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CHILDLESS COLLECTIVE

summit

A 4-day, virtual gathering to support you in navigating your unexpectedly childless life. Learn how to process grief, embrace joy, and find a community that gets it.

THE SUMMIT HAS ENDED, BUT YOU CAN STILL GET EXTENDED ACCESS TO THE PRESENTATIONS

Brought to you by the Childless Collective Online Community

YOU DREAMT OF PARENTHOOD, BUT IT NEVER CAME – AND IT’S HARD TO ENVISION WHAT'S NEXT.

Because honestly? This isn’t the life you planned.

Maybe you’ve caught glimpses of a future you. One who is flourishing, vibrant and at peace with their circumstances.

You’d like to move toward that vision, but aren’t sure where to start.

You don’t have to go it alone. 

The summit will support you as you:

If you had to let go of your dream of parenthood, no matter the circumstances, this event is for you.

We’ve gathered thought leaders from around the world to share their collective wisdom on navigating grief, experiencing joy, finding community, and embracing an unexpectedly childless life.

Join us for four days of presentations, live social hours, and a private online community, just for attendees.

meet the speakers

We’re excited to introduce you to some of our favorite childless and childfree thought leaders, who are ready to share their experience and wisdom to help you navigate your life without kids.

keynote speaker

ruby warrington

she/her

Author and Editor

Ruby Warrington is a British-born author, editor, and publishing consultant. Perhaps best known as the creator of the term “Sober Curious,” her 2018 book and million-download podcast of the same title have helped to spearhead a global movement to reevaluate our relationship with alcohol. Ruby’s other works include Material Girl, Mystical World, The Sober Curious Reset, and her most recent book, Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood, which seeks to valorize the path of non-motherhood as it examines the various factors behind the drop off in birth rates globally. Ruby’s work has been featured by countless media outlets, including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Good Morning America. She lives in Brooklyn.

Sharing Our Stories

december 2

Day one will focus on our individual stories, and who we are as a community.

she/her

Aimee Ruiz

Never Tried To Conceive: Letting Go Of The Dream And Healing Our Grief

she/her

Stephanie Joy Phillips

My Childless Identity Feels Under Threat

she/her

Lucy Meggeson

Happiness Comes from Within: Embracing A Single, Childfree Life

ella/her

BEATRIZ PASTELLS LOZANO

Asumir una no maternidad y una menopausia precoz

Childless Through Early Menopause

he/him

Tan (Tuck) Cornelius

Tuff Tuck: Yellin’ At A Flower Don’t Make It Bloom

she/her

stacey brown

Grieving Girlhood

she/her

Judy Graham

Single and Childless: Unpacking Themes of Disenfranchisement & Empowerment

she/her

Rebecca Bic Lui Chan

Single and Childless: Unpacking Themes Of Disenfranchisement & Empowerment

she/her

Carrie Brauninger

Single and Childless: the Value of Community Connections

she/her

Naomi Geidel

Single and Childless: the Value of Community Connections

she/her

Helen Gallagher

Redefining Identity Being A “Step Parent”

they/them

Helen Robertson

Deconstructing and Reconstructing Identity and Values

Finding Healing

december 3

Day two will offer support and tools to help you process and navigate your grief.

she/her

april boyd

Claiming Your Time, Worth & Sovereignty As A Childless Person In A World That Thinks You’re Always Available

she/her

Katy Seppi

Reimagining Holiday Traditions

ella/her

GLORIA LABAY RODRIGUEZ

Anatomía de un duelo

The Anatomy of Grief

she/her

bindi shah

Creating A Whole You:  Reconnecting With The Old Connecting With The New

she/her

lana manikowski

Things People Say When You’re Childless

she/her

Saskia Fraser

Ceremonies of Hope: Healing the Grief of Childlessness

she/her

Emily Wesley

Ambiguous Loss and Disenfranchised Grief in Childlessness

ella/her

Ana Barrera

El arte como compañía en procesos de infertilidad

Art as Company During Infertility

she/her

sarah jane smith

Tend & Befriend: Grief Tending 101

ella/her

ADRIANA CASTRO

El Autocuidado en Tiempos de Infertilidad Social

Self-Care during times of Social Infertility

 

Looking Ahead

december 4

Day three will inspire you to envision new avenues to joy, meaning and love and fulfillment.

she/her

Jody Day

What Does Meaning Mean to You?

she/her

tiffany janzen

Purpose Beyond Parenthood

she/her

nisa darroux

Rewriting Your Narrative

she/her

jerra latrice mitchell

Legacy and Pregnancy Are Not Interrelated

he/they

stuart robson

Childfree After Infertility: A Male Perspective

she/her

Carrie Hauskens

Embracing Childfree: Goals for Living Your Best Life

ella/she

Graciela Elisabet Pardo

La vida sin hijos, una alternativa válida y potente en el siglo XXI

Life without Kids: A Valid and Strong Alternative

she/her

Yvonne John

Finding Acceptance Whilst Grieving the Loss of Motherhood

she/her

Sarah Roberts

Public Self, Private Self: Taking Up Space Without Burning Out

she/her

katie maynard

Public Self, Private Self: Taking Up Space Without Burning Out

she/her

Susie Imholt

Advocating To Be Seen (While Single and Childless)

Making Connections

december 5

Making new friends and connecting to community support.

she/her

ruby warrington

If Not Mother: Identity Outside of Motherhood

she/her

Kate Kaufmann

The Big Payoffs for Befriending Our Elders (those who are childless and childfree)

she/her

Tanya Hubbard

Discovering Unlikely Systems Of Support: Externally And Within Yourself

she/her

Katy seppi

Live Implementation Sessions

Here's what previous attendees said

You will feel relieved, positive and supported by these sessions. It's not a celebration of the struggle we have/are going through, but a celebration of who we are and the amazing new lives and adventures we're going to start.

The best collection of helpful and comforting support and advice I've had in my 15 year childless journey.

These sessions are truly life-changing. Hearing people speak about our shared experiences and share language and frameworks for how to talk about and process them will help me for years to come.

HI, I'm katy, your event host

a bit about me

My four-year infertility journey ended with a hysterectomy in 2017. At the time, I didn’t have a single person I could talk to who was also involuntarily childless.

I decided to use my background in community organizing to create gathering places for childless people to connect, access support, and talk about the common themes that weave through our experiences.

The Childless Collective Summit is the event I wish I’d had when I first realized I had to let go of my dream of parenthood. Now in its third year, the summit will build on the previous two, which brought 70 speakers and over 5,000 attendees together.

Join me and 38 childless and childfree thought leaders for this one-of-a-kind-event designed to support as you navigate grief, find joy, and embrace your unexpectedly childless life.

I can’t wait to see you there!

what to expect

at the childless collective summit

Each day will explore a different theme.

Sharing Our Stories
Telling the stories of who we are as individuals and as a community.
Finding
healing
Support and tools to help you process and navigate
your grief.
looking ahead
Envisioning new avenues to joy, meaning and love and fulfillment.
Making Connections
Making new friends and connecting to community support.

when & Where

Saturday, December 2 – Tuesday, December 5. The summit is virtual, so you can join the full event from the comfort of your own home.

sessions

Most speaker sessions are between 20-30 minutes long and focus on a range of topics related to living a full life without kids. Each day’s sessions are free to access for 24 hours, so you can watch them at your convenience.

upgrade

If you’d like more time to explore the sessions, you’ll have the option to upgrade to an extended access pass which gives you a full year of access to the sessions in video, audio, and transcript form as well as some other bonuses.

community

During the summit, you’ll have access to a private online group to connect with summit speakers and other attendees. We’ll also host a few social hours throughout the summit to give attendees a chance to meet and connect.

live community sessions

Watching sessions is great, but we know how powerful it is to connect with others who get it. That’s why we’ll have live, interactive events on Tuesday to help you make connections and apply what you’ve learned at the summit! 

These sessions include:

  • Next Steps Workshop – Identify your top takeaways from the summit and create your plan to implement what you’ve learned.

  • Ask Me Anything with Katy Seppi – Join your summit host for a live Q&A. Bring any questions you have about living an unexpectedly childless life. 

  • Finding Community  – Learn my top three ways to make new friends and connect to community. You’ll also hear more about the Childless Collective Online Community after the training.

These sessions are designed to help you implement what you’ve learned at the summit, while making community connections to support you long after the event wraps up.

Here's what previous attendees said

Hearing from those who have been on this path for decades and learning what is in store on this path was really helpful. I loved learning and unpacking the stereotypes and stigmas we hear about childless people and how to move beyond them into a more authentic story for yourself.

An exceptional collection full of rich, multi-layered insights and inspirations.

One of the best things I've done all year.

The Childless Collective did the hard part of finding the resources for navigating a childless life for me. It can feel so overwhelming to start an unexpected journey and this summit connected me with tools I need but don't always know how to get.

it's time to...

Share our stories.

Find acceptance and healing.

Envision your next steps.

Connect with community.

Join us for the childless collective summit.

common questions

The Childless Collective Summit is primarily designed for those who are childless not by choice, regardless of the circumstances. It may also be helpful for those who are still pursuing parenthood but are considering a life without children as an option. We also welcome friends and family members who would like to learn more about supporting their childless loved one.

Most of the summit sessions are pre-recorded, and available to watch for free for 24 hours. Live sessions are only available at the time they are hosted. We encourage you to attend live if you can!

We would love for you to set aside some time during the summit week to attend the live sessions, watch the pre-recorded presentations, and engage with other attendees. 

However, if you’re not able to attend all of the sessions live, you have the option to purchase an extended access pass, which gives you access to all of the speaker presentations for a full year, so you can watch them at your own pace

Each session will be available to watch for free for 24 hours. However, you also have the option to purchase an extended access pass for a full year of access to the speaker sessions and special extras!

Yes. All presentations have closed captioning, and transcripts are also available for each presentation with our upgrade options that you’ll see after registering for the event.

This year, we also have five speakers presenting in Spanish. These sessions will include subtitles in English.

Please reach out if there’s anything we can do to ensure you’re able to enjoy this event.

The summit runs from Saturday, December 2 – Tuesday, December 5. The private online community will be available throughout the event.

Your free ticket includes 24 hour access to each of the presentations. If you need more time, you can always upgrade with an extended access pass after registering, which gives you a full year of access to the speaker sessions, along with some extra bonuses!

To avoid tech glitches, give you the best possible experience, and keep things easy for the speakers, the presentations are pre-recorded and will be released at a scheduled time during the summit. 

However, the speakers will be hanging out in our private online community with dedicated threads where you can connect with them and ask your questions! There will also be opportunities to join us for bonus live events throughout the week.

No. When you register, you’ll be added to the Childless Collective email list so we can send you updates for the event and links to each day’s sessions. After the summit is over, you’ll continue to hear from us, but you can unsubscribe at any time.

Each of the speakers will have free resources available that you can access by providing an email address, but the speakers will not get your email address unless you choose to give it to them specifically. That way, you only hear from the people you really love and don’t have to worry about getting added to email lists that you’re not interested in.

You can learn more in our Privacy Policy.

If you still have questions, we encourage you to go ahead and sign up. Your questions will likely be answered during the event or in the private online community.

However, if you need to ask us a question before registering, feel free to send us an email at Katy@ChildlessCollective.com.

rsvp

Add your info below to register for free.