Meet the Team
Jarret Zafran, Esq.
Founder and Executive Director
(he/him)
Jarret is an attorney and father through surrogacy and egg donation. He and his husband Elliot worked with a large, reputable agency to have their daughter, Naomi. Their experience was fine and their surrogate was wonderful, but a certain personal touch was missing. After New York legalized compensated gestational surrogacy, Jarret began to envision a new type of surrogacy agency, one that married competence and professionalism with the type of compassionate guidance and personalized support a person expects more from a friend, not an agency. Jarret wanted to be that deeply knowledgeable friend for clients, committed to ethical practices and individualized support for surrogates and parents alike.
Jarret received his A.B. from Harvard University and his J.D. magna cum laude from NYU School of Law. Prior to founding Brownstone, Jarret worked as a litigator at WilmerHale LLP, focused on complex litigation, regulatory, and enforcement matters, and pro bono cases related to criminal justice, immigration, and LGBT rights. Jarret also served as a law clerk to two federal judges, Raymond J. Lohier, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Alison J. Nathan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Before law school, Jarret worked as an analyst for Benenson Strategy Group, conducting qualitative and quantitative research for political, corporate, and nonprofit clients, including for President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. Jarret is a member of the American Bar Association’s Assisted Reproductive Technology Law Committee. He lives with his husband two daughters, Naomi and Annie, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Hobbies: all things food (cooking, baking, restaurants and bakeries); travel (US and abroad); tennis; local politics; admiring other people’s dogs
Yesenia Lemus
Director of Surrogate Services
(she/her)
Yesenia is passionate about all things pregnancy and surrogacy. In 2020, she carried twins for a couple from California. Her experience was so positive that she continued to stay involved in the field, consulting for various agencies. She has worked as a Surrogate Mentor for Brownstone since the agency’s inception.
Prior to joining Brownstone full-time, Yesenia worked as an Administrative Specialist with her county’s mental health department, focusing on health equity, cultural competency, and wellness programs. She also served on the board of directors for a non-profit that advocates for victims of domestic violence and their families. Yesenia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Global Economics from UC Santa Cruz and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with specialization in Organizational Leadership from National University. She lives with her husband and two children in Central California.
As Director of Surrogate Services, Yesenia is focused on creating a strong support system for Brownstone surrogates so that they feel empowered in their journeys.
Hobbies: trying new foods; people watching; taxiing her kids from activity to activity; bingeing Netflix shows
Tasha Brown
Surrogate Intake Coordinator
(she/her)
Tasha is a former gestational surrogate who has carried for 3 different families. She enjoys using her experience to educate people about the surrogacy process and prepare them for this amazing journey. Along with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she holds years of experience as a surrogacy industry professional. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children.
Hobbies: baking, eating what she bakes, jigsaw puzzles, reading, attempting (and mostly failing) DIY home projects
Claudia Pascale, PhD
Mental Health Consultant
(she/her)
Dr. Pascale is a psychologist holding a New Jersey and Psypact license specializing in infertility, perinatal issues, and reproductive mental health. As Director, she pioneered and developed the Psychological and Support Services program at the Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Science (IRMS) at Saint Barnabas for 22 years. As a private practitioner, Dr. Pascale assists individuals and couples in navigating family-building through assisted reproductive technology and third-party reproduction, as well as conducting psychological assessments for egg, sperm and embryo donation and gestational surrogacy. She actively supports and helps facilitate the LGBTQ+ community in their family-building efforts. Her research interests are in psychometric assessments for third party reproductive participants and the effects of embryo sex selection on the reproductive patient. As a recognized authority on the psychological and social aspects of infertility and reproductive mental health, Claudia has been a past member of Resolve’s Mental Health Advisory Group; past chair of the Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and a SART representative (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Pascale holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Fordham University, a Master’s degree from Antioch College, and Bachelor’s degree from Assumption College.
Hobbies: fly-fishing; sea glass hunting; hiking; and reading spy novels
Evan Milton, MD, MPH
Medical Consultant
(he/him)
Dr. Milton is an obstetrician and family medicine specialist. He completed his residency and obstetric fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Dr. Milton received his Medical degree at Michigan State University and holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. He is a Fulbright Fellow and is professionally interested in social medicine, reproductive justice, and health system strengthening. He was born and raised near the sunny shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and lives now in Washington D.C. with his family.
Hobbies: running; skiing; skateboarding; and comparative mystical literature
Walter
Official Dog
Walter is Jarret and Elliot’s first “child,” a dog that may be a Jack Russell-Beagle mix and may be around 13 years old. What we do know is that he’s anxious and you may hear him bark during a consultation (sorry in advance!), but that he’s fundamentally a good boy. He’s also the inspiration for our provision for pet care for our surrogates!
Hobbies: waiting for food to drop; barking at noises; marking his territory
Brownstone Surrogacy is licensed as a surrogacy matching program by the New York State Department of Health. Our license number is GS221023. We are proud to be among the few agencies licensed by a governmental regulator.
“Gestation is a marvel, no matter how it is accomplished. But gestation isn’t the real magic. Love is the magic. Love is the only magic.” – Early: An Intimate History of Premature Birth and What It Teaches Us About Being Human by Sarah DiGregorio