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

Healthy Boundaries, Secure Relationships

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

Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Many adoptees struggle to form healthy meaningful relationships that allow them to feel known, seen, and valued. Why is this? Maybe you have been described as “distant” and find yourself “shutting down” in relationships. Maybe you’ve been told you are “too trusting” and find yourself in a pattern of hurt from relationships that feel one-sided. Navigating boundaries is essential for healthy, secure relationships and can be especially hard for adoptees. This session will explore ways the trauma of relinquishment is connected to our understanding of attachment and our ability to form healthy boundaries in relationships with others.

Speakers

Jodi Stelley

Jodi (she/hers) is a Korean American Adoptee and works as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in IL. She holds two degrees – M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and previously worked with underrepresented student populations... Read More →

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session

11:00am EDT

No Heirs?

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

Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

What does it mean to have no biological heirs? How do we define our purpose and leave a legacy? Who will take care of us when we’re in need? Speakers will share their personal journeys, choices and circumstances leading to these life questions, as well as dialogue in smaller groups with attendees about being childfree. This is intended to be a brave space centering adoptees without biological children in order to build community and help normalize the childfree experience.

Speakers

Kerry Bondy

Kerry was born in South Korea and adopted to a Midwestern suburb in the US. Her involvement in the Korean adoptee community began in 2001 after her first trip back to Korea on a Motherland tour. Since then, she has participated on adoptee panels, volunteered at and co-facilitated... Read More →

Chris Wodicka

Chris Wodicka (he/him) lives in Philadelphia, PA, where he is pursuing a PhD in social welfare, with a research focus on U.S. tax and social policy. Since 2022, he has served on the board of Hamkae Center (formerly NAKASEC Virginia), a nonprofit organization in Virginia that organizes... Read More →

Saturday June 21, 2025 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session

2:45pm EDT

BIPOC Adoptees VOICES Storytelling: Navigating Boundaries

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

Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

In BIPOC Adoptees VOICES Storytelling: Navigating Boundaries, a group of Black and brown adoptees will share a story about boundaries. Following storytelling, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in guided reflection and group discussion. Stories and discussion could touch on lacking boundaries, creating boundaries, and learning lessons in our relationships with ourselves, family, friends, adoption, and more.

This adoptee-only session intends to continue expanding the adoptee community by uplifting BIPOC adoptee voices, integrating self reflection, and offering points of connection. We believe storytelling is a powerful tool for self expression, healing, and shared wisdom.

Speakers

Kit Myers

Kit Myers is an assistant professor in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Merced. He is the author of The Violence of Love: Race, Adoption, and Family in the United States (University of California Press, 2025), which is available... 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 →

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 →

Lisa MM Butler

Lisa MM Butler is a US domestic transracial adoptee from Wyoming. She is an illustrator, author, advocate, community organizer and library worker. Lisa is a board member of VOICES, a BIPOC Adoptee community organization. Lisa currently lives in the pacific NW.

Madelaine Reis

Madelaine Reis, a transracial Puerto Rican adoptee, is the Assistant Director of the BIPOC Disability Collective, where she drives education, leadership development, and skill-building for activists of color. She partnered with BIPOC Adoptees to ensure accessibility at their national... Read More →

Saturday June 21, 2025 2:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session

4:15pm EDT

Finding Belonging: Dangers of Incel Culture

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

Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

This session delves into the unique challenges Asian men face regarding identity, masculinity, and belonging, while addressing the harmful impact of red pill and incel ideologies. We’ll discuss how these toxic narratives exploit male insecurity and alienation, and propose healthier, growth-oriented models of intimacy, vulnerability, and community. Through storytelling and dialogue, participants will build deeper connections and foster a sense of belonging rooted in self-acceptance. This session is for Asian adoptees who identify as men, including cis men, trans men, and others who resonate with masculinity.

Speakers

Kurt RuKim

Kurt RuKim He/Him, an educator, dancer, artist, and sex educator, brings his experience as a Korean adoptee and Network of Politicized Adoptees (NPA) steering committee member to co-create inclusive learning environments. Passionate about eradicating shame and ensuring access to accurate... Read More →

Chris Detrych

Residing in Chicago, Chris Detrych was adopted from Korea to the Detroit area. While attending University of Michigan, he founded an adoptee student group before taking a break from adoptee spaces for a decade. He returned to the scene by volunteering with Korean Adoptees of Chicago... Read More →

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

Adoptee-Only Session