Helping families navigate the world of surrogacy

While Kayla Bergstrand found the assisted reproductive technology (ART) industry by coincidence, she quickly fell in love with the career field.

The St. Cloud State University alumna earned her degree in 2014, majoring in psychology and minoring in marketing. She almost immediately entered the ART world following graduation, working for surrogacy agencies and consulting. As she got more involved, she made it her mission to better the industry.

“I fell in love with it fast. I chose psychology because I care about people; I want to help people,” she said. “So I was naturally drawn to any industry like that. And then I came across this one and I fell in love.”

Bergstrand recently started her own surrogacy agency, K.B. Surrogacy. She assists both those looking to grow their family through surrogacy as well as those looking to be a surrogate. No matter what stage of the process a family has reached by the time they contact Bergstrand — if they already have embryos, sperm or egg donors or even a surrogate, or are just starting to consider surrogacy — Bergstrand is there for everything from medical screenings to legal paperwork and anything in between.

“There will never be a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to surrogacy,” her website states. “Some matches feel most comfortable with a full-service agency, others prefer to take the fully independent route. I am here to assist those who fall somewhere in between.”

Her work has brought Bergstrand in contact with people from all walks of life, and she feels SCSU helped prepare her for that.

“St. Cloud State seemed like the right choice, not just because of the location but also the diversity,” she said. “The experience taught me time management, how to work with people from various backgrounds and cultures, and the extreme value of networking.”

Bergstrand hopes to make the surrogacy process easier for her clients as well as more affordable in the long run, while also dispelling myths or inaccuracies about the surrogacy process. Ultimately, her main goal is to help families grow.

“I am passionate about the work I do because there are so many wonderful people out there who would not have been able to achieve their dreams of becoming parents without surrogacy,” she said. “It helps people achieve their dreams of becoming parents and empowers women to give that life-changing gift to others.”

With over 10 years in the surrogacy industry, Bergstrand has assisted with more than 140 matches. One of the most rewarding parts? Watching people find what’s been missing in their lives, and finally being able to have the family they’ve wanted for so long.

“I’ve stayed connected with families and seen their children grow,” she said. “You get to see the impact that children make themselves as they grow, which is this whole ripple effect that is just so huge.”