A former Fellow... Read More →
avatar for Catherine-Emmanuelle Delisle

Catherine-Emmanuelle Delisle

Creator, Femmes Sans Enfant
Catherine-Emmanuelle Delisle is a Canadian teacher and creator of femmesansenfant.com, a blog written in French, to inform, rally and celebrate the lives of women without children by choice or by circumstance. Catherine has grown the audience for her website through an ongoing and... Read More →
avatar for Amy Blackstone, Ph.D.

Amy Blackstone, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Sociology & Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, University of Maine and Blogger, We're {Not} Having A Baby!
Sociologist and NotMom Amy Blackstone is a professor at the University of Maine where she splits her time between the Sociology Department and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. Dr. Blackstone studies the childfree choice, workplace harassment, and civic engagement. She is a... Read More →
avatar for Kimya Dennis, Ph.D.

Kimya Dennis, Ph.D.

Criminologist, Sociologist & Assistant Professor, Salem College
A childfree woman who never had a desire to have biological or adopted children, Kimya recalls when she “made official” her lack of desire and decision not to have children. She is also a sociologist and criminologist. Her teaching, research, and community activism tackle reproductive... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 8:00am - 10:00am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

9:45am EDT

How Many NotMoms Can You Meet in About 30 Minutes?
This is no ordinary conference ice-breaker. Chances are, you will meet more NotMoms in half an hour than in all of 2017!

Moderators
avatar for Laura M. LaVoie

Laura M. LaVoie

Blogger/Co-Administrator, The NotMom.com
Laura M. LaVoie is a freelance writer living in a 120 square-foot house in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her partner, Matt, and their hairless cat, Piglet. In 2011, Laura and Matt took their tiny house experience to Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa to build a shelter... Read More →
avatar for Karen Malone Wright

Karen Malone Wright

Founding Voice & Chief Executive, TheNotMom®
Karen Malone Wright launched The NotMom.com in 2012 for herself and the one of every six American women who are childless or childfree. Her insights and ideas spring from a notable career directing communications strategy in philanthropy, health care, television and print media in... Read More →

Saturday October 7, 2017 9:45am - 10:15am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

10:00am EDT

Bookstore
You'll find books written by speakers at The NotMom Summit here, thanks to Appletree Books, an independent, female-owned bookstore. If you're tired of looking for relevant women's stories and research, do stop by!

Saturday October 7, 2017 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
TBA

10:30am EDT

Getting Older Just Like You Planned It
Speakers
avatar for Sue Fagalde Lick

Sue Fagalde Lick

Author, Childless by Marriage
Author Sue Fagalde Lick never expected to end up alone in her 60s without husband or children. In many ways, the author of Childless by Marriage personifies the fears of many childless women who worry that if they don’t have any kids, they will find themselves on their own in old... Read More →
avatar for Gisele Palancz

Gisele Palancz

Founder and President, Lexeme Etc. Inc.
Gisèle Palancz is the author of Pas de bébé à bord (No Baby On Board), the script-writer of Voulez-vous risquer avec moi? (Do you want to risk with me?), a docudrama about women and AIDS broadcast on national television, and the founder and president of Lexème etc. inc., a company... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street D

10:30am EDT

Nulliparity: The Medical Upsides and Downsides of Being a NotMom
"Nullipara" - the medical term for a woman who has never given birth. Does the absence of motherhood impact a woman's health status? It can, and this session breaks down what's real and what's myth. 

Speakers
avatar for Marjorie Greenfield, MD

Marjorie Greenfield, MD

Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology; Vice Chair for Faculty Development; Division Director, General Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacDonald Hospital for Women, University Hospitals Case Medical Center & Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
After graduating from Case Western’s School of Medicine in 1983, Dr. Marjorie Greenfield completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital and University Hospitals MacDonald House. She then became an attending physician at MacDonald... Read More →
avatar for Sandra Dayaratna, MD

Sandra Dayaratna, MD

Clinical Associate Professor & Division Director, General Obstetrics & Gynecology, Jefferson University Hospitals
Dr. Dayaratna is a graduate of Yale University, Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.  She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital.   She has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street A

12:00pm EDT

LUNCH - Keynote Speaker Jody Day
Speakers
avatar for Jody Day

Jody Day

Author, Psychotherapist and Founder,, Gateway Women
Jody Day is an author, social entrepreneur, integrative psychotherapist trainee and the founder of Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women. Jody is a founding member at AWOC.org (the ageing without children collective)  A former Fellow... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 12:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

2:00pm EDT

BREAK
Saturday October 7, 2017 2:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope C

2:15pm EDT

Other Than Moms (or, Loving Other People's Kids)
Speakers
avatar for Melody Stewart

Melody Stewart

Judge, Ohio Court of Appeals
Melody Stewart earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, and her Ph.D. from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 2:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street D

2:15pm EDT

Mommyjacking Self-Defense
Speakers
avatar for Kate Kaufmann

Kate Kaufmann

Author, Never Expecting
Kate Kaufmann cares about connection and has been hosting small group and one-on-one conversations with NotMoms since 2012. Those conversations inspired her book, Never Expecting: Life Outside the Mainstream of Motherhood, which is nearly complete. In it Kate weaves together stories... Read More →
avatar for Laurie Sanci

Laurie Sanci

Organizational Consultant and Coach
Laurie Sanci is an organizational consultant and coach with a mission to inspire people to be courageously authentic in their professional and personal lives. She helps leaders and their teams to be more effective and reach their potential.  As a coach, Laurie has a passion for... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 2:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street A

2:15pm EDT

Tribes Within the Tribe: Child-Free by Chance (or Maybe a Bit of By Choice, Too)
Plain talk. Honest talk. With women who understand.

Moderators
avatar for Kyla Fitzpatrick

Kyla Fitzpatrick

Childless by circumstance, Kyla Fitzpatrick has become all too familiar with the social stigma that comes with this territory. This is just one of the reasons that the NotMom Sisterhood has given her peace of mind and the comfort of finding a like-minded tribe. After a medical scare... Read More →

Saturday October 7, 2017 2:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Center Street B

2:15pm EDT

Tribes Within the Tribe: Childfree By Choice
Plain talk. Honest talk. With women who understand.

Moderators
avatar for Amy Blackstone, Ph.D.

Amy Blackstone, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Sociology & Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, University of Maine and Blogger, We're {Not} Having A Baby!
Sociologist and NotMom Amy Blackstone is a professor at the University of Maine where she splits her time between the Sociology Department and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. Dr. Blackstone studies the childfree choice, workplace harassment, and civic engagement. She is a... Read More →
avatar for Kimya Dennis, Ph.D.

Kimya Dennis, Ph.D.

Criminologist, Sociologist & Assistant Professor, Salem College
A childfree woman who never had a desire to have biological or adopted children, Kimya recalls when she “made official” her lack of desire and decision not to have children. She is also a sociologist and criminologist. Her teaching, research, and community activism tackle reproductive... Read More →

Saturday October 7, 2017 2:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope A

3:45pm EDT

BREAK + Topic Hookups
Saturday October 7, 2017 3:45pm - 4:15pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope C

4:30pm EDT

On the Big Screen: Childless & Childfree Stories
Documentary filmmaker Maxine Trump, a NotMom by choice, was already mapping out her next project on America's women without children when she learned of the first NotMom Summit in 2015. She attended the event and interviewed many women on camera, from conference attendees to hotel staff.

Now that editing is underway, Maxine is ready to talk about what she's learned during the filmind process.

Motivational speaker Delores Pressley has built a successful life and some might think she gets everything she wants. But as a By Chance NotMom, she knows what it means to stuff your feelings inside, and how to move on and move up!

Speakers
avatar for DeLores Pressley

DeLores Pressley

Owner, DeLores Pressley Worldwide
International keynote motivational speaker and life coach, is dedicated to helping people take action to launch bold, confident and courageous lives. She is the CEO of DeLores Pressley Worldwide and founder of the Global Up Woman™ Network, a movement to empower and elevate women... Read More →
avatar for Maxine Trump

Maxine Trump

Director, Helpman Productions
Maxine Trump's feature documentary Musicwood, was a New York Times Critics' Pick, a festival award-winner and played in theaters and on TV networks around the world. TO KID OR NOT TO KID is Maxine's latest documentary, the film has just finished production so we are in the very fortunate... Read More →


Saturday October 7, 2017 4:30pm - 6:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Hope E 100 Lakeside Ave East, Cleveland OH 44114

10:00pm EDT

Wild Women Rock!
Join us at the place named for famed Clevelander and federal officer Eliot Ness, the man who led the 1920s Untouchables and brought down mobster Al Capone. Two drinks and munchies on us!

Saturday October 7, 2017 10:00pm - Sunday October 8, 2017 12:00am EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - Eliot's Bar
 
Sunday, October 8
 

10:00am EDT

The Get Up & Meet Up Farewell Breakfast
Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED.
Attendance limited to no more than 12 people.. (Blame the restaurant.)

Of course, if you happen to stop by our table and someone has left early...

http://www.theburnhamrestaurant.com/breakfast/ 

Speakers
avatar for Laura M. LaVoie

Laura M. LaVoie

Blogger/Co-Administrator, The NotMom.com
Laura M. LaVoie is a freelance writer living in a 120 square-foot house in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her partner, Matt, and their hairless cat, Piglet. In 2011, Laura and Matt took their tiny house experience to Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa to build a shelter... Read More →
avatar for Karen Malone Wright

Karen Malone Wright

Founding Voice & Chief Executive, TheNotMom®
Karen Malone Wright launched The NotMom.com in 2012 for herself and the one of every six American women who are childless or childfree. Her insights and ideas spring from a notable career directing communications strategy in philanthropy, health care, television and print media in... Read More →


Sunday October 8, 2017 10:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Hilton Cleveland Downtown - The Burnham Restaurant
 
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