UNDERSTOOD FOR ALL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, BetterLesson
Afrika Afeni Mills, MEd, helps educators develop and sustain student-centered learning experiences that are diverse, inclusive, and equitable.
Expertise: racial equity
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- Writer and Senior Expert, Family Advocacy and Education, Understood
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- Associate Director, Behavior Change
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- Associate Director, Editorial Content Operations and Young Adults Program, Understood
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- Executive Director, Learning Development, Understood
Areas of expertise: special education, learning disabilities and ADHD, school administration
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- Executive Director, Learning Development, Understood
Bob Cunninham, EdM, serves as executive director of learning development at Understood.
Expertise: special education, learning disabilities and ADHD, school administration
Brian Smith, MA, is an Understood Teacher Fellow and a kindergarten teacher in Claremont, North Carolina.
Expertise: dyslexia, teaching strategies
Christina Gutierrez, MSEd, is an Understood Teacher Fellow and a response to intervention (RTI) coordinator and interventionist with early elementary students in New York.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Education, Program Director of Education, Lasell College
Claudia Rinaldi, PhD, is the Joan Weiler Arnow '49 Professor at Lasell University, where she serves as chair of the education program.
Expertise: bilingual special education services, learning disabilities, and multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), pre-service and in-service teacher preparation, bilingual (Spanish)
Job Titles:
- Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Western University Principal Investigator, Numerical Cognition Laboratory
Deb leads the human resources function for Understood, which includes talent acquisition, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging, HR compliance and operations, employee experience, and people development.
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- CEO and Founder, Ruh Global IMPACT
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- Associate Professor of Special Education, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut
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- Founder of Pathways to Empower
Donna Volpitta, EdD, is the founder of Pathways to Empower. Her work draws on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and education.
Expertise: resilience, mental health
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- Instructional Support Teacher, Macungie, Pennsylvania
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- Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician, Boston Children 's Hospital
Elizabeth Harstad, MD, MPH, is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Boston Children's Hospital.
Expertise: developmental-behavioral pediatrics, medication management
Job Titles:
- Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program
- Director, Learning and Emotional Assessment Program Co - Director, Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Executive Director, Learning and Emotional Assessment Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
Ellen Braaten, PhD, is the director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Expertise: neuropsychology, mental health, learning disabilities, ADHD
Areas of expertise: neuropsychology, mental health, learning disabilities, ADHD
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Co - Founder
- Founder
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Leader of Understood
As the leader of Understood, Fred is committed to ensuring that everyone who learns and thinks differently can thrive.
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- Professor and Director, Brain Imaging Research Center, University of Connecticut Director, BrainLENS, UConn / UCSF
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- Executive Director, EdTogether Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education
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- Professor, Department of Pediatrics Director, Center for the Study of Learning, Georgetown University
James Emmett, MS, is the lead workplace strategist for Understood, where he supports efforts to create more inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities.
Expertise: workplace, inclusion
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- Assistive Technology Specialist, NEAT Center
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- Chief Product Officer
- Co - President
- Member of the Leadership Team
Jenny leads the product management, design, and user research functions for Understood.
Jerome Schultz, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist and lecturer in the Harvard Medical School Department of Child Psychiatry.
Expertise: anxiety, ADHD
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Education Program, Lasell University
Areas of expertise: bilingual special education services, learning disabilities, and multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)
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- Lead Teacher, Belmont Charter High School, West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Juliana Urtubey, MA, 2021 National Teacher of the Year, is an Understood Mentor Fellow and a special education teacher and instructional strategist in inclusion and resource settings.
Expertise: special education, bilingual (Spanish)
Job Titles:
- Elementary Science and STEM Education Specialist, Baltimore City Public Schools
Kara Ball, MEd, is an elementary science and STEM education specialist with Baltimore City Public Schools.
Expertise: teaching strategies, dyslexia, personal experience, teacher professional development
Kareem Neal, MA, is an Understood Teacher Fellow and a self-contained special education teacher in Phoenix.
Expertise: postsecondary education, school leadership, diversity, culturally responsive teaching, special education
Karen Wilson, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in the assessment of children and adults through comprehensive evaluations.
Expertise: neuropsychology, ADHD, learning disabilities, transitions
Job Titles:
- CEO and Co - Founder, Equity Institute
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- Special Education Teacher, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
Keri Wilmot is an occupational therapist who works with children of varying ages and abilities in all areas of pediatrics.
Expertise: occupational therapy, sensory processing
Kristin J. Carothers, PhD, is a clinical child psychologist devoted to the destigmatization of mental health problems.
Expertise: clinical psychology
Teacher; Education Writer and Editor, Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
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- Professor at Curry College
Lynn Abrahams is a professor at Curry College, where she runs the Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL). Expertise: language-based learning disabilities, executive function issues, ADHD particularly in early adulthood
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- Education and Research Scientist, Landmark College
- Vice President of Educational Research and Innovation at Landmark College
Manju Banerjee, PhD, is vice president of educational research and innovation at Landmark College.
Expertise: college transition, young adults
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- President, Literacy How Research Affiliate, Fairfield University and Haskins Laboratories
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- Founding Headmaster, Eagle Hill School
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- Chairman of the Board
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Chair of the Board
- Member of the Leadership Team
Nancy Poses has dedicated her life to shaping the world for difference. She was instrumental in the development and launch of Understood in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Co - President
- Member of the Leadership Team
Nathan leads the multifaceted brand strategy, product marketing, consumer engagement, communications, creative and production functions.
Job Titles:
- Director, the Yellin Center for Mind, Brain, and Education
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- Chief Technology Officer
- Co - President
- Member of the Leadership Team
Rahul leads the engineering, analytics, information technology, process excellence, and project management teams at Understood.
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- Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer, Harvard Medical School
Sarah Greenberg, MEd, MFT, BCC, serves as the Executive Director of Behavior Change & Expertise at Understood.
Expertise: mental health & wellbeing at work, prevention, coaching
Shaquala Butler, MA, is an Understood Mentor Fellow and a reading specialist in Huntsville, Alabama.
Expertise: teaching strategies, interventions, critical race theory, teacher professional development
Job Titles:
- Consulting Psychologist, Understood Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC