Sonja N. Robinson, Ph.D., is the founder, CEO, and lead consultant of Thrive Mind Solutions. Dr. Robinson has over 10 years of experience creating and supporting the development and implementation of innovative inclusive excellence strategies for complex organizations and institutions of higher education. Her focus areas are diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, executive coaching, organizational culture analysis and development, data analytics, employee engagement, change management, and organizational dynamics.

While serving as the director of inclusion at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Dr. Robinson served as the primary liaison to over 1,100 college and university athletic programs for issues related to race, ethnicity, and disability, and led program development and facilitation for national conferences, workshops, presentations and engagements. She also served as the primary liaison and staff support to a national committee charged with providing review of and recommendations about programs, policies, and practices impacting minority administrators, coaches, and student-athletes across the United States.

While working for a large Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) in the Office for Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Robinson played a key role in the creation and execution of campus-wide orientations, training, programs, and presentations on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She led a campus climate assessment and the development of the subsequent diversity action plan. She has extensive experience working with groups to drive innovation and efficiency, to define values and design culture, and to move beyond a surface-level understanding of diversity and inclusion to action-oriented and industry-specific application of the concepts.

A former Division I student-athlete and coach, Dr. Robinson holds a doctorate in Sports Administration, with a minor in Research Methodology, and an M.B.A. with focus areas of Organizational Behavior and Entrepreneurship. Her research agenda and professional work has centered on leadership development, equity, access and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and athlete welfare. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in sport leadership, ethics, psychology, diversity, sociology, legal aspects, and marketing, and authored an unpublished guide on implementing DEI principles in hiring practices. She has been a member of numerous boards and national organizations, including a leadership role with the Diversity in Sports Consortium, a group of diversity professionals from amateur, Olympic, and professional leagues across the United States.

AlKillen-Harvey has worked at the Chadwick Center at Rady Children’s Hospital forover 28 years as a practicing trauma treatment therapist, clinical improvement coordinator,reflective supervisor, and trainer. A licensed clinical social worker, heis also the co-founder of The Harvey Institute, a training and consultationcompany whose mission is improving health care outcomes through the integrationof sexual health. Their work received the 2022 “William Friedrich LecturesSeries” Award given by the Mayo Clinic for its’ innovative work in bridging thegap between sexual trauma and sexual health.

Hecurrently serves on the advisory boardsof the Children’s Advocacy Centers of California and is theco-chairperson of the Sexual Health subcommittee for the National ChildTraumatic Stress Network (and previously served as co-chairperson of its’Cultural Consortium). He has served as an expert witness for the United StatesArmy and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office in the prosecution of sexualabuse cases. He is also a recipient of the Community Collaborators Award givenby the San Diego LGBT Center.

Katherine (Katie) BrendliBrown, PhD, is an Extension Associate with Cornell University’s Yang TanInstitute on Employment and Disability, in the School of Industrial and LaborRelations. Her research interests include supporting positive health and wellbeing,encouraging self-determination/self-advocacy, and improving postsecondarytransition experiences and outcomes for people with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities. 

Dr. Ruth Brown, PhD, is aLicensed Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor at the VirginiaInstitute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity. Her research is dedicated to improving the mental health care of peoplewith Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilitiesthrough improved detection, prevention, and treatment of traumatic stress,anxiety, and depression.

Margaret DeRamus, MS,CCC-SLP (she/her) is a licensed speech-language pathologist at the CarolinaInstitute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) at the University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill. She applies her expertise in communication to addressthe unique needs of individuals with intellectual and developmentaldisabilities. She is a member of the Association of University Centers onDisabilities (AUCD) Sexual Health special interest group. Ms. DeRamusco-facilitates a modified sexual health education (SHE) series for youth andadults with I/DD and their families/caregivers. Her expertise is in modifyinglanguage and in applying universal design learning to promote accessibility forindividuals with complex communication needs.

Morgan Parlier, MSW, LCSWis the lead social work faculty at the Carolina Institute for DevelopmentalDisabilities (CIDD).  Morgan has more than twenty years of experienceworking with the neurodiversity community in areas of research, education, andprovision of disability affirming clinical services.  She serves as theDirector of the CIDD Family Support Program, supporting a team comprised offamily partners, social workers, and LEND trainees who provide social/emotionalsupport as well as service navigation.  She serves as Co-Chair of the CIDDDiversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. Morgan’s passion is in promotingsexual health and relationship equity for all; representing the CIDD on the NCSexual Violence Prevention Advisory Council.  Morgan is an educator,trainer, and consultant for accessible and comprehensive sexual healtheducation (SHE) for developmentally disabled individuals.  Her clinicalinterests include individual and group relational therapy with adolescents,adults and older adults who are developmentally disabled and have co-occurringmental health diagnoses.