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Who we are
Founded in 2015, We are a full-service agency dedicated to supporting families worldwide. With over 50 years of combined experience in third-party reproduction, our leadership team brings unparalleled expertise to every journey. Many of our expert staff members are former surrogates, egg donors, and intended parents, allowing us to offer a deeply empathetic and personalized approach to family building, including adeptly managing any unexpected challenges along the way.
Leadership Team
Vivien Liu
Founder & CEO
Vivien is the heartbeat of the company. As a Cambridge graduate
coming from a luxury brand management background with
Harrods, Prada and LVMH, Vivien brings in the highest level of
customer service and brand experience to all her endeavors.
Having to sacrifice her decade-long promising career to fulfill
parenthood dreams lent her the hard-won joy as a mother. It also
fostered her compassion towards others who are fighting to build their own families.
Vivien formed Giving Tree on the belief that planned parenthood is a journey where selfless people work together to make miracles happen and care must run through it consistently before, during and after any surrogacy pregnancies.
"I love working in the surrogacy and egg donation industry, because it is a battlefield where vision, execution and ethical standards are demanded and challenged to its core. It is also a cradle where life and hope are created with care, perseverance, and love. What more do you want?"
Jack Lee
COO
Jack, our Chief Operating Officer, joined Giving Tree Surrogacy in
2018. He brings with him over 20 years of knowledge ranging from
administration, customer service, and sales. Jack has firsthand
experience with IVF clinics and surrogacy agencies as a former
prospective intended parent himself. It was this experience that
allows him to speak about surrogacy and egg donation from a unique, personal perspective.
Jack works closely with IVF clinics, ancillary infertility service
providers, intended parents, and surrogates to ensure a smooth
journey for everyone. Jack resides in Orange County, CA and when he isn't working, he spends time with his wife and daughter enjoying all of life’s little moments.
"Having witnessed firsthand, there is no greater joy than combining my experience and passion to helping couples realize their parenthood dreams."
Erica Kepple
Business Development and Client Relations Manager
Erica has been in the third party reproduction industry for over 13
years. She entered into the industry after becoming a licensed mental health counselor, conducting psychological evaluations and onboarding Intended Parents. Inspired by her love for family
preservation through her work as a psychotherapist with at-risk youth, she felt passionate about utilizing her training and entering an industry that allowed family creation.
She has developed a niche for matching Intended Parents and
Surrogates, making meaningful matches while approaching the
process with empathy and understanding for the unique relationship all parties will embark on. She has made it a priority to offer emotional support and is committed to creating a positive experience for all throughout the journey.
"I love how the industry allows us to bring individuals together for a unique relationship, and a bond unlike any other; that is created out of a common goal to create families."
Caroline Gerber
Surrogate Outreach Manager
Caroline's career focus has always been serving children and
families. As a child protection worker, she found great passion in
her work, ensuring children were safe from abuse and neglect. She held the title of Miss Wyoming USA in 2015 and used the national Miss USA stage to advocate for the great need in the foster care community.
After working in a non-profit for the last few years, she is excited
to focus her work back on the family unit and is thrilled to be able
to help build families.
“It is an honor and great privilege to be a part, however small, of this journey with these women. Their willingness to give of
themselves and help complete families is worthy of admiration.”
Tara Kusta
Surrogate Intake Manager
Tara, a former surrogate, delivered a beautiful baby girl for a deserving family in 2020. Inspired by the incredible journey of helping to build a family, she decided to continue her mission by working in the surrogacy industry. With a background in professional counseling and customer service, along with her personal experience as a surrogate, Tara excels at building relationships and supporting surrogates through the intake process.
Outside of work, Tara enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, cheering for her favorite football teams, and supporting her daughters' passion for competitive dance.
"The passion that I feel for creating families via surrogacy is what motivates me daily. Seeing the emotions that my Intended Parents experienced when their baby was born is something that I will never forget, and it changed my life forever. I love encouraging women to become surrogates to experience their own life-changing journeys, andI am honored to be able to support them as they take the first steps to help build a family."
Kelly Van
Surrogate Intake Supervisor
Kelly joined Giving Tree Surrogacy with several years experience providing support to surrogates .
Her background in human resources, recruiting, diversity and inclusion, consulting, business management and ownership provides a basis for delivering services, programs and experiences with excellence and empathy. Most importantly, she is a mother to her son, who is a source of inspiration and motivation.
Kelly enjoys traveling, food, music, fitness, hiking, being outdoors and spending time with her family, including two little dogs.
"I am deeply moved by the stories of our wonderful surrogates and the Intended Parents who long to have a family. As a member of Giving Tree Surrogacy, I am honored to provide support to our surrogates and to play a small part in enabling families to grow. My goal is to provide excellent service and clear communication. Ultimately, I hope that our surrogates will be thrilled that they embarked on the surrogacy journey."
Megan Cox
Match Specialist
Megan has worked in the Third-Party Reproduction field for the past four years, driven by a deep passion for helping others and supporting the loved ones in her life who have navigated infertility and family- building journeys. She is a licensed mental health counselor with extensive experience completing psychological consultations for gestational carriers, egg donors, and intended parents. Prior to her work in reproductive services, Megan’s professional background centered on family preservation, supporting at-risk youth and their families.
Megan has discovered her true calling in the art and science of
matching intended parents with gestational carriers. She loves the thoughtful, puzzle-like process of identifying the right fit for each unique journey and finds tremendous joy in creating matches that pave the way to happy, healthy families. Megan approaches every connection with empathy, compassion, and deep respect, ensuring that each party feels supported, understood, and heard.
It is such an honor to connect with so many different individuals along their surrogacy journey, and I enjoy the opportunity to witness the development of such an intimate and special relationship. I am in awe of each person I meet and the strength they all have through this journey of creating families.
Sarah Martin
Surrogate Program Manager
Sarah Martin began her career in family building in 2022 and has had the privilege of supporting surrogacy journeys for the past three years. She holds a Master's Degree in Professional Counseling and has over 17 years of experience providing counseling services through a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping teens and families affected by trauma. Sarah’s extensive background in the therapeutic field enables her with the special ability to empathize and build meaningful connections with Intended Parents and Surrogates, offering them exceptional support throughout the surrogacy process. She is particularly passionate about fostering relationships and guiding families at every stage of their journey. As a natural networker, Sarah is excited to be part of Giving Tree Surrogacy, contributing to the growth of these remarkable families.
Sarah resides in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband and
their Dachshund, Oliver. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga,
attending live music, hiking, and traveling.
“Building families through surrogacy is truly a remarkable process. To support a surrogacy journey isto witness courage, compassion, and hope come together. As the Surrogacy Program Manager, I’m honored to nurture relationships, offer compassionate guidance, and be part of something truly transformative.”
