our team
Our coaches are uniquely qualified to support adults with ASD and other developmental disabilities, helping our clients successfully transition from high school to college or work.
Heather Conroy, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Heather is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who, since 2006, has worked with Autistic and other neurodiverse children, adolescents, and adults on their paths towards self-defined success. She is proud of the work Evolve is doing to support not only individuals, but also employers, educators, and the community at large to create more welcoming and accessible spaces for neurodivergent people.
Joe Farrell, Co-Founder and Director of Programs
Since completing his Master's of Science in Education and Community Agency Counseling degree from Duquesne University in 2008, Joe has been working with Nerodivergent youth and young adults. His main focus is assisting individuals in identifying areas of skill and interest that can be leveraged to provide fulfilling and sustaining employment. Joe incorporates techniques from Cognitive and Behavioral therapies into his Coaching. He also serves as the director of Evolve's 2-week summer camp. Joe enjoys hiking and all manner of outdoor activities. He is a member of the Steel City Beard and Mustache Club, and has traveled all over the U.S. participating in charity beard competitions to support local non-profit organizations.
Kristen Shephard, Program Director - College Coaching
Kristen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) from the University of Pittsburgh. A central PA native, she moved to Pittsburgh in the fall of 2013 to finish her bachelors degree in psychology. From there she went on to get a Masters of Social Work while interning with Evolve and has stayed on board ever since. Kristen enjoys assisting individuals in meeting their goals and loves learning from each of her clients that bring very unique backgrounds and experiences to their meetings. When she's not coaching, Kristen also provides outpatient therapy and likes to do yoga, read, and rock climb.
Felisha Guy, Operations Manager
Felisha comes to Evolve with a wealth of experience in diverse environments, from higher education operational support to non-profit administrative management and donor relations. Her impact goes beyond execution, Felisha brings passion to everything she does. She deeply believes in Evolve Coaching's mission to empower individuals and communities, and this belief fuels her dedication to creating a supportive and productive environment. Even beyond the office walls, Felisha's passion for empowerment shines through. In her free time, she enjoys activities that nurture the mind and spirit: walking in nature, getting lost in writing, and crafting her own "weekly morning gems'' – personalized messages of inspiration to uplift those around her. Felisha believes in making a positive impact not just in operations but also on the lives of everyone she encounters
Anju Agrawal, Engagement & Advancement Specialist
Anju grew up in the UK and has a degree in Accounting & Finance from the University of Wales. She worked in accounting for Sheraton, Limited Too and Red Capital among others. She moved to Pittsburgh when she married a native Pittsburgher, with whom she has raised 3 children. She has always had a keen interest in supporting the success and acceptance of neurodiverse individuals and is happy to leverage her interests and experience in her role at Evolve, where she supports the team with development, community engagement, and quality assurance. She enjoys spending time with her family, and learning about holistic health.
Amy Adelman, Coach
Amy has worked with transition-age and adult clients with disabilities in a variety of settings including school, employment, community, and nonprofit. She began with Evolve in 2019 and has served as a peer mentor and group facilitator. In 2022, Amy completed her Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. Amy is inspired by her personal and professional experience with neurodiversity to authentically engage clients and guide them toward appreciating and building on their unique skill sets and personal qualities. She is passionate about working with the Evolve team and community to build neurodiversity-informed and inclusive spaces. Amy enjoys spending her spare time exploring nature spots.
Amber Blue, Coach
Amber earned her Master’s of Science in Counseling Psychology from Chatham University in 2021 and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Juniata College in 2019. She has experience working in outpatient therapy, schools, and universities with diverse populations. Her favorite population to work with is young adults and college students embarking on life transitions. She believes that each person is unique so the path they take to reach their goals should be too. To help clients reach their goals, Amber takes a client-centered approach. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog and reading.
Jill Constantin, Intake Coordinator
Jill has two degrees in US History, five years of experience as an adjunct instructor at the college level, and four years of experience as a non-profit professional. She enjoys helping people find what motivates them in life and facilitating their successes. Jill is also an avid reader and a dog person.
Greg Del Duca, Coach
Greg received both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in speech and language pathology (SLP) from the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Greg very recently learned about his own neurodiversity and adverse childhood experiences and began a new chapter, actually more of a section, of his personal growth and development. Greg is both honored and grateful to have the opportunity to serve and support people, colleagues, families, communities, and a self...pointed in the direction of harm reduction, inclusion, and a focus on the impacts of so-called “supportive” inputs on vulnerable populations rather than the stated intentions of those with greater power and influence. Person-centered. Not expert-centered. Empowered and empowering. Coach Greg also fosters cats, sings, writes, runs, reads/performs picture books, and once had a music-infused podcast, in a galaxy far far away, that was removed for copyright infringement.
Connor Griffin, Coach
Connor began with Evolve as a second year MSW student and Behavioral Health Scholars Program Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, where they graduated in August 2023. Upon completion of their fellowship, Connor was excited to join as a member of Evolve’s full time staff in May 2023. Prior to their time at Pitt, Connor earned a B.S. in Commercial Music Technology from California University of Pennsylvania (now Pennsylvania Western University) in 2016 and spent several years working as a Stagehand, Electrician, and Sound Engineer in the entertainment industry, while performing locally as a Musician during their free time. More recently, Connor has worked in a variety of settings, having volunteered their time as a Crisis Counselor, Case Manager, Campaign Organizer, and Student Counselor. Having been diagnosed with ADHD since childhood, Connor has firsthand experience with how difficult education and employment settings can be without the proper support. Connor wishes to utilize their own experiences and professional skills to help be a support to those in need while empowering them to develop their own skills and work towards greater levels of independence and self-sufficiency.
Rae Guidry, Video Specialist
Rae has worked in film and video editing since 2018. A creative at heart, Rae has years of experience working with video production, digital art, musical performance and production, and writing. Despite being an accomplished performer in her high school marching band, going on to perform at the Rose Parade in her senior year, she always felt as though she didn’t belong. After receiving an Autism diagnosis in 2017, she was introduced to Evolve, and began doing video work for several of their clients the following year. When not chipping away at one of her many creative projects, Rae enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and attending concerts.
Jaclyn Harris, Artist Mentor
Jaclyn earned a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2015. She has continued her art education at craft schools across the nation including the Pilchuck Glass School, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Penland School of Craft, and the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Jaclyn has enjoyed supporting and coaching artists for the past five years.
Yahne Jackson, Coach
Yahne began her career teaching secondary English. Throughout her career she has worked in behavioral health and educational consulting. She earned a M.Ed. from Tennessee State University and an MFA from Point Park University. Yahne’s goal is to encourage and empower young adults to live their best lives.
Alyssa Lisle, Coach
A native Pittsburgher, Alyssa is in the last semester of her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to graduate school, she worked as a therapist at Western Psychiatric Hospital and obtained her B.S. in Psychology at Allegheny College. Alyssa uses a strengths-based approach to empower clients to achieve their goals. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, making pottery, and spending time with her dog.
Johanna Murphy, Inclusion Program Director
A native of Harrisburg, PA, Joey moved to Pittsburgh in 1992 after earning her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Scranton. While her only plan was to become a rock star, her appetite for learning how to do things led her many places Dividing her time between performing and working for a living, she learned accounting, auto body repair, carpentry, basic machining, early-era web design, sales and marketing. She’s done professional marketing and development work for music distribution companies, outreach work in the region’s workforce development community, produced and promoted concerts, launched a newsletter for Pittsburgh’s western neighborhoods, flipped houses, and rescued pets. Her restlessness and inability to settle on one career finally made sense, when, at the age of 42, she was diagnosed with Aspergers, or ASD level one. Since completing her master’s of fine arts at the University of Pittsburgh in 2016, she has worked as a freelance writer and an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh. What she likes best is helping young people make sense of the world as they grow into adults, and using her writing skills to advocate for Autism awareness for older women.
Luke Sumpter, Coach
Luke moved to Pittsburgh in 2005 after receiving his master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is an experienced mental health professional who is passionate about helping people of all ages. Through the Steel City Beard and Mustache Club he became involved with Evolve's Arts for Autism program and later joined the team as a college coach. In his free time he enjoys hiking, traveling and running a small BBQ company.
Sarah Tiffany-Appleton, Coach
Sarah (she/her) came to Evolve in August 2022 as a Social Work Intern pursuing her MSW at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating in April 2023, she was thrilled to join Evolve's staff. As a full-time Coach, Sarah enjoys supporting learners and job-seekers to realize their self-defined goals. She is especially passionate about working with LGBTQIA+ and transition-age individuals. Sarah brings an eclectic background to her coaching: she holds a B.A. in Studio Art from Reed College, previously worked as a home rehabilitation project manager/program lead for a Pittsburgh-based non-profit, and has experience in community-partnered design, fabrication, and qualitative research. A West Coast native, Sarah now considers Pittsburgh home.
Doug Wampler, Coach
Doug moved to Pittsburgh in 2015 to pursue his bachelor's degree in Urban Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. After completing his degree, he joined PULSE, and committed to a year of service with Evolve Coaching as a Job Coach. Doug empowers clients who are seeking work, or are already employed, to meet self-defined goals for workplace success. He enjoys thrift shopping, traveling, and eating at new places around the city.
Skukura Woods, Senior Coach
Skukura explores work at the intersection of spirituality, culture/identity and psychology. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Intercultural Communication from Juniata College, and Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Chatham University. For the past 6 years, she has served in various roles that allowed her to passionately pursue opportunities to nurture community-building, authenticity, and support others in their unique life’s development. In her free-time, she enjoys yoga, watching movies, coloring and being around water.
Taryn Wright, Coach
Taryn is a candidate for a Master's in Social Work (August 2024) at the University of Pittsburgh. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Psychology from La Salle University. Taryn is passionate about working with people to support their individual aspirations and goals. Having recently experienced college with her own neurodivergence, she is acutely familiar with the unique strengths and challenges involved. Taryn loves to connect with people and is happy to work in a field where she is able to connect with others and bolster them in their journeys. In her free time, Taryn enjoys reading, watching movies, being outdoors, and meeting new people.
Erin Zacher, Coach
Since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2016, Erin has provided counseling to a variety of populations. She earned both an M.S. in Professional Counseling and an M.A. in Student Affairs from Carlow University to combine her interests in helping others learn to cope and supporting adults through transitional phases in their lives. Erin often incorporates mindfulness techniques and a strengths-based approach into her coaching to help clients develop practical skills in their daily lives. In her free time, you can find her spending time outdoors, practicing yoga, or watching a new movie or tv show.
Alivia Jacobs, Intern
Alivia is a first year MSW student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. She earned a B.S. degree in Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University in May 2023. At Penn State she served as the president of the Jared Box Project Club and was a member of the Sign Language Organization. Throughout her four years, she was heavily involved in THON as committee member and then in her final year as a Development captain. During her senior year, you could find her at the Moore Building where she was a research assistant in Dr. Arnett’s Sports Concussion lab. She also loves to sing and has sung the National Anthem at many sporting events. Alivia enjoys giving back to her community and has been involved in philanthropic work since she was young. She recently completed an internship with Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations with University Libraries. In her free time, she loves to read, watch football, and hang out with her cat, Stormy.