Meet Lindsey Mickler

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lindsey Mickler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsey, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My journey with the Baby Quest Foundation began as a hopeful recipient. Like many, my husband and I faced the emotional and financial challenges of building a family where I needed In Vitro-Fertilization to conceive, and receiving a Baby Quest Grant was life-changing. It gave us more than financial support. It gave us hope!

After experiencing firsthand the impact of Baby Quest, I realized I wanted to give back. I wanted to help others navigate the same journey, offering the same hope and support that changed my life. That’s how I found my purpose. Today, I’m proud to work for Baby Quest Foundation, guiding families, sharing resources, and being part of a community dedicated to making parenthood possible.

And the numbers remind me how many lives are impacted: Today Baby Quest has awarded more than 250 grants totaling over $3.6 million in financial assistance, helping create 200+ babies. Every family who receives a grant is another story of resilience and possibility. And working for Baby Quest means turning the very thing that challenged me into the strength and purpose I now carry forward. This opportunity has provided a way to support others, to pay forward the gift I was given, and to help more dreams of family become reality.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I currently work full-time for Baby Quest Foundation, an organization that provides financial grants to individuals and couples facing infertility, helping them take steps toward building their families. My journey with Baby Quest began as a recipient, and that experience shaped not only my personal life but also my professional path.

Professionally, my background has been diverse but always focused on helping and guiding others. I earned a Master’s degree in Higher Education and spent many years as an academic advisor, supporting students as they navigated their academic and career paths. Seeking new challenges, I ventured into entrepreneurship, first starting a wedding decor and planning company, and later launching my own professional organizing business, which grew to include two employees. These experiences strengthened my skills in multi-tasking, networking, social media and communication, and event planning; all of which are central to my work today.

Over the past nine years, I’ve maintained an evolving role with Baby Quest. I started as social media manager, then joined the board, served on the review committee, and now do all those things and oversee all communications and assist a small team with events. Each step allowed me to combine my professional experience with my personal passion: helping families navigate infertility.

What excites me most about my work is the opportunity to pay forward the support I once received as a grant recipient. I guide couples and individuals to resources, assist them throughout the application process, and help them find hope during what can be an emotionally and financially challenging journey. Professionally, my focus is on raising awareness, cultivating community, and assist in securing the donors and funding that make life-changing fertility treatments possible.

I’m thrilled with the momentum of our events this year, which brought us to several cities in the U.S. and allowed us to engage new donors and supporters who make our mission possible; even more to come next year! Also, bringing awareness to Ohio, where I’m located, has been a privilege. We have started hosting events that provide guidance for those navigating the fertility journey. and allow attendees to connect with so many resources. It’s an exciting way to blend advocacy, education, community, and direct support, and seeing it come to life has been incredibly rewarding.

Please note: Baby Quest Foundation awards grants twice a year, with typical deadlines in March and September, and applications opening about 2–3 months in advance. Fundraising is critical to our work, but I also value the opportunity to support applicants directly, listen to their journeys, and help them navigate the process with ease. Once applications are submitted, our evaluation team carefully reviews them to select the grant recipient. Currently awarding 20–25 families per grant cycle and over $500,000 a year (2025).

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I’d say the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are resilience, organization, and empathy. Resilience has been essential both in navigating infertility and building my career. There were setbacks and unexpected challenges along the way, and being able to adapt, stay committed, and keep moving forward made all the difference. Organization and planning have also been key. From my years as an academic advisor to running my own businesses and now coordinating all the tasks involved for Baby Quest, strong organizational skills have allowed me to manage multiple responsibilities effectively and ensure every detail is handled. Finally, empathy and communication have been invaluable. Being able to listen, understand others’ experiences, and communicate clearly has not only strengthened my relationships with families and colleagues but has also made me a better advocate and supporter for those on their own fertility journeys.
For anyone early in their journey, my advice would be to focus on building these qualities in practical ways. Resilience comes from accepting that setbacks are part of the process and focusing on what you can control, while celebrating small victories along the way. Strong organizational skills can be developed through tools, systems, and habits that help you stay on track. And empathy and communication grow through practice which means taking the time to really listen, ask questions, and seek to understand others’ perspectives.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

We are always looking to partner and collaborate with professionals and organizations who support family building and fertility awareness. This includes fertility clinics, reproductive endocrinologists, mental health and wellness experts, financial planners who specialize in family planning, surrogacy professionals, and other nonprofit organizations with complementary missions. I’m particularly interested in connecting with individuals or groups who can contribute to our events, provide educational workshops or seminars, or help raise awareness and support for families navigating the fertility journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://babyquestfoundation.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babyquestgrants
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babyquestfoundation
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@babyquestfoundation3817