Cecilia Quintanilla

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cecilia Quintanilla is a neurodivergent educator, musician, and advocate dedicated to empowering neurodivergent individuals and their families. Originally from Cochabamba, Bolivia, she graduated from the National Conservatory of Music as a concert pianist and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Her journey into advocacy began when her daughter was identified as highly gifted at age 10 and her son as twice exceptional at age 15—an experience that led her to discover her own neurodivergence at 34. This transformative realization deepened her commitment to creating inclusive spaces and access to resources for neurodivergent individuals.

In 2021, Cecilia founded Yachay Bolivia for the Neurodivergent (YBNeuro), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families through education, advocacy, and community-building. YBNeuro fosters spaces where individuals not only feel a sense of belonging but also gain the tools to understand and embrace their unique brains throughout their lives. The organization works with over 150 families across Latin America, Spain, and Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S. and will launch in-person programs in Denver in the fall of 2025.

A passionate educator, Cecilia teaches in Denver Public Schools in a Spanish immersion preschool program (90-10 model) and has been instrumental in securing grants and building partnerships to expand after-school enrichment programs. Her dedication earned her the Denver Teachers’ Award in 2023, and for this work, she was nominated for Colorado Teacher of the Year in 2024.

Beyond the classroom, Cecilia actively advocates for neurodivergent and BIPOC students. She is a member of Gifted and Talented Leaders of Color and Allies, co-chair for the Gifted Educational State Advisory Committee, and chair of the Diverse Populations Committee for the Colorado Association for the Gifted and Talented. She also serves as Vice President of the Denver Children's Choir and as a board member of Mi Vida Academy, a new dual-language school set to open in Colorado.

As an accomplished musician, Cecilia has performed as a pianist with the Bolivian National Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras. She is also a published author of the bilingual children’s book This is Who I Am - Este Soy Yo, which promotes understanding of giftedness and neurodivergence. Her advocacy work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Equity and Inclusion Superstar Award from the Early Childhood Council and the Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference in 2024.

Through YBNeuro, Cecilia continues to build a global and local community dedicated to supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families with compassion, knowledge, and connection.

For additional information, please visit https://linktr.ee/ceciliaquintanilla.

Matthew Fowler

Chief Financial Officer

Matthew was born and raised in Cheyenne, WY until attending the University of Wyoming where he earned his double bachelor’s degrees in microbiology and molecular biology in 2009.

During his coursework Matthew was active in student government and was elected as a student senator from 2004-2006 and was one of the Wyoming representatives for the Conference on Student Government Associations (COSGA) in 2005. His chief accomplishment was the establishment of a series of emergency blue lights throughout the university campus to improve safety for pedestrians. From 2006-2007 he was president of Wyoming’s chapter Alpha Epsilon Delta (The Preprofessional Honor Society) and represented the chapter at the national conference in 2007. In 2018 Matthew earned a master’s in public administration degree from the University of Colorado, Denver; with a focus on nonprofit grant writing and fundraising.

Matthew is currently based in Denver, Colorado where he works for National Renewable Energy

Laboratory, conducting biofuel research projects. He spends his free time working with YBN,

volunteering with a boxer rescue, teaching yoga and being physically active in the beautiful state of Colorado.