KAAN 2025: Full Schedule

The KAAN 2025 Conference will take place at The Grand Hyatt in Atlanta, GA, on June 20-22. The theme this year is Growth and Change. As always, we offer an adoptee-only track alongside our general breakout sessions, which are open to all. We also offer programs for adults and youth (ages 8-17). All are welcome, including adoptees, birth families, family members (adoptive parents, spouses/partners, siblings and children of adoptees), service providers, and Korean Americans. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at tech@wearekaan.org.

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KAAN is a Project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, fiscal sponsor. This permits KAAN to operate as a nonprofit under TFEC’s 501(c)(3) designation. The official registration and financial information of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, at 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Foundation for Enhancing Communities is registered in each state requiring such registration for charitable solicitation. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. Thank you!

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9:30am EDT

BIPOC Adoptees VOICES Creating Community

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT

Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

Our workshop BIPOC Adoptees VOICES Creating Community, invites adoptees to explore and articulate their needs and hopes for our collective future. Through guided prompts, participants will visualize their unique journeys, contributing to our shared past and future. This adoptee-only session includes individual reflection, small group discussions, a "gallery walkthrough," and final debrief. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of our collective community's needs as well as their own place within adoptee community, clear vision for how the community can grow, and what they can do as individuals to contribute to make the community stronger and more inclusive.

Speakers

Liana Soifer

Liana Soifer is a transracial adoptee born in South Korea and raised in Oregon. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of BIPOC Adoptees VOICES, a grassroots nonprofit based in Portland, OR. With a BA in Human Services, Liana has worked as a Project Manager, overseeing web applications... Read More →

Mai Li O'Keefe

Mai Li O'Keefe (they/them) is a Portland based Korean adoptee that spends their time grassroots organizing, playing outside, and enjoying quality time with loved ones. They are a co-founder, board member, and active organizer for BIPOC Adoptees VOICES, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization... Read More →

Jill Mann

Jill Mann is a transracial, transnational Korean adoptee. She is an artist, writer, and musician, and a member of the BIPOC Adoptees team. She is also secretary of the board of Asian Heritage Association, a local community organization in McMinnville, Oregon, where she lives with... Read More →

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session

11:00am EDT

Bringing About a Global Adoption Movement*

Saturday June 21, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

This lecture is about my journey in discovering that my identity was switched with that of a child who likely passed away at my Korean Adoption Agency, KSS - and how my years long investigation into my and my likely twin’s switch cases led to the creation of the 2024 FRONTLINE / AP documentary “South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning”. Ultimately, my story is about swimming upward from the bottom of an ocean of gaslighting, and working for years to help birth a global level of consciousness about Korean Adoption corruption through the FRONTLINE / AP documentary and related international articles.

This session will also be held on Sunday at 9:45 - 11:00 AM.

Speakers

Rebecca Kimmel

Rebecca Kimmel (born 1975) was adopted through Korea Social Service. Since 2018, she has been investigating her own switch case, and since 2020 she has been investigating her likely twin’s switch case. Rebecca’s investigation into these cases led her to become a contributor to... Read More →

Saturday June 21, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session, Repeat Session

2:45pm EDT

Discovering Our Power Through Peer Groups*

Saturday June 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT

Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

This panel-style workshop will feature an open dialogue and facilitated conversation around the formation and impact of diverse transracial adoptee peer support groups. Panelists will share insights on organizing their specific groups, offering guidance and lived experiences that highlight the transformative power of connection, healing, and liberation within adoptee communities. This discussion will address key topics such as inclusivity, growth, change, and coalition building, with a focus on fostering a unified and supportive network. Recognizing that many adoptees experience isolation and that groups can sometimes become siloed, this panel aspires to build bridges and promote solidarity across adoptee communities.

This session will also be held on Friday at 12:00 - 1:30 PM.

Speakers

Anna Mae Hee Kiesnowski

Anna (she/her) is a highly sought-after LGBTQIA+ educator, known for creating engaging learning experiences that challenge assumptions and promote a more equitable, safe future. As a licensed clinical social worker, she offers psychotherapy, supportive group processes, and gender-affirming... Read More →

Sunia Won

Sunia Won is a dynamic leader and creative visionary bringing visibility at the intersection of faith, arts, and justice. With over 25 years of experience leading non-profits, she is the founder of OMIJA, fostering courageous conversations and connections for Asian adoptees, and the... Read More →

Megan 고은 Tulius

Based in the Twin Cities, Megan 고은 Tulius facilitates a monthly support group for transracial adopted people. She studied Korean language and literature at the University of Minnesota, and is currently an LMFT graduate student at the University of St. Thomas. Inspired by discussions... Read More →

Saturday June 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session, Repeat Session

4:15pm EDT

College: Leaving Home, Leaving the Fog?

Saturday June 21, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT

Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

For transnational/-racial adoptees, entering college can be a transformative period. Navigating life outside of the white adoptive family may bring a whole host of possibilities: learning the language of the motherland, studying abroad in one’s birth country, searching for acceptance and solidarity in Asian-American campus organizations, and intellectualizing about adoptee identity with professors. Yet, what do these changes mean for the adoptee? How might they shift the relationship between the adoptee and the adoptive family, between them and other Asian-Americans, and most importantly, between the adoptee and themself?

Speakers

Eryn Feng

Eryn Fēng (they/them) is a Chinese transnational/-racial adoptee born in Fengcheng, Jiangxi. They are a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College and a Mellon Mays Research Fellow. Their research interests are Critical Adoption Studies, trans theory, queer of color critique, and Asian... Read More →

Zhao Gu Gammage

Zhao Gu Gammage (she/her) is adopted from Gansu Province in northwestern China and recent graduate of Haverford College. She majored in East Asian Languages and Cultures with minors in Chinese language and MENA studies. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and elementary Arabic.

Saturday June 21, 2025 4:15pm - 5:30pm EDT
Highland 1 & 2 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session