Speakers & Panelists

Session: Leading With Autism: Challenges and Opportunities for Neurodivergent Minds (9:00-10:00am)

Bio: Holden Thorp became Editor-in-Chief of the Science family of journals in October 2019. He came to Science from Washington University, where he was provost from 2013 to 2019 and professor from 2013 to 2023. He is currently a professor of chemistry and medicine at George Washington University and on leave to serve as the Editor-in-Chief at Science.

Thorp joined Washington University after spending three decades at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where he served as the 10th chancellor from 2008 through 2013.

Thorp earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UNC, a doctorate in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology, and completed postdoctoral work at Yale University. He holds honorary degrees from the Olin College of Engineering, Hofstra University, and North Carolina Wesleyan College and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Thorp cofounded Viamet Pharmaceuticals, which developed VIVJOA (oteseconazole), now approved by the FDA and marketed by Mycovia Pharmaceuticals. Thorp is a venture partner at Hatteras Venture Partners, a consultant to Ancora, Huron, and Urban Impact Advisors, and is on the board of directors of PBS and Saint Louis University. He serves on the scientific advisory boards of the Yale School of Medicine and the Underwriters’ Laboratories Research Institutes. In 2023, STAT named Thorp to its STATUS list of top leaders in the life sciences. In 2025, he was given the Donald A. B. Lindberg Award for Distinguished Health Communications by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine.

Session: OverAccommodation: The Pitfalls in Parenting and Education (Time TBA)

Bio: Dr. Jen is a nationally recognized child, adolescent, and family psychologist who is an expert in emotion regulation strategies and effective communication, helping people revolutionize the way they feel, to flourish in their relationships and life. 

With her clinical acumen and straightforward, authentic approach, she teaches how to govern your feelings and reclaim the right to feel fully, live genuinely, and connect deeply.

Founder of Hartstein Psychological Services, a group psychotherapy practice in New York City, Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD specializes in the treatment of high-risk children and adolescents and their families.

She is a frequent contributor on NBC’s The Today Show and NBC News Now, the mental health contributor for Yahoo! Lifestyle and Yahoo! News, and the psychological/lifestyle contributor on CBS’ The Early Show.

Dr. Jen is the author of Princess Recovery: A How-To Guide to Raising Strong Empowered Girls Who Can Create Their Own Happily Ever After, and she is a self-esteem ambassador for Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which aims to increase confidence for girls and women.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Jen is a leading speaker and consultant, working to develop more balanced and effective leaders - in family systems, schools, and workplaces.

Session: Anxiety and Neurodivergence (11:30am-12:30pm)

Bio: Kimberly Alexander, PsyD, is the Director and a psychologist in the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute.

Dr. Alexander specializes in the application of evidence-based treatment for youth and young adults experiencing problems with depression, anxiety, anger, non-suicidal self-injury, learning disabilities and ADHD, as well as academic disengagement and school refusal, socio-economic pressures, and difficulties with racial and ethnic identity development. Dr. Alexander has extensive training in rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She is experienced in working in both clinical and school settings and has co-authored a chapter on the REBT-based approach to group therapy. Dr. Alexander is passionate about integrating treatments based in CBT, REBT, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and motivational interviewing (MI), as well as using social thinking and collaborative problem-solving models to provide treatment that is tailored to the client’s specific needs.

Dr. Alexander strongly believes in fostering a therapeutic relationship with her clients based on a highly collaborative approach. In addition to supporting clients in examining the thoughts, behaviors and emotions that contribute to their challenges, Dr. Alexander greatly values supporting clients in evaluating their progress toward treatment goals. She believes that these checkpoints help to further embolden youth and their families to make the change they desire in their lives.

Fundamentally, Dr. Alexander’s dedication to providing evidence-based care aims to provide clients and their families with the techniques and skills needed to meet their goals in a safe space that offers unconditional acceptance and empathetic positive regard.

Session: Design for All: Building Universally Designed Pathways from School to Career for Neurodivergent Learners (3:00-4:00pm)

Bio: Dana Baker, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor of Education and Director of the Teacher of Students with Disabilities graduate program at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she prepares pre-service and in-service teachers to effectively support students with disabilities in PK-12 settings. She brings 15 years of experience as an early childhood educator and learning specialist, during which she collaboratively designed inclusive models of instruction and intervention to promote achievement for all students. Grounded in neurodiversity studies, her research explores innovative school design that positions neurodiversity as normative, attending to and engaging neurodivergent voices to inform instructional and organizational decision making. 

Session Host for: Progress Over Pressure: How Small Goals Help ADHD Brains Succeed (Time TBA)

Bio: Nicole Cavaliere, M.Ed, is an experienced educator in elementary and special education. Transitioning from public schools to a Head Teacher at Quad Prep in 2016, she swiftly rose to roles including Curriculum Coordinator & Director of Talent Development and Academic Director before moving into her current role as the Lower School Co-Head, Academic. Nicole's passion for teaching and dedication to twice exceptional students shine through her innovative approaches and commitment to inclusive learning environments. As the Lower School Co-Head at Quad Prep, she continues to lead initiatives for educational optimization, showcasing her unwavering belief in every student's potential.

Session 1: From Spark to Strategy: AI-Supported Lesson Design for Twice-Exceptional Learners (Time TBA)

Session 2: Planting Possibilities: The Trellis & Blossom Model for 2e Learners (TBD)

Bio: Dr. Claire E. Hughes is Professor of Special, Gifted, and Twice-Exceptional Education at Cleveland State University. Previously, she was Professor of Elementary and Special Education at the College of Coastal Georgia, Faculty Director of Special Education Programmes at Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK and has been a Fulbright Scholar to Greece twice. Winner of the Gifted & Award from NAGC, she is President of The Association of the Gifted for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC-TAG). Her research areas include: twice-exceptional children- particularly gifted children with autism; Generational studies; the use of AI in education, and international education.

Session: Boost Writing Skills: Using Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) to Help Students Find Their Voice (Time TBA)

Bio: Pooja Patel, MA, is a learning specialist who has been an English, history, and humanities educator for over two decades. After receiving her MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, she has worked as a middle school general educator, a K-12 learning specialist, and/or a teacher leader. Currently, Pooja is in her 6th year at the Dwight-Englewood School (Englewood, NJ) as a 7th-grade English and History Teacher with additional responsibilities as a member of the Advisory Committee, the Middle School Reading/Literacy Coordinator, and the Middle School English Curriculum Coordinator. In addition to being a classroom teacher, Pooja has been a consultant, teacher leader, and coach who has supported schools and teachers in using evidence-based literacy practices to help students reach their true academic potential, regardless of learning profile. She was an adjunct instructor for both pre- and in-service educators earning their MA as a Reading Specialist at Teachers College, Columbia University.  Pooja has engaged in a variety of action research and has published her findings and approaches in articles, blogs, book chapters, and books.  She is passionate about building foundational literacy skills, using appropriate formative and diagnostic assessments to understand learners, supporting students and families in the use of evidence-based practices to optimize learning and equity in education.

Session: Progress Over Pressure: How Small Goals Help ADHD Brains Succeed (Time TBA)

Bio: The New York Times has called Peter Shankman “a rock star who knows everything about social media and then some,” while Star Magazine has referred to him as “one of the most in-demand speakers in the world.” Peter is a 6x best-selling author, entrepreneur, and corporate keynote speaker, focusing on Neurodiversity in the workplace, customer experience, and the new and emerging customer and Neurodiverse economies. With five startup launches and three exits under his belt (most notably Help a Reporter Out), Peter is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about customer experience, social media, PR, marketing, advertising, and Neurodiversity. Peter is the founder of Source of Sources, the co-founder of Mental Capital Consulting, and is also the Futurist in Residence at Price Benowitz, a Washington, DC-based law firm. Peter has been invited to keynote to more than half the Fortune 100, and over 750 companies, associations, and government agencies worldwide.

Highlights:

• Founder of SOS - Source of Sources - 14 years after selling HARO to a major media company, Peter is back to his roots, having launched SOS to once again help connect journalists with sources. Currently with more than 24,000 members and growing daily, SOS allows PR agencies, marketers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs to easily obtain free press in top-tier publications all across the world.
• Co-Founder of Mental Capital Consulting: A global consultancy designed to help companies attract, hire, and retain Neurodiverse employees, while making their companies and offices Neuroinclusive and customer-centric. Clients include Morgan Stanley, Adobe, Google, and many others.
• Founder of HARO - Help A Reporter Out, which quickly became the standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources prior to being acquired just three years after launch.
• Host of Faster than Normal - The Internet's #1 podcast on ADHD, focusing on the superpowers and gifts of having a "faster than normal brain,” which helps thousands of people around the world understand that having any type of neurodiverse brain is actually a gift, not a curse.

Peter’s sixth book (and his first children’s book), came out in mid-March of 2023. “The Boy With the Faster Brain” is a heartwarming story about a young boy named Peter, who discovers that his ADHD brain, which was always getting him into trouble in school, is actually a super-powerful tool that he can use to achieve anything he wants - as long as he learns how to use it the right way. (And yes, it’s obviously very much autobiographical.) It’s the children’s version of Peter’s previous bestseller on ADHD, “Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge your Focus, Productivity and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain” (Random House, 2017).

Peter has been a worldwide influencer and/or spokesperson for several global brands, including Adobe, Huawei, Sylvania, National Car Rental, Thule, and many others.

Finally, Peter is a single dad, a 2x Ironman triathlete, a class B licensed skydiver with over 500 jumps, and a cyclist with a pretty serious Peloton addiction. When he’s not traveling around the world speaking to companies big and small, he's based in NYC, where he was born and raised, with his twelve-year-old daughter and five-year-old rescue dog, both of whom consistently refuse him access to his couch.

Session: Design for All: Building Universally Designed Pathways from School to Career for Neurodivergent Learners (3:00-4:00pm)

Bio: Rebecca Sime Nagasawa became the Director of the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS) at Barnard College in August of 2021, after serving as the Associate Director from August of 2019-2021. She previously served as a Learning Specialist at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a Master’s of Education in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on Special Education from Arizona State University. 

Session: Access by Design: Supporting Learner Variability Through UDL and Accessibility (TIME TBA)

Bio: As an Implementation Specialist on CAST’s Professional Learning Team, Kelli ensures accessible educational materials and technologies for equitable learning opportunities through Universal Design for Learning. She has extensive presentation, keynote, and training experience and excels at connecting theory to practice.

Kelli holds a teaching license in general education and special education, aligned with her masters in Learning and Technology. Her instructional background includes working with students needing various levels of intervention. Before CAST, Kelli was a Specialist for a state education agency, supporting students with learning disabilities and autism, and leading public schools in providing equitable access through accessibility, assistive and accessible technologies (AT), accessible educational materials (AEM), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). 

Session: Design for All: Building Universally Designed Pathways from School to Career for Neurodivergent Learners (3:00-4:00pm)

Bio: Katie Travia is Head of Talent Development and Diversity for Morgan Stanley’s Investment Management Business, a member of the Global Talent Operating
Committee, and manages the neurodiversity efforts for Morgan Stanley. She joined the firm in 2009 and has held a number of roles across the Human Resources team including leadership roles in talent acquisition, talent development, and as an HR business partner. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Katie was at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. She has over 20 years experience in human resources.

Outside of Morgan Stanley, Katie is an avid member in her community and supports disability inclusion along with her husband. She is on the board of the New Providence Education Foundation and is on the Community Advisory Board at the Kessler Foundation. Katie has a BS from Villanova University.

Session: Between Worlds: How Twice-Exceptional Students Form Identity (Time TBA)

Bio: Dr. Debbie Troxclair, Associate Professor, developed/teaches online graduate courses in special and gifted education at Lamar University. During her 20 years of K-12 teaching and now, in her current role, she advocates for children with exceptionalities, particularly those who are gifted and twice-exceptional. In 2024, she received the CEC-TAG Service Award and was recognized as an international scholar by Phi Delta Beta Honor Society for International Students at Lamar. Dr. Troxclair is currently the President of AGTS in Louisiana and a member of the Board of Directors for the Louisiana School for Science, Mathematics, and the Arts. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Association for the Gifted and The Council for Exceptional Children-The Association for the Gifted. Dr. Troxclair was Co-Chair of the 2005 World
Council for Gifted and Talented Conference in New Orleans. Dr. Troxclair was recently elected Treasurer for The Association for the Gifted (TAG). She was co-editor of Twice-Exceptional Education: Connecting Gifted and Special Education, and she has publications in other books and in journals in the field of gifted education. She presents conference sessions at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels in the area of gifted and twice-exceptional education. She is an active member of several professional organizations, participating on committees regularly. With gifted education and teaching as her major passion, she has recently revisited another passion, becoming an artist.

Session: Overcoming Perfectionism: How to Stop Moving the Finish Line (Time TBA)

Bio: Matthew “Dr. Matt” Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken nearly a thousand times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent clients, organizational wellness, and mental health. Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC), and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder of The Neurodiversity Collective, LLC, co-host of the podcast “Nerding out on Neurodiversity,” and the author of the Neurodiversity Playbook: How Neurodivergent People Can Crack the Code of Living in a Neurotypical World.