Boss Moves: How Nazca Fontes Built a Global Family-Building Agency From Her Chicago Apartment
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
By Marci Hughes
Thirty years ago, Nazca Fontes had a vision for something better in the fertility industry. Armed with experience working in the field—and personal experience as an egg donor—she believed intended parents, surrogates, and donors deserved more compassion, support, and care throughout the family-building journey.
What started as a dream sketched out on the floor of her Chicago apartment became ConceiveAbilities, now one of the most respected egg donor and surrogacy agencies in the world.
That was the first boss move.
Today, Nazca is celebrating 30 years leading the woman-owned, full-service agency she built from the ground up. Over the last three decades, ConceiveAbilities has helped thousands of families grow through surrogacy and egg donation while also setting a new benchmark for surrogate care and compensation
But what makes Nazca’s leadership story so compelling is not just the success—it is how she built it.
Leading Through Uncertainty Without Losing Your Center
At a time when empathy and intuition were often dismissed as “soft skills,” Nazca leaned into them as leadership strengths. She built a company culture centered on human connection, emotional intelligence, and purpose-driven innovation.
“Confidence during uncertainty comes from staying deeply connected to your mission while remaining flexible in how you achieve it,” Nazca says. “The key is to avoid reacting emotionally to every obstacle and instead stay anchored in purpose.”
That philosophy helped guide ConceiveAbilities through over three decades of growth and change. Rather than chasing quick fixes or trends, Nazca focused on long-term innovation—continuously refining systems, improving outcomes, and elevating the experience for both intended parents and surrogates.
Building Long-Term Growth Through Innovation and Culture
Nazca also embraced a remote-first culture, recognizing that flexibility could help the company reach more families while attracting exceptional talent nationwide. But flexibility, she says, only works when paired with intention and structure.
At ConceiveAbilities, team members undergo a deeply guided onboarding process designed to immerse them in every aspect of the surrogacy journey. Nazca believes people do their best work when they feel connected to a mission larger than themselves.
“I believe growth happens when leaders create environments where people feel safe to think creatively and become their fullest selves,” she explains. “When people feel supported and inspired, innovation happens naturally.”
Her approach has proven that humanity and high performance are not opposites. In fact, they are often deeply connected.
Staying Calm, Focused, and Effective Under Pressure
For Nazca, execution under pressure starts with clarity, communication, and purpose. During difficult moments, she believes leaders must create calm—not chaos.
“Pressure does not diminish the importance of humanity in leadership,” she says. “It amplifies it.”
That mindset has helped ConceiveAbilities scale while maintaining its deeply personal mission of helping bring babies home.
Beyond business success, Nazca Fontes has also focused on creating a broader impact for families. Through the Milk Donation Challenge, a national movement that has inspired women across the country to donate, more than seven million ounces of breast milk have helped nourish babies and support NICUs nationwide.
Thirty years later, Nazca Fontes has proven that the most powerful companies are not built through ego or hype—but through purpose, resilience, innovation, and the courage to lead differently.
And as the future of family building continues to evolve, so will her commitment to creating more compassionate, empowering, and innovative paths to parenthood.
Connect With Marci
@conceiveabilities
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