Great Beginnings Surrogacy Services, also known as Great Beginnings Surrogacy, is a for-profit surrogacy agency based in San Diego, California, with a second address in La Jolla. Founded in 1998, it works as a full-service agency, meaning it handles surrogate matching and coordination of the journey rather than a single piece of the process. It is a small operation, with roughly five staff members.
According to its website, the agency is owned and directly led by Samuel Wood, MD, PhD, MBA, MA, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, and the agency names an affiliation with Gen 5 Fertility Center in San Diego. Better Business Bureau records list the business as previously known as Cori's Egg Donor and Surrogacy Services Inc.
The agency says it works with intended parents including LGBTQIA+ clients, and its program is also open to single parents and to intended parents living outside the United States. Alongside surrogacy matching and support, it offers an egg donor program, so families who need both a donor and a gestational carrier can arrange them through one organization.
Surrogates apply from within the United States; US citizenship is required, and the agency asks that applicants have had at least one prior pregnancy and not smoke. Its full eligibility criteria, published fee information and compensation range, along with licensing and BBB details, appear in the sections below.
Among surrogates who have written about the agency, several prospective applicants describe going through onboarding with a named coordinator who answered their questions and worked around their schedules, and two surrogates describe being matched with intended parents, including intended parents based abroad.
Recent ownership change: The official site now states the agency is 'owned and directly led by' Samuel Wood, MD, PhD, MBA, MA, a reproductive endocrinologist associated with Gen 5 Fertility (Yelp copy reads 'Great Beginnings Surrogacy @ Gen 5'). The BBB profile and the SurrogacyNetwork.org listing both still name Mishele Sneed, a California psychologist, as owner/principal. The BBB profile also records the business as 'previously known as Cori's Egg Donor and Surrogacy Services Inc.' No dated acquisition announcement or press release was located, so the transfer date is unconfirmed; the third-party listings appear stale rather than contradictory.
AI summary of 42 reviews · can make mistakes
Reviewers, many of whom appear to be surrogates, are overwhelmingly positive and often describe the staff as warm, welcoming and family-like. Many mention quick, attentive responses from coordinators and case managers and say the process was explained clearly and felt smooth. A small minority were unhappy, saying updates were not shared promptly unless they asked repeatedly.
42 reviews match these filters.
I am a surrogate! I have been working with coordinator Denise she has been so helpful during this process. Checking in and being a great point of contact. I am working with Dr woods who has made this process easy to understand and explained everything thoroughly!
View on Google (opens in a new tab)I am a first time surrogate and I am so happy I chose GBSS! They have an amazing team and are so thoughtful and sweet. Mishele is so thorough from start to finish, so friendly and accommodating. Denise is also very kind and thoughtful and has been so great at communicating any and all information to me! Everyone always responds so quickly and I feel so supported on this amazing journey. I also had a great experience with Dr Wood and the facility and care team there was absolutely amazing. Thank you everyone!!
View on Google (opens in a new tab)The team itself is a nightmare. Great beginnings and their chinese represenative Lea will never give you promptly updates unless you ask them frequently, and why should I do that when I'm paying for the services? terrible communication skills
View on Google (opens in a new tab)Denise was incredibly supportive, responsive, and genuinely caring throughout the entire process. She treats you like you’re her top priority! She made what could have been a stressful experience feel smooth and manageable. I’m thankful she was there for me.
View on Google (opens in a new tab)Google reviews are shown as written and link to the original. Reviewer type is inferred from what each reviewer wrote.
Base compensation
From $125,000
Published by the agency. Benefits and allowances are usually on top of this.
Requirements change — confirm with the agency before applying.
See which agencies fit youGreat Beginnings Surrogacy accepts gestational surrogates between 21 and 37 years old.
Great Beginnings Surrogacy requires surrogates to have a BMI of 32 or lower.
Yes. Great Beginnings Surrogacy requires surrogates to have had at least 1 prior pregnancy.
No. Great Beginnings Surrogacy requires surrogates to be non-smokers.
Great Beginnings Surrogacy's citizenship or residency requirement for surrogates: US citizen.
