If everyone is moving forward together, the path becomes easier to walk on! Together we can do so much.
An effective team is the pillar of every organization. And that is what we at Kind Theory stand for too. We are a team of diverse and motivated individuals who are dedicated to working towards promoting neurodiversity education.
Our team consists of individuals who have the lived experiences of being neurodivergent themselves. Through their experiences and knowledge, we continue to work to make the neurodivergent voices heard. Not just that, our team consists of members who are culturally and neurodevelopmentally diverse as well, bringing an entirely new experience to the Kind Theory cause. We are partnering with organizations that are working for the same cause. All of us believe in the power of inclusion and the beauty of neurodiversity.
Together with Kindness, Collaboration, and Openness to innovative ideas, we do not just learn from each other, but we also inspire each other to do better.
Samar Waqar
Founder/Executive director
Hi! I am Samar and I am a neurodivergent. Finding out about my neurodivergence through a formal evaluation was life changing for me. My childhood was inherently spent knowing and believing within my heart that I was different. My diagnosis served as a validation for me. I could finally put my guard down. Or could I? I founded Kind Theory to cultivate acceptance, inclusion and celebration of neurodiversity. My hope is to do it globally – but hey! It’s a start.
I have worked in the fields of education, information analysis and operations management. I have a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a certification in Big Data Analytics. I find the human brain extremely fascinating and therefore have a keen interest in learning more about how the psychology of the human brain works. I started an ALM in Psychology but had to pause due to personal reasons. My hope and dream is to someday be able to earn a Masters in Psychology and eventually a doctorate. A girl can dream, right?
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep.And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before i sleep – Robert Frost
Dr. Laura Z. Weldon
Board chair
Laura Z. Weldon, ND, MS is a neurodivergent naturopathic physician who loves exploring how people think, feel, sense, and connect. Dr. Weldon earned a doctorate in naturopathic medicine and a master’s degree in integrative mental health. Her interdisciplinary research currently focuses on the pathophysiology and treatment of autistic burnout, and her work advocates for a neurodiversity paradigm shift across both medicine and society.
Morenike Giwa Onaiwu
Board member
Morenike Giwa Onaiwu is a global advocate, educator, disabled person of color, and parent of children on the autism spectrum. She is A prolific writer and social scientist/activist whose work focuses on intersectional justice, meaningful community involvement, human rights, and inclusion, Morénike is recognized as a leader in various social justice activism endeavors.
Kashif Hameed Qureshi
Board member
Kashif Hameed Qureshi is a Performance Engineering Manager at Paycor Inc. He has a Masters of Science degree in Project Management. Kashif is also a philanthropist and supports people in need in developing countries. Working in corporate America for years has made Kashif realize how corporations lack a pragmatic approach toward neurodiversity inclusion
Jeff Owens
Advisory Board Member
Jeff Owens is Director of Technology at Semaphore Mobile, a neurodiversity advocate, and a parent of a neurodiverse child. He has a masters degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Baylor University where he also played on the men’s varsity tennis team. Jeff runs the Autism-101.com resource website for newly diagnosed and self-identified autistic people. He was diagnosed with both Autism and ADHD as an adult.
Jeni Bridges
Advisory Board Member
Hi! I am Jeni – I am what you may call, “extra neuro-spicy”. As an Autistic ADD-er and a survivor of two Traumatic Brain Injuries, I have a unique lived experience of my neurodivergence. I’ve been in the education field for 14 years, most of which has been spent serving neurodivergent children and their families. Currently, I’m working on my Masters in Social Work with the goal of helping neurodivergent adults navigate life in their own unique way. I’m excited to join forces with Kind Theory to build a rockin’ support squad for the neurodivergent community Let’s do this!
Jamie Shields
Accessibility Consultant
Hi, my name is Jamie. I’m a Registered Blind ADHD Rhino. Rhinos are just chubby unicorns with bad eyesight. Honestly google it, they’ve some of the worst eyesight in mammals.
Amun Malik
Operations Specialist
Amun Malik is an enthusiastic student majoring in psychology, energetic and keenly motivated to learn and experience new things. She enjoys working with kids and believes in empowering and accepting neurodiversity, so when the opportunity to be a part of Kind Theory came, she took it in a heartbeat.
Ayesha Ijaz
Content developer
Ayesha is a Psychologist with a Masters of Science degree in Clinical Psychology. She loves poetry and identifies as a highly sensitive person. She loves cats and is actively involved in rescuing animals in need. Ayesha believes in the power of empathy and the beauty of inclusion.
Content Contributors
Brittney Geary
As a neurodivergent school psychologist and self- advocate, Brittney Geary, MEd CAGS utilizes her experience as an autistic, ADHD, learning-disabled person to inform her professional practice.
She has over a decade of experience having served as a consultant and research assistant in autism research, a coach for neurodivergent adults, a school psychologist in several public school districts, a mentor and a volunteer for several neurodiversity-affirming organizations internationally. Additionally, she is familiar with supporting others in managing commonly co-occurring physical, mental, and neurological health conditions.
She is passionate about promoting disability awareness through sharing lived experience, education and valuable resources, and would love to connect with like-minded individuals & organizations who share a common goal to embrace neurodiversity and enable neurodivergent individuals to lead more authentic lives.
Amy Burden
Amy Burden is a Family Nurse Practitioner, Health Content Writer, and an ally to the neurodivergent community. She has a passion for helping people and enjoys volunteering her time to advocate for education, accessibility, and kindness.
Emily Morson
Emily M. is a writer fascinated by the infinite variety of human minds. She grew up inexplicably different and was diagnosed as an adult with several forms of neurodivergence, including ADHD and an auditory discrimination disability. Feeling as if she were living life without a user manual, she set out to create her own. In the process, she met other neurodivergent people on similar quests. She began working with them, advocating for inclusion, accessibility, and autism acceptance. Seeking to understand how neurodiverse minds work, she became a cognitive neuroscience researcher. Her favorite research topic: what do children learn from their intense, passionate interests? Wanting to help neurodivergent people more directly, she trained as a speech/language therapist. Ultimately, she turned to writing, combining research with personal experience to explain autism and ADHD and champion acceptance – because everyone is happier when they are seen and accepted for who they are. She envisions a world where neurodiverse people have equal opportunities for education, loving relationships, and meaningful work. She also blogs about autism and ADHD research at Mosaic of Minds. You can chat with her on Twitter: @mosaicofminds.
