BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PHOTO COMING SOON
LISA MOSKO BARROS, CEO & FOUNDER
Lisa Mosko Barros is a bi-lingual award winning advocate for students with disabilities with 15 years of experience.
Previously, Lisa served as Chief Advocacy Officer for The Oakland REACH, a non-profit organization dedicated to lifting up Black and Latino students in public schools via family voice. Lisa was also the founding Director of Special Education Advocacy at Speak UP, a parent powered non-profit dedicated to effecting positive change in public schools in Los Angeles Unified. She also served as chairperson for LAUSD’s Community Advisory Committee for Special Education where she was re-elected for three consecutive years.
Ms. Mosko Barros’ was awarded the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities 33rd Annual Access Awards. Her work has been cited in the Los Angeles Times, Ed Source, the 74 Million, LAist, and La Opinión and she as served as a panelist on Univisión and on Larry Mantle’s AirTalk on KPCC, a NPR member station.
As a mother who has fought to ensure that her own children with IEPs were given the support they needed to thrive, Lisa draws from her lived experience to help other families do the same.
Ariel Harman-Holmes
ARIEL HARMAN-HOLMES is a special education attorney and a parent to three kids with disabilities. She began her career as a public defender where she honed her advocacy skills and grew her passion for fighting injustice. As she advocated for her own children she realized that she could use her skills to help other students get the supports they need. She joined the LAUSD Community Advisory Committee where she has served as parliamentarian, vice-chair and chairperson. It didn’t take long for her to decide to open Harman-Holmes Law APC so she could spend every workday doing what she loved best – helping families of disabled kids get the supports and services they need to succeed. But it’s not all business – in her “spare time” Ariel likes to write songs, play music, knit obsessively, and go hiking.
Brian Gutierrez
Brian is a compelling disability rights leader and self-advocate who uses storytelling and policy engagement to shed light on the realities faced by people with disabilities. His passion for disability advocacy stems from his lived experiences navigating the K-12 education system in an underserved community with limited resources and inadequate support. Growing up in a small town, Brian encountered systemic inequities, including inaccessible services and untrained staff who failed to meet the needs of students with disabilities. These challenges fueled his determination to create meaningful change in education, ensuring that future generations of students with disabilities receive the support and opportunities they deserve.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services and a Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis on Rehabilitation Counseling, both from California State University, Los Angeles. He also earned a graduate certificate as a Disability Resource Specialist from Northern Arizona University and is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Disability Services in Higher Education at the City University of New York, School of Professional Studies.
His disability advocacy extends beyond education. Brian Gutierrez serves as the Project Manager of Outreach and Leadership Training at Disability Voices United and serves on several influential disability advisory committees at both national and state levels
Cynthia Kanagui
Cynthia is the Founder and CEO of Kanascend, a Latina-owned consulting firm that is dedicated to addressing systemic inequities, focusing on Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDEI) principles.
Previously, Cynthia spent 15 years dismantling systemic inequities through college access work, philanthropic collective action efforts, social justice advocacy and more. In her recent role as Director of Communications, Advocacy, and Policy at TCM Fresno, Cynthia played a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives and driving significant community engagement by revamping the organization's social media content strategy and amplifying resident voices through impactful video campaigns. Her leadership also facilitated the execution of numerous virtual community meetings, bringing together over 100 Fresno Community Champions for change.
Raised by immigrant parents in the San Joaquin Valley, Cynthia is intimately acquainted with the unique struggles facing underserved families locally . She has personally confronted many systemic barriers of oppression — from shortcomings in public education and inadequate healthcare to hunger and discrimination. Cynthia lives in Fresno, CA with her husband and two beautiful children, Luka and Arra.
Juan Capdet
With over two decades of a distinguished career in entertainment, Juan Capdet brings a wealth of expertise in creative strategy and marketing. He has driven growth and success in numerous high-profile projects across film, television, and digital platforms in the domestic, international, and multicultural market. Through the latter, he has been a passionate advocate for elevating diverse stories and talent within the industry.
As the father of a child with ASD, Juan (alongside his late wife Carla) has been actively involved in championing their development and the needs of the neurodivergent community. He most recently served on the LAUSD Special Education Committee for the 2023/2024 school year as a parent member. Juan also volunteers his time advising Exceptional Minds, a nonprofit academy and post production studio for people on the autism spectrum, as well as looking for new ways to amplify neurodivergence and the arts.
When not focusing on the above, Juan and his wife Jaime are busy being the proud parents of three boys that they raise in Southern California.
Kelley Coleman
Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports draws upon over a decade of experience, including her own experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities. She serves on committees for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Canine Companions, and is a board member of SpEducational and the North Los Angeles County Regional Center. She has partnered with many organizations for events, including the Judy Heumann Legacy and the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Diversability Leadership Collective, Inclusion Matters, and the Family Action Network, and contributed to the bestselling anthology Becoming Brave Together. Kelley lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two boys, and her son’s trusty service dog.
Kelly Hourigan
Kelly brings a deep commitment to leadership and educational excellence, underpinned by an extensive career spanning multiple influential roles in education. With a rich background as a School Administrator, Director of Special Education, Director of Special Programs, and Chief Operations Officer, Kelly has consistently demonstrated her passion for improving the educational experience for students, particularly those in need of specialized support.
Throughout her career, Kelly has garnered recognition for her outstanding leadership, including being named Administrator of the Year. This award highlights her relentless drive to create environments that foster learning and growth for all students. Through her work, Kelly has played a pivotal role in expanding access to high-quality educational services for students across the nation. Her leadership focuses on ensuring that every student has the support they need to succeed, working tirelessly to bring innovative solutions to the table.
Kelly is deeply involved in providing guidance to schools on a wide range of initiatives, including professional development programs for educators, ensuring compliance with education standards, and spearheading initiatives that drive both organizational and academic innovation. Her unique combination of operational expertise, passion for education, and strategic vision continues to make a profound impact on the schools and communities she serves.
Her contributions as a Board Member reflect her ongoing commitment to advocating for the rights and needs of students, ensuring that educational opportunities are accessible, equitable, and empowering for all.
Lisa Ross
Award-winning educator and former principal Lisa Ross is on a mission to transform the lives of underserved K-12 students and ensure their post-secondary success. From the moment Lisa saw her elementary school principal Ms. Woodson, an African American woman who insisted that ALL children can be whatever they want to be, Lisa knew she too would one day be a school principal.
As an elementary school teacher in the Compton Unified and the Los Angeles Unified School Districts, Lisa's passion and commitment to her students were evident. Her students excelled under her guidance, and she was recognized with numerous awards for her distinguished instruction, a testament to her dedication and effectiveness as an educator. Before long, she became a highly respected high school principal whose school achieved a 90% graduation rate. The U.S. News & World Report ranked her school as one of the Best High Schools in the nation.
In 2019, with over 20 years of education experience, Ms. Ross launched Sage Pathways, an educational consulting company offering tutoring, mentoring, and coaching services to K-12 students. Lisa’s impact is evident in her scholars' improved academic achievement and college eligibility. She also works to inspire young tutors to pursue a career in education.
Mia Marano
For nearly two decades, Mia Lotringer Marano has championed educational equity and for the needs and inclusion of disabledchildren in school. Originally from France but raised in New York, Mia has called West Adams, Los Angeles, her home for nearly twenty years.
There she co-founded CLIC(City Language Immersion Charter), a language immersion public school, to serve her predominantly Spanish-speakingvcommunity because she is a strong believer in the transformative power of multilingual and multicultural education.
After Ms. Marano’s son was diagnosed as neurodivergent, her efforts expanded to advocating for parents with disabled children as a member of Speak Up, a parent advocacy organization in Los Angeles, in order to ensure that public schools supported all students to fulfill their potential.
She subsequently served as a member of LAUSD Community Advocacy Committee for Special Education, where she pushed for the continuation of services during COVID-19 and for greater inclusion of all students in general education classrooms, with appropriate supports.
Ms. Marano is the proud parent of two now-teenage sons and she currently balances her time between homeschooling her youngest, and actively supporting decision makers who integrate the voices of individuals with disabilities into their policies and practices. Ms. Marano looks forward to her new role as the secretary of SpEducational as an opportunity to continue to passionately advocate for students with additional needs and create a supportive and inclusive educational environment for all students.