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!

10:30am EDT

KAAN 2025 Orientation: Adoptees Ages 26+ (Adoptee Only)

Friday June 20, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Speakers

Scarlett Hester

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 →

Friday June 20, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session

12:00pm EDT

Discovering Our Power Through Peer Groups*

Friday June 20, 2025 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT

Highland 4 &5 (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 Saturday at 2:45 - 4:00 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 →

Friday June 20, 2025 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session, Repeat Session

1:30pm EDT

Adoptee Perspectives From Around the World

Friday June 20, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Join Anna and Svetlana as they discuss the significant adoption changes that have occurred since KAAN last year. With the cessation of longstanding adoption programs in countries like China and Russia, alongside numerous international conflicts and increased public awareness of adoption issues, many adoptees are stepping forward to share their experiences. Engage in our conversation to explore the diverse and shared challenges faced by adoptees of different national origins. We invite you to reflect on how the past year has impacted you personally.

Speakers

Anna Sarkitova

Anna Sarkitova is an international adoptee from Saratov, Russia. She has been traveling the country as a travel nurse since January 2021, an adventure that has taken her and her husband to Baltimore, Detroit, Dearborn, Palo Alto, and Boston. This past fall she settled in Grand Rapids... Read More →

Svetlana Sandoval

Svetlana Sandoval is an International Adoptee from Russia. She was adopted to the U.S. during the peak wave of international adoptions in the late 90s. Svetlana is in reunion with her birthmother and family in Russia, and has been navigating reunion across language, cultural and legal... Read More →

Friday June 20, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session

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

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

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.

Trishna Malick

Trishna Malick is a singer, actress, and model in Los Angleles CA. Not only has her singing taken her places she’s never thought, but she’s also an actress and featured in tv and films.Trishna gets to be part of representation for her community. Everytime she picks up a mic to... Read More →

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

9:45am EDT

Bringing About a Global Adoption Movement*

Sunday June 22, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am EDT

Highland 4 &5 (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 Saturday at 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM.

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 →

Sunday June 22, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am EDT
Highland 4 &5 (Lobby)

Adoptee-Only Session, Repeat Session