Engineering Protection: Where Trauma-Informed AI Support Meets Human Connection
We train case workers, guidance counselors, teachers, police officers, and other public servants to become highly effective mentors in career readiness.
AAI re-envisions the transition from high-risk environments to adulthood by providing a robust safety net against the dangers of aging out. We stabilize the trajectory of youth facing adversity aged 14-24 through a three-pillared delivery model.
Mentorship Technology (Catapult): We provide a proprietary learning management system that, among other necessary trainings, animates real-life mentors via USC’s MentorPal technology, providing 24/7 access to relatable guidance. This AI-driven interface utilizes a trauma-informed methodology to ensure every interaction prioritizes the psychological safety and emotional stability of the youth we serve.
Professional Development: We provide educators and community leaders with the tools to intervene effectively through live and virtual Train the Trainers events and our proprietary Mentor Guide. These resources establish a standardized, high-fidelity approach to mentorship that honors the lived experiences of our participants.
Backend Data Analytics: We anchor our mission in empirical evidence by tracking backend research outcomes and student progress. This data infrastructure allows us to validate the efficacy of our interventions and ensure no child slips through the cracks of the system.
Partner Organizations We Serve
Title 1 Schools: Supporting students in high-poverty areas to bridge the achievement and opportunity gap.
Foster Care Organizations and Homes: Providing continuity of care and mentorship for youth transitioning toward independent living.
Juvenile Justice Programs: Delivering rehabilitative mentorship to reduce recidivism and foster successful societal reintegration.
Sobriety and Recovery Support Systems: Guiding youth through the complexities of maintaining long-term recovery and personal health.
Teen Pregnancy and Parenting Programs: Empowering young parents with the life skills and resources necessary to break cycles of instability.
We do more than mentor; we help partner organizations secure stable futures for those the world too often leaves behind.
Meet the Board of Directors
Dr. Pamela M. Donnelly
Founder & Executive Director
Dr. Pamela M. Donnelly has been an equitable education visionary for more than two decades in her mission to increase college access. She graduated with her PhD in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University, and holds an MA degree in Literature as well as a BA in Literature and Secondary Education from Columbia University in the City of New York. She is a four-time business founder committed to championing teens in foster care, having built her professional reputation as a performance-focused executive. Her specialization in higher education for over twenty years has provided processes optimizing individual and organizational objectives. Data-driven, her leadership aligns people and resources to consistently deliver exceptional student outcomes.
Dr. Donnelly has been widely featured in the national media, including Time Magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She is conversant in Spanish and committed to ensuring language barriers do not impede student aspiration in AAI’s programs. A first-generation college student and second-generation CASA, she has built a solid network of influential stakeholders across federal, state, and local educational entities. Her values-based expertise is based on carefully curated research, theoretical foundations, and real-life experience in classrooms, board rooms, and offices up to and including advisory for divisions within the U.S. Department of Education.
Jason Palmer
Co-Founder, Founding Donor, and Honorary Board Member Emeritus
Jason Palmer is co-founder and founding donor of American Access Institute. Recognized as a leader in the conscious capitalism movement, Jason previously held leadership roles at the Gates Foundation, Kaplan Education, and New Markets, where he invested in twenty companies that serve 70 million learners worldwide, including Credly, Climb Credit, LearnPlatform, Mursion, Socrait, CreatorUp and Nepris. Jason also was a former Democratic presidential candidate focused on expanding economic opportunity through innovation. Jason serves as a Senior Advisor to Renaissance Philanthropy, the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE), and climate change venture fund Bay Bridge Ventures. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Harvard Business School, and lives in Baltimore, Maryland, where he is a proud father.
Jason Palmer
Co-Founder, Founding Donor, and Honorary Board Member Emeritus
Dr. Sandra T. Elliott
Board Secretary
Dr. Sandra T. Elliott is an internationally recognized education leader with over four decades of experience improving student outcomes across K–12 systems. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Innovation from the University of Colorado, Denver, and holds an M.Ed. in Special Education and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Florida. Her work began in the classroom as a special education teacher and evolved through five principalships, district administration, board service, and state-level consulting. She has led initiatives in both public education and the private sector, consistently advancing inclusive learning models.
She played a key role in the launch of national education efforts, including the Edison Project and Engage NY’s Eureka Math. She also led the development of the DySc, a free dyscalculia screening tool now widely used. Her expertise in mathematics instruction for struggling learners and dyscalculia has earned her invitations to present at major national and international conferences. Dr. Elliott serves on the Board of the Dyscalculia Training and Research Institute and participates in EDUsummIT, a UNESCO-affiliated group that contributes to global education policy. A published author, her recent book Sum Things Up! A Practical Guide to Dyscalculia shares classroom strategies grounded in research and experience. She continues to champion equity in education, working to ensure that every student has access to effective instruction aligned with their individual learning needs.
Alyssa Harvey Dawson
Board Member
Alyssa Harvey Dawson brings decades of legal and strategic leadership to her role as a board member for technology-driven and mission-aligned organizations. With deep expertise in governance, cybersecurity, AI ethics, privacy, and financial oversight, she helps companies grow responsibly and sustainably. Dawson’s passion for collaboration has allowed her to successfully integrate legal, compliance, and security functions into product development, engineering, and business operations—bridging often-siloed departments to support innovation at scale.
Her career spans Fortune 500 companies, high-growth startups, and nonprofit organizations. She currently serves on the boards of AppLovin (Audit and Nom/Gov Committees), Make-A-Wish® Connecticut, and the Georgetown University Law Center Board of Visitors. In each of these roles, Dawson helps guide ethical decision-making, sound governance, and long-term strategic vision. She also serves as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at HubSpot, where she advises on key legal and regulatory matters while championing inclusive, forward-thinking innovation.
Dawson earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center and remains actively engaged in legal education and policy conversations. A champion of responsible technology, she advocates for education and broader access to innovation, helping individuals and communities build skills and opportunities for success. Her leadership philosophy centers on the belief that business success and social responsibility are not at odds, but rather must go hand in hand.
Alyssa Harvey Dawson’s breadth of experience and steadfast commitment to ethical, human-centered technology make her an invaluable advisor and leader for American Access Institute. In today’s evolving digital landscape, her contributions will help us shape a future in which innovation uplifts people, protects privacy, and strengthens communities.
Alyssa Harvey Dawson
Board Member
William R. Swartout, PhD
Board Member
Dr. William R. Swartout is a nationally recognized leader in artificial intelligence, education technology, and human-centered computing. He serves as Chief Science Officer of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and Co-Director of the USC Center for Generative AI and Society, where his work focuses on using AI to strengthen learning, critical thinking, and equitable access to opportunity.
A founding member of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, Dr. Swartout has spent more than two decades leading large-scale, federally funded research initiatives that apply AI to education, training, and workforce > readiness. His work has helped shape AI-driven mentoring, career exploration, and writing-support tools now used in both civilian and military education settings.
Dr. Swartout currently leads research examining how generative AI can support—rather than replace—student thinking, with particular attention to underserved learners. His projects emphasize explainability, ethics, and scalable > support systems that expand access to high-quality guidance.
He earned his PhD in Computer Science from MIT and is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. His work has been featured nationally, including on 60 Minutes, and recognized with numerous awards for innovation and public impact
AAI is grateful for his deep expertise in AI-enabled career readiness, mentoring, and expanding access to educational opportunities.
Altrese Hawkins-Gopie, MBA, MS
Board Member
Altrese Hawkins-Gopie, MBA, MS, brings years of expertise at the intersection of Responsible AI, risk management, and inclusive innovation to the AAI Board of Directors. As a Senior Operations Program Manager at Microsoft, she leads enterprise-wide implementation of Responsible AI frameworks, ensuring generative AI technologies are safe, secure, and trustworthy for more than two million users. She has driven a 457% increase in adoption of Responsible AI practices across 19 Microsoft organizations and created automation tools that save over 900 hours annually. Her leadership spans engineering, legal, and product teams, and she serves as Chief of Staff for Black at Microsoft, supporting over 7,000 global members.
Previously, she held leadership roles at Magic Leap, managing multimillion-dollar R&D portfolios and improving delivery and quality through systems thinking and operational innovation. Ms. Hawkins-Gopie holds an MBA from the University of Florida and an M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Barry University. She earned three undergraduate degrees from the University of Memphis: a B.S. in Biology, a B.S. in Chemistry (Biochemistry), and a B.A. in Psychology (Behavioral Neuroscience), with a minor in Spanish.
“I am genuinely inspired by the mission of the American Access Institute,” she says. “Building a community that educates, elevates, and empowers itself and others—especially in the age of AI—is why I serve.”
Altrese Hawkins-Gopie, MBA, MS
Board Member
Dr. Vicki L. Holmes
Honorary Board Member Emeritus
Dr. Vicki L. Holmes is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. She graduated with a Doctorate of Adult Literacy degree from UNLV, and holds a Master’s degree from Arizona State University in Educational/Instructional Technology. A Professor Emeritus from UNLV, she is skilled in e-learning, instructional design, and curriculum development. She is an avid reader, dog mom, wife, and community activist. Volunteerism includes participating on the Board for Anthem Country Club,
Dr. Holmes is an expert in ESOL training, and certified to instruct in Spanish by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, a skill which will come in handy given the fact that a large percentage of teens in the Nevada foster care system are from Latino homes and speak English as their second language. During her tenure working toward her doctorate focused in Adult Literacy from University of Nevada Las Vegas, she witnessed firsthand the incredible hurdles faced by young adults who have not benefited from proper educational support and career pathways mentorship. In addition to her other work at UNLV, she has worked for the College of Education as a facilitator for Alternative Route to Licensing (ARL) teachers who are working in the Clark County School District.
Meet the Team
Stacey Lockhart
Director of Operations
Stacey Lockhart is a nonprofit executive with 40 years of leadership experience across nonprofit organizations and higher education. Throughout her career, she has raised more than $50 million for charitable organizations and led significant organizational growth, financial stabilization, and annual, major gift and capital campaigns supporting facilities, scholarships, endowments, unrestricted funding, and renovation projects.
Since moving to Southern Nevada in 2016, Stacey has held executive leadership positions with several prominent community organizations. As CEO of HopeLink of Southern Nevada, she led significant organizational expansion, growing the annual budget from $1.2 million to $15 million, adding 40 team members, and expanding services through satellite locations. As CEO of The Shade Tree, she helped stabilize the organization's financial position and led a $2.5 million renovation of its facility and grounds in partnership with community and gaming industry leaders.
Most recently, Stacey served as Vice President of Philanthropy at Vegas Stronger, where she built the foundation for the organization's philanthropic efforts, expanded community awareness and engagement, cultivated relationships with donors, partners and funders, and laid the groundwork for a multimillion-dollar capital campaign.
As Director of Operations for American Access Institute, Stacey brings her extensive nonprofit leadership experience to strengthening organizational operations, developing partnerships, expanding funding opportunities, and supporting the continued growth and implementation of the Catapult Initiative.
Stacey Lockhart
Director of Operations
Shawn Gregoire
Director of Technology
Shawn Gregoire overcame early homelessness to build a career dedicated to expanding economic opportunity and leveraging technology for community impact. His personal journey reflects the determination and resilience American Access Institute seeks to inspire in all youth facing adversity as they aspire toward successful futures. Shawn exemplifies the AAI vision. Having enlisted as a post-9/11 Air Force veteran with 14+ years of service, he served as a Department of the Navy program manager overseeing an $11 billion portfolio, and went on to earn his Master of Arts in Education Leadership from Chapman University, as well as an Executive MBA from Brown University. Today, in addition to his contributions to AAI, he serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Capstone Tech, an Alexandria, Virginia-based company building AI-native software for organizations that change lives. Under his leadership, Capstone Tech creates flagship solutions including Capstone Workforce, Capstone Outreach, and GrantParty. Deeply committed to service, his contributions to AAI's Board of Advisors for American Access Institute have included spearheading the AAI Catapult Connect mobile app project. He enjoys teaching AI fundamentals at Computer CORE and the District of Columbia Public Library, advising the Fairfax County Career and Technical Education committee, and mentoring youth on technology and innovation.
Karen Naim, PhD
Director of Research
Dr. Karen Naim holds her Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering and has more than 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development. A specialist in the analysis of drug safety data to guide regulatory decision-making, she has spent her career developing pharmacovigilance processes and teams to perform critical activities, which safeguard patients’ access to safe and effective medicines. Her professional experience includes 13 years at Johnson & Johnson in Global Medical Safety leadership and 10 years at Pfizer as the Head of the Center of Excellence for Aggregate Reporting, a global, 150-colleague organization.
From her early scientific training, Dr. Naim developed the rigorous approach, analytical discipline, and systems-oriented thinking that would shape the rest of her research career. That foundation informed her commitment to building evidence-based processes that protect people, improve decision-making, and translate complex scientific data into meaningful action.
As Director of Research for American Access Institute, Dr. Naim applies her expertise to strengthen AAI’s programs and analytics. She believes that when systems are built with humans at the center, they create empowerment and lasting opportunity. At AAI, this philosophy guides her work to help the most vulnerable youth become the most powerful versions of themselves.
As lead researcher, she is co-authoring an American Access Institute white paper with Dr. Pamela M. Donnelly that will be published by early 2027 to analyze data from AAI's initial cohort years, synthesize global best practices for adolescent trauma support in fostering independence, and present an actionable theory of change for nationwide organizational adoption.
Karen Naim, PhD
Director of Research
Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger
Curriculum Systems Architect
Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger, holds her Doctor of Education Career in Organizational Leadership and is a seasoned educator and sought-after data strategist. A specialist in data visualization, she provides easy-to understand graphics distilling even the most complex subjects. Professional experience includes early time as a classroom teacher coach that evolved toward a career as a technology curriculum integration specialist. She has worked at both the district and state levels in senior management overseeing data and accountability, and director of innovative programs.
It was during her doctoral pursuit that she recognized the need to democratize analytics, leading her to found her cutting-edge consulting firm called Reflect, Plan, Do. Notable accomplishments include creating the Engagement Culture Construct, which measures the value schools place on intrinsic motivation and develops an interactive school map that has been used thousands of times by lawmakers, advocates, and educators to gain quick insights on public schools in Texas.
Dr. Hearnsberger co-creates American Access Institute’s curriculum with Dr. Leon. She oversees Tableau content, a digital tool which empowers users to interactively understand the college admissions process, job trends, career readiness, and more.
Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger
Trauma-Informed Curriculum Specialist
Sharon Dunlevy is a trauma-informed educational advocate and trainer specializing in support for youth in foster care and others facing adversity. She holds a Trauma-Informed Certification from the Attachment & Trauma Network and a Graduate Education Law Certificate from Indiana University. Outside her work with AAI, she founded Foster Care Training Today and wrote From Placement to Graduation and Beyond. Through both, she teaches foster parents, kinship caregivers, educators, CASAs, and child welfare professionals how trauma affects learning and offers practical strategies to help young people overcome difficult circumstances.
Sharon trained as a special education teacher and spent nearly two decades in children's ministry before she turned to foster care educational advocacy. That path taught her how deeply trauma shapes the ability to learn, and how much one steady adult can change outcomes. She is a contributing author to Fostering Families Today and Children's Voice, and she won a Fan Favorite award in a national speaking competition.
As Trauma-Informed Curriculum Specialist for American Access Institute's Catapult Initiative, Sharon collaborates on the curriculum team and leads AAI webinars, where she trains mentors and administrators who work with youth. She teaches them to spot the signs of trauma and to respond in ways that keep each young person safe. Sharon believes that a young person who feels safe can achieve workforce success, and that a mentor who understands trauma can make that safety real.
Dr. Laura McReavy Hearnsberger
Trauma-Informed Curriculum Specialist
Jonathan Cardinia
Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant Jonathan Cardinia first joined Dr. Donnelly’s team in 2013, bringing with him a strong background in customer service and years of hands-on administrative experience. A firm believer in the power of great support, he takes pride in keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes to help the AAI mission succeed. During his Bachelor of Science degree program, he was a regular on the Dean’s List and received awards for academic performance. That same dedication to excellence followed him into his professional career, where he balances technical administrative skills with a genuine focus on helping people. When he is off the clock, you can usually find Jonathan with his head in a book, planning his next travel adventure, or running a marathon. Above all, he treasures the time he gets to spend with his family.
Dr. Lisa DeLeon
Curriculum Team Member
Google and Apple are just two of the tech giants who have relied upon Dr. Lisa De Leon to create and develop top tier educational content. A PhD in Global Leadership and Change, Dr. DeLeon has accrued experience including university-level consulting, including co-authoring the Gender-Lensed Curriculum at Texas A&M. As a Guest Lecturer at San Diego State University, she offers engaging instruction in Leadership to diverse students.
After earning her M.Ed, her international teaching expanded to the Fiji Islands and Uganda. Cross-cultural work continued at the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture spanning research, policy writing, and curriculum development for foreign universities.
Dr. DeLeon has overseen the iteration of American Access Institute’s UX for its digital platform. At the forefront of equitable education and committed to measurable student outcomes, she applies her experience as an in-demand User Experience Writer from Silicon Valley to perfecting the simplification of complex information for specific audiences.
Dr. Lisa DeLeon
Curriculum Team Member
Community Outreach Team
Cassandra June
Cassandra June is an MSW practicum student at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a dedicated social work professional on the Community Outreach Team with a background in child welfare, substance use treatment, and supporting youth and families navigating complex systems. She currently works with Clark County Family Services. As a first-generation high school and college graduate, Cassandra understands how meaningful access, encouragement, and supportive relationships can be in helping someone move forward. Her own educational journey has shaped her passion for creating opportunities for young people and families facing barriers or uncertainty about what comes next.
As she supports American Access Institute's mission, Cassandra is committed to expanding equity, advocacy, and relationship-building, helping individuals connect with practical resources in the Catapult Initiative, promoting long-term career opportunities. Her professional background includes substance use treatment, child welfare case management, staff support, training, and partnership development. Outside of work and school, Cassandra enjoys spending time with her family, playing pickleball, doing Pilates, attending concerts, and traveling.
Le’Nise Acker
Le’Nise Acker is an MSW practicum student at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a dedicated member of the Community Outreach Team with a background supporting youth and families across settings like Red Rock Psychological Health, Probation and Parole, and Eagle Quest. She currently works with the Clark County Department of Family Services in child welfare. These experiences have fueled her strong passion for helping individuals overcome barriers, identify their strengths, and connect with resources that support personal and professional growth.
In alignment with the American Access Institute mission, Le'Nise works to help youth facing adversity become career-ready, reach their educational and career goals, and access resources to realize their full potential. She builds meaningful partnerships with organizations serving young people and identifies ways AAI programs, including the Catapult Initiative, complement existing services. Through collaboration, advocacy, and resource connection, she helps young people develop the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to create successful futures.
A Grateful Tribute
Blueprint of the Beginning
Copyright © 2026 American Access Institute - Privacy Policy - End User License Agreement