Laura Carroll is a seasoned editor and writes nonfiction. Her book on childfree couples, Families of Two (with its 2nd edition in development), received international recognition and paved the way for her to become an expert and leading voice on the childfree choice. She has a Master’s in Psychology, and has conducted qualitative research on the childfree choice since the late 1990s. Laura ran the popular blog, La Vie Childfree, which is now a childfree writings library at lauracarroll.com. She is currently conducting a longitudinal study on childfree women. Laura is also the author of The Baby Matrix: Why Freeing Our Minds From Outmoded Thinking About Parenthood & Reproduction Will Create a Better World. She has been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS morning shows, a variety of radio talk shows, U.S. and Canadian public radio, print/digital media, including Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine to discuss social science topics.
Amy Blackstone, Ph.D. is a sociologist whose areas of expertise include the childfree choice and childfree families, research methods, workplace harassment, and civic engagement. She is Professor of Sociology at the University of Maine. Dr. Blackstone’s research has appeared in a variety of academic and media sources including the Katie show, public radio, NBC, Fox, TODAY Moms, Bustle, Time, Marie Claire, and other national and regional outlets. Lance Blackstone’s day job involves business analysis — and wishing he didn’t have a day job. Lance is a tropical fish and scuba enthusiast and he blogs and guest blogs on being childfree from a guy’s perspective. Amy and Lance have been married since 1995 and are happily childfree. Together, they run the blog we’re {not} having a baby!.
Jessica Wade is an IT Specialist for the University of Maine’s Fogler Library by day and an artist by night. She has several degrees from U Maine, one being in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, which led to the creation of widely followed facebook page, The Childfree Choice and its corresponding website and social media pages. For the last seven years, Jessica has researched the childfree choice, and is in the process of getting the research together to present to others. She does public lectures, including a yearly guest speaker invitation to a Women’s Sexuality class at U Maine. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with her husband of ten years, travelling, reading, vegan cooking, photography, gaming and animal activism. Thanks to past animal rescues, she and her husband are currently owned by six cats.
George Davis is part of the team that runs the childfree website, Why No Kids. He has a Master’s in Humanities, taught at Santa Fe Preparatory School and The American School of Paris, and co-founded Maison Margaux in Faubourg Saint-Germain in Paris and Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe, New Mexico. George is a poet, storyteller, and errant sailor. One day he will sail around the world. Until then he lives with his bride and dog on New York’s Adirondack Coast, in New Mexico’s high desert, and online at Geo Davis, virtualdavis.com, Rosslyn Redux, Carpe Midlife and @virtualdavis.
Chelsey Wren is a Canadian-based communications professional and the founder of Childfree is Not a Dirty Word, a website and social media community of over 16,000 people. Chelsey founded Childfree is Not a Dirty Word after facing repeated backlash for her decision not to have children. Knowing she couldn’t be alone out there, she has created an ever-growing tribe of like-minded individuals who share the stories of their diverse lives. Chelsey hopes to help to bring the term ‘childfree’ into the mainstream and, in doing so, let young women know motherhood is a choice.