Sharon Kaplan Roszia, M.S., is an internationally known trainer and author who helped pave the way for open adoption practice. She has been devoted to her work in adoption and foster care since 1963 and is also a parent by birth, adoption, and foster care. She is the recipient of an 'Angel in Adoption' award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and a 'Humanitarian Award' from the American Adoption Congress and is the co-author of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency: A Guide to Promoting Understanding and Healing in Adoption, Foster Care, Kinship Families and Third Party Reproduction.

Allison Davis Maxon, M.S., LMFT, is an expert in the fields of child welfare and children's mental health specializing in attachment, developmental trauma, and permanency/adoption. She is the executive director for the National Center on Adoption and Permanency and was the child welfare consultant on the Paramount Pictures movie 'Instant Family'. Allison was honored in 2017 with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute 'Angels in Adoption' award and is the co-author of Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency.