Thirty years ago, Nazca Fontes launched ConceivAbilities from her Chicago apartment with a vision that would help transform the future of family building. What began as a bold idea has grown into one of the world’s leading family-building agencies, supporting thousands of intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors through compassionate care, ethical leadership, and unwavering innovation. As Founder and Chairwoman, Fontes has spent three decades raising the standard for reproductive care while helping redefine what is possible for families around the globe. In this exclusive interview with Formidable Woman® Magazine, she reflects on the leadership decisions, defining moments, and enduring vision that continue to shape her remarkable legacy.
FWM: You founded ConceivAbilities from your Chicago apartment with a vision for expanding what was possible in reproductive care. What did you see then that others in the industry had not yet recognized?
NF: When I started ConceiveAbilities, I wasn’t thinking about building a company. I was focused on creating a better experience for people during one of the most personal journeys of their lives.
As a biologist in a fertility clinic, and later through my own experience as an egg donor, I witnessed firsthand the incredible power of science, but also what it lacked. There was an opportunity to bring more education, compassion, transparency, and support to everyone involved. I started on the floor of my Chicago apartment with a simple belief: family building should feel human. Intended parents deserved guidance and hope during an incredibly emotional process, and the women helping them become parents deserved to feel valued, respected, and supported. At the time, the industry was still very clinical. I believed the relationships behind the process mattered just as much as the science. Thirty years later, that same belief continues to guide us. We have helped build thousands of families, but at the heart of every journey is still a very personal story of people coming together to help create something extraordinary.
FWM: Building a company that helps create families carries an extraordinary level of responsibility. How have your personal values shaped the way ConceivAbilities approaches care, ethics, and the relationships at the center of this work?
NF: When your work involves helping create families, you never forget what is at stake. From the beginning, my values have always centered around trust, compassion, and doing things the right way, even when the easier path exists. A surrogacy journey brings together so many people: intended parents, surrogates, physicians, attorneys, and our team. But behind every process and every decision are real people with real hopes, fears, and dreams. I have always believed empathy is not a soft skill. It is a leadership strength. It allows us to understand people, build trust, and create an experience where everyone feels supported. The relationships at the center of this work are what make it so powerful. Our responsibility is to protect those relationships with care, transparency, and respect.
FWM: Over three decades, you have witnessed enormous changes in surrogacy, egg donation, and reproductive health. Which shifts have been most meaningful, and where do you believe the industry still needs to evolve?
NF: One of the most rewarding changes over the past 30 years has been seeing family-building conversations move into the open. What was once surrounded by silence and misunderstanding is now discussed with greater openness and compassion. Surrogacy is no longer viewed as a last chance, it’s recognized as a proven, highly successful way to build a family. More people understand that families are created in many different ways, and every path deserves respect and celebration.
The medical advancements have been extraordinary. Science continues to create possibilities that many families never thought they’d have. Breakthroughs like Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) and single embryo transfer have made the surrogacy journey safer than ever, improving pregnancy outcomes while reducing risks for the surrogate. These advancements have helped make gestational surrogacy one of the most successful paths to parenthood available today.
Science may make surrogacy possible, but it’s the women who choose to become surrogates who make these journeys extraordinary. Although awareness has grown, misconceptions still exist about who surrogates are and why they choose this path. Time and again, we’ve seen that their motivation is remarkably simple: they want to help someone become a parent. They know the joy their own children have brought them and want another family to experience that same love. For many, it’s also deeply personal, more than 75% have known someone close to them who has experienced infertility or struggled to build their family. Their decision is rooted in empathy, generosity, and a genuine desire to help someone realize their dream of becoming a parent.
The more we share these stories, the more people see surrogacy for what it truly is, not just a medical process, but an extraordinary act of generosity, connection, and hope that helps create families.
FWM: You have grown ConceivAbilities from an idea into an internationally recognized family-building agency. What has been one of the most defining leadership decisions of your journey?
NF: One of the most defining decisions was realizing that growth could never come at the expense of our values. As ConceiveAbilities expanded, I knew we needed to build systems, bring in experts, and create structure, but we also needed to protect the heart of why we started. I have always believed the strongest organizations are built by surrounding yourself with incredible people who bring different strengths and perspectives. Building a team of experts across reproductive medicine, mental health, legal support, client care, and operations allowed us to elevate the experience while staying true to our mission. Leadership isn’t about having every answer, it’s about bringing together the right people, empowering them to do their best work, and staying grounded in a shared purpose.
FWM: Innovation often requires challenging established ways of thinking. When have you had to trust your own vision before others could fully see it?
NF: Honestly, from the very beginning. When I started ConceiveAbilities, there was no roadmap for what I wanted to build. Surrogacy and egg donation were viewed very differently, and I believed there was a better way. I trusted that compassion, empathy, and relationships could exist alongside clinical excellence and strong business practices. At times, qualities like empathy and intuition were viewed as “soft,” but I saw them as essential. In this work, understanding people is everything. Some of the biggest breakthroughs happen when you are willing to ask different questions and challenge the way things have always been done. Innovation is really about having the courage to imagine something better before everyone else can see it.
FWM: After helping empower thousands of families around the world, how has your own definition of legacy changed?
NF: When I was younger, I probably thought about legacy in terms of what you build. Now, I think about it more in terms of what continues because of what you built. Every family created through ConceiveAbilities creates a ripple effect. A child is born, someone becomes a parent, and a surrogate changes another person’s life forever. That impact continues for generations.
I am incredibly proud of the company we have built, but I am even more proud of the people and relationships behind it. Legacy isn’t measured by what you build, it’s measured by the lives that continue because you built it.
FWM: What are you building, protecting, or reimagining now that you believe will shape the next chapter of family creation?
NF: The next chapter is about continuing to make family building more supported, more understood, and more accessible to the people who need it. We are continuing to improve the experience for intended parents and surrogates by combining innovation with the personal connection this journey requires. Science and technology will continue to evolve, but the human side of family creation will always matter. My hope is that we continue moving toward a future where people understand that families can be built in many different ways, and that every path is worthy of celebration. Thirty years later, the mission remains beautifully simple: helping more people experience the joy of becoming a family.
Digital Cover feature photo credit: Maria Ponce
Feature images in blue suit photo credit: Jessica Czarnecki
