Founders
Yuki Sumitomo
MA, BCBA
Yuki is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in Los Angeles, California who was born and raised in the Northern Mariana Islands. She became involved in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis in 2007, when she began supporting children in the school and home setting as an Individual Behavior Interventionist.
Yuki has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from USC and earned her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Because of her love towards working with neurodiverse children, she furthered her advancement in the field of ABA and obtained her board certification in 2013.
Yuki spent over 10 years working at a Non-Public Agency and served as a Director, prior to transitioning to a behavior consultant. For the past 5 years, she has been consulting for a school district and a health technology company specifically focusing in the field of ABA. During her time at the school district, Yuki received a Teacher Staff Excellence Award for her dedicated efforts in making an impact in the lives of students with special needs. She is also certified by UCLA as a PEERS provider for Adolescents.
Yuki strives to enhance the quality of life of each individual by supporting the development of meaningful connections through a collaborative approach. During her free time, Yuki enjoys spending time with her family in Redondo Beach.
Chelsea Hillbrand
BA CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Chelsea Hillbrand was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She earned her Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies and Undergraduate Degree with a Bachelors of Arts in Child Development with an emphasis in Special Education. She holds a CA teaching credential in Special Education for Moderate/Severe Disabilities.
She has worked with individuals with disabilities in the school system for over ten years. For five years, she was an Intensive Behavioral Interventionist that led an after-school program that focused on social skills, life skills and community based instruction. During this time, she was honored by her colleagues with the Classified Employee of the Year Award.
For the past 5 years, she has worked as a Special Education Teacher. During this time, she has been nominated by families for her dedication and commitment to the students she serves and awarded recognition by the SouthWest SELPA multiple times. She has also been certified in UCLA: PEERS for Adolescents.
Chelsea’s approach to working with students with disabilities is evidence based, data driven, collaborative and creative. She prides herself on the connection she makes with the families and individuals she works with. Chelsea resides with her husband and two young children in Santa Monica.