Our Founders

Governance with integrity.
Leadership with accountability.

The Danny Boy Foundation is guided by experienced leadership and governed by an independent Board of Directors committed to ethical stewardship, strategic growth, and measurable impact.

Our leadership structure reflects best practices in nonprofit governance, ensuring both strong executive management and responsible board oversight.

Dr. Hasti Raveau, PhD, LP

Ryleigh Strong, LMSW

Co-Founder, President

Co-Founder, Vice President

  • Ryleigh Kryska serves as Presider and co-founder of the Danny Boy Foundation and provides strategic leadership in advancing the organization’s mission to prevent suicide in neurodivergent individuals.

    A licensed social worker with extensive experience in community-based care, Ryleigh has led initiatives focused on food security, case management, and reducing barriers to essential resources. Her work centers on dignity-driven service delivery and operational sustainability.

    As President, she guides the foundation’s strategic direction, partnerships, and long-term development.

  • Dr. Hasti Ashtiani Raveau is the Vice President and co-founder of the Danny Boy Foundation and oversees program development, clinical strategy, training initiatives, and implementation.

    A licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the Mala Child & Family Institute, Dr. Raveau brings extensive expertise in trauma-informed care, neurodevelopmental differences, suicide prevention, and systems-level reform.

    The foundation was established in memory of her brother, Danny Ashtiani, whose life continues to shape the organization’s commitment to prevention rooted in affirmation, access, and structural change.

    She leads the integration of research, clinical knowledge, and institutional training into scalable prevention efforts.

Why We Started Danny Boy Foundation

When we first started talking about building the Danny Boy Foundation, it felt like something we had been carrying for a long time.

We both come from communities where resources were limited, where mental health wasn’t openly talked about, and where people were expected to just keep going, no matter how heavy things got.

We’ve both seen what happens when support isn’t there. Or when neurodivergent people are struggling, but there’s no language for it. And we’ve both loved people who were impacted by that who needed more than what was available. That stays with you.

Too often, by the time support shows up, it’s already crisis. We couldn’t unsee that. And at some point, it stopped being a conversation and became a responsibility.

What would it look like to build something different?
Something that shows up earlier?
Something that actually meets people where they are?

The Danny Boy Foundation came from lived experience, grief, frustrations, love, and from knowing, deeply, that things could be better than this. We’re building something that doesn’t wait until people are at their breaking point. Something that sees neurodivergent individuals as they are, and supports them in ways that are affirming, practical, and real.

We’re simply people who have lived close to this, who have felt the gaps, and who chose to do something about it. And we’re just getting started.

If this resonates with you, we’d be honored to have you be part of it.

Founding Board Members

  • The Danny Boy Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors responsible for fiduciary oversight, compliance, and long-term strategic stewardship.

    The Board’s responsibilities include:

    • Financial oversight and accountability

    • Governance and regulatory compliance

    • Executive leadership support and evaluation

    • Strategic planning

    • Safeguarding the mission and ethical standards of the organization

    Board members are selected for their professional expertise, integrity, and alignment with the foundation’s values.

    As the foundation grows, we are committed to building a diverse board reflective of the communities we serve, including expertise in finance, law, healthcare, education, nonprofit governance, and lived experience.

  • Abigail Baker is a sales manager within the Kroger Co. of Michigan, with a strong passion for serving our communities every day. Her role is more than just selling groceries – she is an advocate of food security for all. Very early on, Abigail realized that food is medicine and nutrition plays a vital role psychological safety. In 2025, Abigail was recognized and named the Zero Hunger Zero Waste “Zero Hero” of Kroger for her time spent giving back to those that need it most. Her passions fall right in line with the message of the Danny Boy Foundation, and she is honored to be a part of this mission.

  • Alaina Kuisma is a Limited Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor who provides therapy through a trauma-informed, person-centered lens. Her work focuses on identity, meaning, and reducing shame, particularly for individuals who have felt misunderstood or “different” in their environments.

    She is especially passionate about supporting neurodivergent individuals, including those on the autism spectrum, through an affirming and non-pathologizing approach. Alaina views neurodivergence as a meaningful and valid way of experiencing the world, and her work emphasizes self-understanding, self-trust, and living in alignment with one’s values.

    This work is both professional and deeply personal. As a mother of neurodivergent children and neurodivergent herself, Alaina is committed to helping create spaces where individuals feel seen, supported, and understood early—before distress escalates into crisis.

    As Board Secretary, she supports the foundation’s mission through thoughtful organizational leadership and a shared commitment to early, affirming, and prevention-focused care for neurodivergent individuals and their families.

  • Anahita King is the mother of Danny. After the devastating loss of her son to suicide 10 years ago at the age of 17, Anahita has remained committed to helping create a world where neurodivergent individuals are better understood, supported, and protected before reaching a point of crisis. Through her lived experience, she seeks to bring awareness, dignity, and hope to other families. She is especially passionate about helping families facing suicidal crisis and supporting mothers and loved ones navigating the unimaginable grief of losing a child. Anahita lives in Northville, Michigan, with her husband.

  • Antoinette Ulmer, MSW, is a master’s level social worker and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Mala Child and Family Institute in Metro Detroit. Her work centers on creating culturally responsive, affirming, and accessible mental health care for adolescents, families, and underserved communities.

    With a strong foundation in clinical practice and systems-level leadership, Antoinette is passionate about advancing equity within mental health spaces and challenging approaches that overlook the needs of marginalized and neurodivergent individuals. Her work is deeply informed by both professional experience and personal connection, particularly in the area of suicide prevention.

    Antoinette is committed to shifting the field toward early intervention, prevention-focused care, and building systems that truly see, support, and hold people before they reach crisis.

Ashley Weiland, MS, LLP

Kajal Brazwell

  • Ashley Weiland, MS, LLP is a Limited Licensed Psychologist (LLP) and Lead ASD Evaluator at Mala Child & Family Institute. Her work centers around providing neurodiversity-affirming, comprehensive, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive evaluations for individuals across the lifespan. Ashley is passionate about expanding equity and inclusivity within communities, schools, workplaces, and mental health systems. She is dedicated to helping create environments where neurodivergent people are supported. Ashley’s work is deeply informed by both professional experience and personal connection. She is honored to support the Danny Boy Foundation's mission and serve on the founding leadership team.

  • I spent over seven years as a middle and high school English teacher before moving into educational leadership, where I spent another seven years running programs that connected K-12 school systems with the technology and tools meant to support their students. That time in schools, and in the communities surrounding them, shaped everything about how I see young people and the adults who support them. I’ve worked alongside students and colleagues who are neurodivergent, and I’ve seen how much harder the everyday can be when the systems around you weren’t built with you in mind. Mental health has also been a thread throughout my own life, not at arm’s length, but close. 

    That’s part of why the Danny Boy Foundation’s approach resonates with me so deeply. The belief that prevention must start early, that environments need to be genuinely affirming, and that support should reach people before crisis arrives reflects something I’ve come to understand through both experience and proximity. I’m grateful to be part of the Leadership Circle and to contribute to a community working to make that kind of support more accessible for neurodivergent individuals and their families.

Karly Smith

Kelsy Butkus, LPC

  • Karly Smith is a pediatric occupational therapist dedicated to supporting neurodivergent children and their families through a neurodiversity-affirming, relationship and play-based approach. She believes that feeling safe, understood, and supported is essential for well-being and mental health.  

    In addition to her school-based occupational therapy work, she is the founder of a private practice offering in-home support and parent coaching. She is honored to serve on Danny Boy’s founding leadership team to help provide education and support that prevents and reduces suicide among neurodivergent individuals, creating a sense of community that is accessible to everyone.

  • Kelsy Butkus, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and the Clinical Director of Mala Child & Family Institute with a strong passion for creating inclusive mental health spaces for all individuals. Her work is grounded in advocacy, community education, and expanding access to affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive care. She is honored to support the Danny Boy Foundation's mission.

Laura Rowley, PhD, LP

Mallary Haworth

  • I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Clinic Director at Eastern Michigan University, where I collaborate with students, faculty, and community members to expand access to evidence-based, affirming treatment. I was drawn to the Danny Boy Foundation because of its commitment to compassionate, life-saving mental health care and suicide prevention. In my work as a clinical psychologist, I’ve seen firsthand that even with the well-established tools we have to prevent suicide, many individuals still face significant barriers to accessing care, often due to systemic limitations and gaps in clinician training. I’m grateful to collaborate with the Danny Boy Foundation team to advance our mission and ensure that more individuals have access to the care and support they need.

  • Hi there! I’m Mallary (she/they/he), and I’m thrilled to be part of the Danny Boy Foundation. My work focuses on supporting neurodivergent individuals through creative, inclusive, and affirming approaches. I studied Women’s and Gender Studies at Eastern Michigan University, along with Theatre for the Young and Children’s Literature, which shaped how I think about learning, development, expression, and accessibility.

    I’ve worked in education as both a teacher and director, where I take a play-based, student-centered approach. I’m especially passionate about creating spaces where neurodivergent individuals feel seen, valued, and able to show up as their full selves.

    In addition to my experience in education, I’ve worked in People Operations, advocating for employees and helping build neurodivergent-affirming practices that center flexibility, accessibility, and well being. This experience continues to guide how I approach community-building and support in all areas of my work.

    I’m deeply passionate about neurodiversity, disability justice, and the power of play as a tool for connection, learning, and growth. I believe in meeting people where they are and creating environments that celebrate different ways of thinking, learning, and being.

    Outside of work, I’m an artist, musician, and professional clown. I love spending time with my dogs, balloon twisting, diving into comic books and video games, hunting for treasures while thrifting, collecting vintage toys, and creating all kinds of art!

Mariam Saparamadu, LMSW

Mika Handelman, PhD, LP

  • Mariam Saparamadu, LMSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and founder of Sakoon Psychotherapy. She specializes in trauma, PTSD, and CPTSD, working with young adults navigating identity, cultural expectations, and intergenerational wounds. Her work centers culturally responsive, trauma-informed care and includes supporting neurodivergent individuals. It is rooted in the belief that healing begins with compassion, connection, and feeling deeply seen.

  • Dr. Mika Handelman (she/her) is a neurodivergent clinical psychologist and founder of Sabi Psychology, a training organization dedicated to culturally responsive, gender-affirming, and neurodiversity-affirming care. She brings expertise in trauma, crisis intervention, and stabilization. Dr. Handelman has contributed to suicide prevention research, including work focused on engaging at-risk individuals who are less likely to seek help, as well as research on gender-expansive youth, who are disproportionately impacted by both neurodivergence and suicide risk.

Alaina Kuisma, LLPC, NCC

Abigail Baker

Antoinette Ulmer, MSW

Anahita King

Rosemary Frenza Chudnof, JD

  • Rosemary Frenza Chudnof is an attorney, professor, and non-profit strategist. Since 2016, she has provided a national client base with services including grant preparedness, research, and writing; strategic planning; and comprehensive fundraising and communications strategies. In 2025, Rosemary began teaching non-profit grant writing to a master’s cohort at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Rosemary lives in Northville with her husband and two sons. Her passion for the work of Danny Boy Foundation is deeply personal, shaped by the lived experience of her older son, who is non-neurotypical. Rosemary has a volunteer history in suicide prevention initiatives and is passionate about bringing her professional expertise and personal experience to the Danny Boy Foundation.

Join Our Team