Dr. Bernstein has worked as an ABA Therapist for over 20 years in a variety of settings. He received his MA in Experimental Psychology in 2001 from Brooklyn College and his Ph.D. in Psychology in 2010 at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is also a NYS-certified special education teacher (birth to grade 2). As Program Director, Dr. Bernstein oversees all clinical matters, structures the overall set-up of each classroom, observes and trains staff working in each room, attends IEP meetings, testifies at impartial hearings, meets with parents, and runs weekly clinical meetings in each classroom.
Ms. Kaiser worked in New York State government for over ten years as a policy maker, Legislative Director, and Chief of Staff to various Manhattan elected officials. Her role included extensive work in education policy and the reform of laws related to the civil rights of people with disabilities. When her twin sons were diagnosed with autism, she began working at a renowned special education law firm developing its marketing and client education program, professional development, and liaising with all the independent special education schools in New York City. As Head of School, Ms. Kaiser is in charge of strategic development and long-term planning. She works with special education attorneys, neuropsychologists, the school district, and others to support student needs. Eliyanna meets with prospective families, manages the school on an administrative level, and hires new staff members.
Jonathan Trichter spent a major part of his career in finance and on Wall Street, where he was an investment banker at J.P. Morgan before becoming a founding principal at a corporate restructuring firm. He later went on to work for the New York City venture capital fund, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, which is run by his family. Jonathan and his family were personally touched by autism; he himself became deeply involved in the delivery of therapies that are now available for children with neurological and behavioral differences. He is passionate about making sure many others receive the best therapies available, and he works fulltime and onsite at Hubbard Day, Foundry’s sister school.
Joel Maute graduated from Boston University with a degree in Occupational Therapy. He began his career in the Milton Public Schools and transitioned to a home care specialist providing therapeutic services to children with varying disabilities. Realizing the critical need for children to generalize their skills outside of their home, he co-founded a successful school-based alternative education program that was widely known for its excellence. Subsequently, he partnered with Jonathan Trichter and expanded that program to include two locations: The Foundry Learning Center in Manhattan and Hubbard Day School in Stamford, Connecticut. He has intricate knowledge of the special education space from a clinical and managerial perspective and works fulltime and onsite at Foundry.