Moms' Night Out Alanta Conference Report
Our first event of 2025!
We head to the suburbs of Atlanta for our first Moms’ Night Out of 2025 and our 8th overall!
The entire event took place at the Doubletree by Hilton Atlanta/Roswell in Roswell, GA, Friday January 31 – February 1, 2025. It became our home base for a weekend filled with connection, education, and a whole lot of fun.
The event began with a bubbly welcome toast as we opened our vendor fair, where attendees got up close with the latest in diabetes technology. Beta Bionics, Medtronic, Tandem, and Omnipod showcased their cutting-edge pump systems, while Sanofi helped educate on screening for type 1 diabetes, and Gvoke provided insights into emergency glucagon use. It was also fantastic to welcome Camp Kudzu and the local Breakthrough T1D Chapter—two organizations deeply committed to supporting the T1D community.
The “check-ins” have become one of our most requested features at MNO! Attendees signed up in advance for quick, 15-minute one-on-one sessions with diabetes educators Kathryn Gentile, MS, CDCES of Integrated Diabetes Services and Courtney Picket, RN with CP Table, ensuring they left with fresh insights and tailored advice.
We were joined at Cocktails and Crafts by influencer and TV host Renée Rayles for “girl talk” all about issues around T1D that impact women.
For our Friday speaker, we had a great panel of young adults from Camp Kudzu. Jonathan Fitch & Megan Rippe spoke about their camp experiences as children and about finding community as adults. Jonathan is the founder of GlucoSense, watch for him on a future podcast episode.
After the panels, we had our raffles for Kendra Scott jewelry, two night at the hotel for a future visit, and Stacey’s books and called it a night. As usual, most of the moms extended the evening socializing and having fun in the hotel bar!
With coffee in hand, we kicked off Saturday morning with a power-packed session on emergency low blood glucose treatment. Ken Rodenheiser, CDCES joined Stacey for this critical conversation, sponsored by Gvoke, covering real-life strategies for handling lows with confidence.
Next up was our Ask Me Anything panel featuring Ken, Stacey and Julie Cortes, another Camp Kudzu team member living with T1D. No topic was off-limits—independence, fears, sports, alcohol—you name it, we tackled it! The raw honesty and shared experiences made this one of the most powerful sessions of the weekend.
And then… we added something new! Our very first T.E.A. Party (Thoughts, Emotions, Actions)! Attendees donned fascinator-style hats, nibbled on tea sandwiches, and dove into a reflective exercise led by Slade and Stacey. With Sanofi as our partner, we guided everyone through a meaningful discussion, wrapping up with a personal letter-writing activity. It was the perfect way to close out the event with intention and heart.
After our closing photos, as usual, no one wanted to leave! I love the conversations we have at the end of Moms’ Night Out, when everyone is lingering. It’s the best.
Next up: Cleveland in February, Minneapolis in September, and Phoenix in October. We can’t wait to see you there! 💙
What To Expect
Full schedule below (see FAQs)
Exhibitor fair
Learn about the latest in insulin pumps, CGM, and meter technology as well as diabetes management options.
All attendees will receive a swag bag full of freebies
Cocktails & Crafts: engage in a fun, hands-on activity while you get to know other moms. Enjoy signature cocktails and/or non-alcoholic drinks.
Dinner is included
Meet new friends and catch up with those you already know around a great meal you don’t have to cook (or carb-count)
Coffee and breakfast Saturday morning, Plus a T.E.A party!
Our speaker Saturday morning will send you home with practical advice to address the unique challenges we moms face.
New for 2025! This isn’t just your average tea party. It’s a time for T.E.A.—Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions. Don’t worry—it’s going to be easy, light, and fun. Plus, there’ll be actual tea (and light refreshments, of course).
Speakers
More speakers will be announced soon!
Jen is a Denver-based storm and volcano chaser, photographer and entrepreneur – and the owner of a very unproductive pancreas.
She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2015, at age 34. After that, she began to make different choices about what mattered – and in 2018, turned her focus to her real passion: storm chasing. Jen taught herself to forecast and chase on her own, and chasing led to an eye for photography. She picked up a camera for the first time in 2020, and her work has since been published in The Washington Post, Flaunt Magazine, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and more. Today, Jen fiercely believes in and advocates for gender equity and self-actualization as the proud founder and lead of the Girls Who Chase initiative, whose mission is to inspire, empower and equip girls and women globally to pursue storms, the sciences, and their passions.
Ken Rodenheiser, CDCES
Ken Rodenheiser is a dynamic Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with a robust nursing background. With extensive experience in diabetes management and education, Kenny is deeply involved in the diabetes community, advocating for and supporting individuals living with diabetes through professional and volunteer efforts. He has also served in leadership roles in both professional and volunteer settings. Kenny currently serves on the Board of Directors for Children with Diabetes and is always excited to get involved in the diabetes community.
Renée Rayles
Renée Rayles will join us for our Cocktails and Crafts time at Moms’ Night Out! Renée is the creator of HeyT1D and is the host of the “Dear Diabetes” podcast. Renée is excited to share her experiences living with type 1 diabetes, especially when it comes to those “girl talk” questions moms of daughters might have. It’s going to be such a fun and insightful time—you won’t want to miss it!
Check-In with our Experts
A check-in at Moms’ Night Out is your chance to sit down with an endocrinologist or diabetes educator and “check-in” with any questions you may have about T1D management. You should always bring any management changes to your child’s healthcare team, but these consultations will be reassuring and helpful.
When check-in signups open, an email will go out ONLY to those registered for that city. Slots are limited and will go quickly.
Kathryn Alvarez, MS, CDCES
Integrated Diabetes Services
Kathryn’s specialties include applying the latest technology (including open-source/DIY systems), sports performance, and counseling parents of children with T1D, as well as adolescents and young adults.
Kathryn was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes at the age of twelve. She managed her diabetes independently from the get-go, switching from multiple daily injections to pump therapy to a hybrid closed loop system. Along the way, she has studied the effects of various forms of exercise on glucose levels and enjoys developing basic and advanced exercise prescriptions for patients.
Courtney Pickett, RN
TheCPTable
Courtney Pickett is the founder of TheCPTable, a health coaching company for people with Type 1 Diabetes or parents of a Type 1 who find themselves stuck when they leave their 15 minute doctor’s appointment and show up to their everyday life. Maybe you find yourself anxious about the future, burnout from the overflow of decisions having to be made everyday to manage blood sugars, or are struggling with how to navigate a healthy relationship to food when you have been told to restrict certain food groups. I have had Type 1 Diabetes for 22 years and have discovered that it is possible to thrive in social gatherings and live a life that you love while also managing Type 1 Diabetes. I now coach fellow Type 1’s to overcome mindset blocks and find this same freedom and joy in their everyday lives.
The Venue
DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta/Roswell located within three miles of office parks, dining, and downtown Roswell.
About Your Host
Stacey Simms is the host of the long-running and award-winning podcast, Diabetes Connections. She is the author of “The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom, Real-Life Stories of Parenting a Child with Type 1 Diabetes,” and the upcoming “STILL The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom.”
Stacey’s son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just before he turned two, back in 2006; she’s been sharing her family’s experience with T1D ever since.
She has been featured in almost every diabetes publication and outlet including: Diabetes Self-Management and Diabetes Forecast magazines, Beyond Type 1, JDRF, Diabetes Daily, Healthline, DiaTribe, T1D Everyday Magic and more.
Contact Us
FAQs
This is a conference designed for mothers of children with diabetes, with a focus on type 1. We will not turn any adult in the diabetes community away, but all of our programming is geared to moms. Please, no children in the conference space, this is meant to be a relaxing kid-free respite.
Friday:
4pm Doors open, get your swag bag!
4-6:30pm Vendor Fair
3:30-6:30pm Check-Ins with educators (advance signups)
5-6:30pm Cocktails & Crafts
6:30pm Dinner & Opening keynote
8pm – Socialize and hang out!
Saturday:
9am Coffee & Breakfast
9:30am Panel
10:30 Closing keynote
12:00pm T.E.A. Party (light refreshments)
Relax & socialize before you head back home
No, but we urge you to do so! Part of the fun (and learning) at this conference is about being away from your children with diabetes, something we moms rarely get to do. Staying at the hotel is not required, but there will be informal socializing there after dinner and in the morning that you won’t want to miss.
No. The only groups that are allowed to hand out literature and/or demonstrate products are those with an agreement with us. There are lots of lower-cost options. Please let us know if you’re interested.
We will adhere to all local and state laws, rules, and regulations to reduce the risk of spreading COVID. We encourage everyone who is eligible to be fully vaccinated. We strongly encourage everyone to self-test with a rapid antigen test before coming to the conference.
We’d love to take this show on the road! Reach out at info@diabetes-connections.com and let us know where we should go next!
