Following the success of January 2025’s Not Your Mother’s Menopause symposium, three local women are bringing back the conversation about menopause to the Maplewood and South Orange community.
Maplewood-based women’s strength and fitness trainer Allison Kalsched, pelvic health specialist and owner of 5 Point Physical Therapy Stacey Tauriello, and marketing executive and menopause advocate April L McKenzie will present the day-long symposium on January 11, 2026 at the Maplewood Country Club. The inaugural event drew 250 attendees and was sold out in five days. A very limited number of tickets for this year’s event are available and can be purchased at the Not Your Mother’s Menopause website.
“The conversation about menopause is everywhere,” said Kalsched, “and we wanted to bring that conversation to our friends and neighbors. Since we held our first event last January, we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received not only from our immediate community, but from the menopause community at large. The need to support women with actionable resources and information remains, and we are excited to continue to be an important part of the conversation.”
The event will feature nationally recognized leaders in menopause research and advocacy as well as local and regional practitioners in various areas of women’s health and wellness.
“While this discussion is long overdue, sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to access help in your own community. In the months since our first event, we have learned just how valuable events like Not Your Mother’s Menopause are. Hearing celebrities and Instagram-famous doctors share their stories and knowledge is very helpful, but we wanted to give the women of MAPSO (and adjacent areas) real help in accessing resources in their own communities,” McKenzie said.
The event will be led, once again, by keynote speaker Dr. Sharon Malone, a board-certified OB/GYN and Certified Menopause Practitioner who spent nearly 30 years in private practice before dedicating her career to expanding access to evidence-based menopause care and closing the gender gap in midlife health. She is the chief medical advisor of Alloy Health and the author of The New York Times best seller Grown Woman Talk. Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky will deliver a guest address focusing on the topics of cancer and hormones. They will be joined by other national and local experts including:
- Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law (and former Maplewoodian), NYC
- Dr. Somi Javaid, MD, OB/GYN and founder of HerMD
- Chanta Blue, LCSW, sex and relationship therapist and co-founder of Blue Counseling and Wellness Center, Montclair
- Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C, advocate, therapist and author of Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause and Life’s Next Period, NY/NJ
- Dr. Bernice Adu-Amankwa, OB/GYN, West Orange
- Dr. Amy Ahnert, director, Women’s Heart Program, Morristown Medical Center
- Dr. Shefali Patel, OB/GYN, Westfield
- Assemblywoman Heather Simmons, New Jersey 3rd Legislative District
- Dr. Alexandra Sowa, obesity medicine specialist and author of “The Ozempic Revolution
- Dr. Naser Garaibeh, endocrinology
- Adrienne Bitar, PhD, founder of SEEN Nutrition
- Cristina R. de la Mar, co-owner of Seven Point Wellness
- Abby Sher, writer
“Our mission is to arm women with education and accessible community-based resources while eliminating the stigma surrounding women and aging,” said Tauriello. “We are so excited to see this amazing event come to life.”
The day will feature panel discussions regarding hormones and hormone therapy, advocacy for women in health care, discussions about bone, cardiovascular and mental health, exercise, and so much more. In addition, a marketplace of products and services will be open throughout the day.
Partial funding for this event is generously provided by the following sponsors:
- Presenting Sponsor: Alloy Women’s Health
- Event Sponsor: Valley Health System
- Corporate Sponsor: The Lodge at Woodloch
- Scholarship Sponsors: Elevated by the Cannaboss Lady, Dr. Julie A. Lorber Community Sponsor: Pollock Properties Group
- Marketplace Sponsors: Gamechanger Fitness, Montclair Health Coaching, Solo Jewelry Shop, MenoLabs, SEEN Nutrition, EmpowHERment Collective, Emma Magenta Coaching, Callie Exas Nutrition and Wellness
Join the mailing list on the event website to receive information and updates. Not Your Mother’s Menopause can also be found on Instagram, as well as Facebook, as a private group of the same name, which currently numbers over 1,600 members.
