Boards and Advisory

Susan Capps is a business executive focused on social impact strategies for both patient access in healthcare and autistic artists in employment. She is currently Vice President of Market Access at Baylor Genetics, where she works with insurance organizations to cover genetic testing for patients across a variety of diseases. For 30 years, she has worked to improve access to medicines and to genetic tests.  Her previous experience includes starting a new corporate initiative to address equitable access of medicines for low and lower-middle income patients across the globe. Susan also collaborated on delivering the first Autism In Entertainment conference in 2024, which was attended by 400 people working to bridge the gap between the autism community and employment in the entertainment industry.

Susan is also the parent of Carter Capps, an adult on the autism spectrum, who is a past graduate and has worked as a part-time animator with Exceptional Minds. Susan’s years in business (Invitae, Amgen, Eli Lilly & Co, and IMS Health) plus her direct experience with parenting an animation artist on the autism spectrum provides her with a unique perspective to support the growth of the Exceptional Minds organization.

Doug Gardner joined Echo Horizon School in 2024 as its Director of Finance and Operations leading the finance, facilities, IT, and health/safety functions, amongst other responsibilities. Doug came to Echo after serving as Director of Finance and Operations at Westmark School and COO at the Yavneh Hebrew Academy before that. Doug also spent the last several years as a trustee for the Hermosa Beach City School District Board of Trustees overseeing the construction of two new schools and the attainment of several state recognitions. Doug is also the Treasurer for the Mira Costa High School Band Boosters. Prior to entering the education industry, Doug built his financial and operational acumen in the entertainment industry at FactoryMade Ventures and PwC.

Doug studied Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. He followed that several years later with a School Business Management Certificate from the USC Rossiter School of Education and a certification from the California Association of School Business Officials. 

Ed Coleman serves as the Vice President of Post Production and Media Operations at CBS Sports, where he
oversees the strategy, development, and execution of all operational procedures related to the editing and
distribution of content across the network’s broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. A multiple Emmy Award
winner, he is widely recognized as an industry leader in post‑production innovation and workflow strategy.

He is also a dedicated advocate for the neurodiverse community. As the parent of a neurodiverse son, Ed
brings a deeply personal commitment to fostering inclusion and understanding within the industry. Under his
leadership, the CBS Sports Post Production division has created full‑time employment opportunities for several
Exceptional Minds graduates and continues to support the Exceptional Minds Studio through ongoing
production partnerships.

Coleman, a graduate of Westfield State University, oversaw AMC Networks’ New York post‑production facilities
prior to joining CBS Sports. He is an active member of the Sports Video Group and serves on the SVG Sports
Content Management Committee.

With over just over 25 years of experience in the dynamic realm of software solutions, Bradley realized that his role transcends traditional sales—it’s about igniting potential and propelling productivity to new heights. Currently serving as the Director of Sales Major Accounts – AMCS at Toon Boom Animation, he passionately steers their enterprise commercial sales strategy through direct engagement. The tangible outcome? Just glance at screens, both small and large, and witness the impact.

In his 10 year journey with Toon Boom, his fervor for the products and services he advocates has become more personal. As a lifelong enthusiast of animation, it’s a daily joy to directly connect with the creativity and visionaries in studios, be they equipped with three seats or a formidable 300.

For three decades, Toon Boom has been the driving force behind studios, students, and independent freelancers, empowering them to weave captivating narratives. Storyboard Pro stands as the industry benchmark for storyboarding, while Harmony has evolved into the preeminent animation software globally. Producer seamlessly integrates these tools, advancing us closer to our vision of every frame in global animation passing through a Toon Boom product.

Over Michael’s career as a Human Resources Executive, he has held various leadership positions in Business and Human Resources in Telecommunications, Biotechnology and Defense industries. Michael has been employed by GTE, Amgen, and is currently with Northrop Grumman. Throughout his career Michael has developed an expertise in Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Leadership Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, International Human Resources and Labor Relations. Michael joined Amgen Biotechnology as a senior leader in Talent Acquisition and then transitioned into HR Business leadership roles in Finance, Information Systems, Law, and Global Operations. At Northrop Grumman, he is the Senior Human Resources Business Leader for Global Operations in Aerospace Systems. Michael earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. He also holds several Executive Human Resources credentials from The Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, UCLA Anderson School of Management Business School, and USC Marshall Business School.

Dr. Amy M. Schonfeld is a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of California. Dr. Schonfeld specializes in clinical and forensic neuropsychological assessment of pediatric through young adult populations in private practice at Golden State Neuropsychology in Calabasas, CA. She works with children, teens, and young adults presenting with a wide range of concerns including neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and medical conditions.

Outside of her practice, she is a volunteer clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is co-author of “Beyond the Label,” published by Oxford University Press in 2012. Dr. Schonfeld received her Clinical Psychology doctorate in 2002 at the San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology with a specialty in Neuropsychology, followed by a three-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA.

Patricia Turney is Chief Technical Operations Officer at Acelyrin, Inc., a late-stage biopharmaceutical company. Prior to joining Acelyrin, Turney was SVP of Arcutis Biotherapeutics. Turney was also a senior leader at Amgen for over 20 years where she held a wide variety of roles with increasing responsibility and leadership across Manufacturing, Engineering, EH&S, R&D, and Quality.

She currently manages Amgen’s External Supply organization supporting over $5B in annual product sales along with enabling Amgen’s R&D pipeline for new product development. Her team is responsible for over 250 Raw Material and Medical Device Suppliers worldwide and 55 contract manufacturing sites spanning 10 countries.

Prior to this role, Ms. Turney led Amgen’s Manufacturing Site Operations in The Netherlands, where she was responsible for supplying patients in over 75 countries. “Parent of the Year 2001”– Ventura County Autism Society.

Ms. Turney serves on the Exceptional Minds Board of Directors as Board Chair and is a member of the LA BioMed Board. She has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the US Naval Academy and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Prior to her career at Amgen, Ms. Turney was a US Naval Aviator and served in the US Navy in various locations around the world.