Advisory Board
We know we're stronger together. And we have a lot of work to do.
Our Advisory Board is a group of committed, passionate leaders who advocate for embracing neurodiversity at work and in life. If you’re interested in joining this incredible group of changemakers, please reach out to Aspiritech CEO Tara May at tara.may@aspiritech.org or via phone at 224-468-2755.
Meet Our Advisory Board

Hamid Akbari is the co-founder of Dehkhoda Educational Foundation DBA International Servant Leaders Museum. The foundation and museum promote the values of peace, prosperity, and progress for all through servant leadership.
Hamid, a lifelong academic, is the Audrey Reynolds Distinguished Teaching Professor of Management Emeritus at Northeastern Illinois University and retired Dean of Business at Winona State University in Minnesota. He received his PhD in Business Administration, focusing on organizational behavior and theory, from The Ohio State University, and his MBA and MA in Political Science from University of Toledo.
Hamid and his wife, Azar, live in Glenview, IL, and have two children and a granddaughter. Hamid agrees with Joan Baez that “action [with love] is the antidote to despair.”

Dr. Andrew Begel, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Software and Societal Systems Department at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to this, he spent over 16 years as a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research. Andrew’s goal is to create inclusive workplaces where all people, especially those with disabilities and the neurodivergent, can be successful, without discrimination.
His recent work has helped people on the autism spectrum gain employment and facilitate social interaction, helped blind software developers collaborate with their sighted colleagues, and used affective computing and biometrics to better understand how software developers do their work.

Chris Bogdan is CEO & Founder of Sales Rocket Fuel. As an individual contributor, he has sold over $50M since 2020 alone, been the #1 Account Executive in 4 different roles along with winning 13x different President’s Club trips. Now he coaches Account Executives, Teams, and Companies to help them grow their B2B Sales through his Sales Rocket Fuel training program.

After 15 years as a Board Member/CMO at Aspiritech, a NFP autism employment company, and 30 years as a trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Brad joined Autonomy Works to help grow that amazing business. Brad was the managing partner of Snippets Mini Cuts, a small chain of kid’s hair salons from 1996–2020, and Surfside Palmas Resorts, a rental management company in Puerto Rico since 2015. Brad is also a managing member of The Palmas Fund. He served on the District 112 Foundation, is a current Board member of the Palmas Del Mar Homeowners Association, and was a Trustee of the Palmas Academy from 2016–2020. Brad is married with three adult children.

Teri is a retired RN. She currently works in disability benefits, assisting individuals and families with referrals for government and community services. She is a founding member and facilitator for the PASSAGE support group, whose mission is to provide social opportunities for adults on the autism spectrum, and fellowship for their aging parents.

Maureen Dunne is a cognitive scientist, neurodiversity expert, global keynote speaker, board director, and business leader with over two decades of experience helping organizations build thriving cultures. She has served as a Senior Advisor to some of the world’s top corporate brands, Fortune 500 companies, universities, venture capital funds, and government officials, including the LEGO Foundation, Cornell University, and Members of Congress. She also recently co-created the executive education program for business leaders on “Future-Ready Leadership” at the Harvard Kennedy School.
A member of the neurodiversity community, she is a frequent media commentator and contributor on neurodiversity and the future of work. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, Entrepreneur, MIT Sloan Management Review, Chicago Tribune, DiversityQ, Salon, New York Times, People Management magazine, USA Today, Inside Higher Ed, Unleash, and Newsweek. A keynote speaker at Stanford University and the National Science Foundation, she was also a featured speaker at The Atlantic Festival where neurodiversity was included as part of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion theme for the first time in history.
A successful entrepreneur and business leader, Maureen is CEO of Nodi.ai and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, an invite-only organization for the world’s top chief executives. At LEGO, Maureen helped launch a Social Impact Accelerator Fund to support innovation and entrepreneurship in neurodiversity.
The first community college graduate to be named a Rhodes Scholar, she is also an elected official helping to build the talent pipeline with community colleges, representing over 12 million students at the national level.
She received a joint BA/MA from the University of Chicago, an MSc from the London School of Economics, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. She lives in Chicago with her husband and three children.

Rachael Fellers is a neurodivergent academic life coach with over 20 years of experience supporting neurodivergent individuals. Diagnosed with ADHD in college, she has dedicated her career to empowering students to obtain and maintain gainful employment through neuroaffirming practices.
With a BA in Anthropology and an MA in Special Education, Rachael brings a holistic perspective to her work, informed by her background as a teacher and disability specialist. Beyond her professional roles, Rachael is an active advocate and community leader. She served as a member of the Brown Deer School Board, President of the Brown Deer Historical Society, and volunteer coordinator for the PTO. Currently, she advises the Neurodivergent Network at Milwaukee Area Technical College, is a leader of a Neuroaffirming Affinity Froup, and was appointed to the Wisconsin Rehabilitation Council by the Governor.
As part of a neurodivergent family, Rachael is passionate about fostering understanding, inclusion, and success for neurodivergent individuals in education, workplaces, and communities.

Johanna Fine, CHRO at Oakton College, is a strategic Human Resources leader who partners with Senior Leadership and Management to help Oakton achieve its goals of providing accessible and affordable education to its community.
Fine brings a wealth of diverse experience, most recently having served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for JCC Chicago and as an HR Consultant for the Carolyn Brand Group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from Indiana University and several post-baccalaureate certificates, including in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She and her wife live in the Chicagoland area and have three daughters in college.

John Gottwald is very active within the disability community, as he has both dyslexia and epilepsy. Given John’s disability journey, he understands the importance of added resources and support to overcome obstacles. Two years ago, he decided to start offering Special Needs Financial Planning based on his disability experience.
One obstacle John is very passionate about improving is bringing down the disability unemployment rate and normalize employment for individuals with various abilities. He believes Aspiritech creates a fun work environment while giving fulfilling job opportunities.

Amanda Hebert Hughes, a New York native, is an openly autistic painter and author located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Having an active, neurodivergent mind, Amanda Hebert Hughes is the founder of a new art genre: Sensory Gated Art®. Sensory Gated Art® leverages color, line, texture, and psychology to deliver a calming and accessible new genre to the world of art and design.

Azar is a lifelong early childhood educator and advocate. She is the founder of Kids Academy, a community early childhood learning center located in Morton Grove, Illinois, established in 1994. Additionally, Azar is the founder of SayYesToChildcare, a nonprofit organization serving families in need of high-quality, affordable childcare in Cook County. She is also the co-founder of the International Servant Leaders Museum, which emphasizes leadership built on key principles such as listening, empathy, healing, community building, fostering a hopeful vision, and stewardship.
For her advocacy and community work, Azar is a member of We The Village, a coalition working to make “Illinois the best state to raise a child,” and serves as a Commissioner of Economic Development for the Village of Morton Grove.
Azar earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in early childhood education from The Ohio State University. She and her family have been living in the Chicago area since 1986. Azar has two children and a granddaughter, Layla, who is currently the joy of her life. She firmly believes that nothing is more important than having a big heart to love and serve humanity.

Brian has a master’s degree in social work and is the father of three boys with autism and ADHD. After receiving the same diagnoses himself, he went on to write six books and became a recognized specialist in his field.
With a unique approach to helping parents and educators connect with their children who live with these unique challenges, Brian’s captivating, interactive presentations and programs continue to change lives around the world. His message of self-compassion, resilience, and the importance of working together is one we all need to hear.

Alexandra Koys is an entrepreneur, non-profit leader, and passionate advocate for neurodiversity. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she founded tech-enabled funeral startup Lighten after raising a round of investment (a significant accomplishment, considering companies founded solely by women receive only 2.4% of the total capital invested in venture-backed startups in the U.S.).
Dedicated to fostering Chicago’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, she also serves as Managing Director of Operations with Sunshine Enterprises—a non-profit that empowers entrepreneurs in Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods, through training, coaching, and access to capital.
Alexandra became a committed advocate for neurodiversity after supporting a neurodivergent family member’s career journey and witnessing the critical need for neuroinclusive workplaces. Alexandra’s professional background also includes strategy and operations roles with both Deloitte Consulting and Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a volunteer fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
She enjoys spending her free time with family and running along the lakefront. She has completed five half-marathons in five states.

Bennett Leventhal, MD, is widely recognized for his leadership and expertise in fostering career development and training programs as well as collaborative research networks that focus on everything from molecular genetics to community service and public health. His direction and vision have led to the creation of nationally prominent clinical research programs that continue to shape how we study childhood psychiatric disorders. Dr. Leventhal has championed initiatives to advance research on the molecular genetics of autism, the prenatal origins of disruptive behavior disorders, and the brain mechanisms that interfere with social functioning. He also helped establish a global network of scientists who are currently investigating the origins of mental health disorders that emerge during the first few years of life.
Awards
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, George Tarjan Award, 2009
- HAVE Dreams of Chicago, Dream Maker Award, 2009
- National Board of Medical Examiners, Edith Levitt Award, 2009
- Caritas Society, Humanitarian Award, 2009
Education
- Louisiana State University, MD in Medicine, 1974
- Louisiana State University, BS in Biology, 1972

Toni Neary is the Director of Community Engagement and Workforce Innovation, leading efforts to grow diversity, equity, inclusion and access as well as highlight successful programs throughout the United States. Passionate about career & technical education she has spent nearly 20 years engaging, developing and helping to grow advanced manufacturing programs through various role.
In her current role Toni is working directly with communities to build, fill, and sustain viable manufacturing ecosystems. You will find Toni speaking on many platforms to help grow awareness and change perceptions of careers and pathways to manufacturing as well as making vital links between industry and educators to develop a strong, consistent workforce pipeline.

Keevin O’Rourke is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader with a rich background in startups, venture capital, and scaling organizations. He began his journey as the CEO of a venture-backed startup, where he gained firsthand experience in building a business from the ground up. This foundation led him to roles with VC funds where he honed his skills in working with early-stage startups and managing corporate partnerships, securing $1M+ deals with companies like UPS and Allstate.
Today, as the CEO of Multiple, Keevin leverages his entrepreneurial and VC insights to lead a cutting-edge platform accelerating autism-tech startups, supporting founders, and driving innovation in a rapidly growing ecosystem.

Louise Pearson is a seasoned corporate attorney with extensive experience as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at major public companies. With a strategic mindset, she advises boards and executive teams on legal matters, proactively identifying risks and implementing effective solutions. Her expertise spans compliance, regulatory affairs, corporate governance, and risk management, making her a trusted leader in navigating complex legal landscapes.
Currently serving as Associate General Counsel and VP of Compliance at Allscripts Healthcare, Louise oversees regulatory compliance, data privacy, and security while managing interactions with government agencies such as HHS, FDA, and DOJ. She previously held leadership roles at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Dade Behring, where she designed global compliance programs, developed corporate governance structures, and played a key role in high-stakes financial restructuring, M&A transactions, and public offerings. Her ability to lead large teams and manage multi-million-dollar budgets underscores her operational and legal acumen.
With a JD from the University of Houston Law Center and a strong background in biochemistry and chemistry, Louise brings a unique scientific perspective to legal and regulatory challenges. She has contributed her expertise as a corporate counsel at Baxter Diagnostics and as an associate at top law firms. Admitted to practice in Texas and Illinois, as well as before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, she continues to be a driving force in corporate compliance and legal strategy.

Kirby is a dedicated father, husband, and advocate for inclusivity and resilience. Inspired by his son Harley’s journey with a rare genetic condition, he founded 4titude—a mission-driven organization committed to creating an inclusive and empowering community for fathers raising children with disabilities. Drawing from personal experience, Kirby strives to help families navigate challenges with courage and purpose, offering resources, coaching, and a sense of connection. He is passionate about fostering understanding and advocating for those facing unique circumstances.
Kirby is excited to join the Aspiritech Advisory Board, where he looks forward to contributing his insights and collaborating to further their incredible mission of meaningful employment and social opportunities for autistic adults.

Advocate for Autism Workforce Inclusion
As Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Helping Adults with Autism to Perform and Excel (HAAPE), Larry leads a passionate team dedicated to creating autism workforce ecosystems. HAAPE’s mission is to empower individuals on the autism spectrum to achieve meaningful, sustainable, and fulfilling careers. At HAAPE, we envision a world where all autistic individuals can live independent and fulfilling lives.
With over 35 years of leadership experience across various industries, Larry has held pivotal roles in life sciences, consulting, and technology. His journey includes:
- Leadership roles at Ernst & Young (later Capgemini) as Global Practice Leader for Life Sciences Consulting.
- Founding IBM’s Pharmaceutical Consulting Practice.
- Co-founder & Managing Partner of **Cognitive Diversity LLC**, which developed the Neurodiversity Inclusion Index (NDII) to foster inclusivity for neurodivergent individuals.
- Extensive experience in high-end computing, account marketing, and manufacturing research within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
Currently, Larry also serves as:
- Board Member of the Uniquely Abled Project.
- Advisory Board Member of Aspiritech, supporting neurodivergent talent in technology-driven roles.
Larry’s core expertise includes autism advocacy and workforce development, nonprofit leadership, neurodiversity inclusion strategies, and leadership in life sciences and technology consulting. He is always eager to collaborate with like-minded professionals committed to fostering inclusion and creating opportunities for neurodivergent individuals.

After 30 years working as a creative in major advertising agencies, in 2012 Lorra became a mental health counselor. Specialties include helping neurodiverse individuals, couples and families, helping those with special needs find meaningful employment, adopted individuals and their parents, and LGBTQ. She offers love, acceptance and respectful partnership to every client. Her core belief: Everyone is doing the best they can in this moment. And that best can be better with self awareness, acceptance and clarity about the choices they can make to live their best life.
She is the proud mom of a 29-year-old son, a nature freak, and bird photographer. Lorra has served on the board of Brushwood Center in Ryerson Woods for many years. Lorra has had a long relationship with Aspiritech and appreciates the critical needs it addresses so beautifully in our community and across the nation.

Prathap Venkatesan has over 25 years of experience from different roles with analytics, consulting, engineering, business development and project management across corporations and industry verticals. He was the Founder and CEO of i2 Decisions, a pure-play data analytics company, which was later merged with Ameex Technologies, a Global Digital IT Services company with over $20 Million revenue and 500+ team members spread across USA, Singapore and India, where he served as its Chief Growth Officer. After the acquisition of Ameex Technologies by Perficient Inc (Nasdaq: PRFT) in October 2022, he continued to serve as Managing Director until March 2024, post which he co-founded Ampera Technologies, an organization with a mission to empower and provide meaningful employment to Persons with Disabilities.
Prathap holds an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Masters in Computer Science from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Masters in IT Project Management from George Washington University.

Neurodiversity Advocate
“Graduated Purdue University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication Design with a minor in Anthropology. I’ve always been curious about humanity in macro and micro scale and why we think and act the way that we do. I always struggled as a student and socially but after some painful lesson’s found a solid stance. Turns out all of that experience was common for people with undiagnosed ADHD. I got diagnosed, now medicated and it’s made my life so much more hopeful! In my design work I am most curious about how to leverage natural human visual processing (a powerful and subconscious engine in the brain) to make information more intuitively accessible and discoverable. Having ADHD has made this crucial to understand and given me a powerful motivation to solve this problem in my work as I struggle knowing where to direct my attention sometimes. Design is a powerful force for accessibility. Being curious about the many different kinds of brains out there has made my work stronger and connected me to countless wonderful people who have all changed my life for the best!”
Distinguished Alumni
We are eternally grateful for the hard work and commitment of our community since Aspiritech's inception.
Ed Asner
Dan Mayo
Danielle Moushon
Marc Noland
Keita Suzuki
Hong Zhang, PhD
Junior Members

Sreenidi Bala is a passionate 17-year-old advocate for equitable education, dedicated to empowering students of all abilities. In 2020, After recognizing a gap in STEM education for special needs students at her school district, she developed ASPIRE Adaptive STEM, the first course of its kind at her school, to introduce these students to the field of STEM and ignite their interest.
Realizing this disparity extended beyond her town, Sreenidi founded Code for All Minds, a free online platform offering educators and families comprehensive lessons on coding, digital citizenship, and essential tech skills, tailored specifically for special needs students.
Through partnerships with her state Department of Education, college access programs, STEM nonprofits, and autism influencers, Code for All Minds has reached students nationwide. Recently appointed by Governor Ned Lamont to the Connecticut State Board of Education, Sreenidi now represents over 500,000 students, advocating for their concerns. Sreenidi is committed to furthering opportunities for these students, while also helping the world recognize the immense potential they hold.

Adriyanna is a sophomore studying psychology at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand. She graduated from Mundelein High School where she was active in theater, Show Choir, Black Student Union, and other progressive organizations. She is a passionate mental health advocate and the oldest of several neurodivergent siblings. She loves working with children and young adults and is a former counselor at Discovery Day Camp, as well as a former childcare employee at Midtown Athletic Club.