The Team
Erica Daniels, Founder
Erica Daniels is an activist, author, and mission-based entrepreneur dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals living with autism.
In 2007, Erica’s life gained a new purpose when her son was diagnosed with autism. After years of traveling the country seeing specialists and exasperating dozens of treatments with little or no success, Erica eventually discovered that natural treatments such as diet and medical cannabis dramatically improved the quality of life for her son - and as a result - her entire family. Realizing she had tapped into solutions that were not yet mainstream but should be, Erica stepped up as a thought leader in the autism community so that no family would have to go through what she had to go through.
Recognizing a void in the availability of autism-specific medical cannabinoid products, Erica opened Autism Advisors, LLC in 2014. A research and advisory firm, Autism Advisors provides strategic consultation and solutions to healthcare professionals, product managers, and universities to empower them in making data-backed business and healthcare decisions involving autism. In 2018, Autism Advisors partnered with Zelira Therapeutics to create Hope™, a groundbreaking product specifically formulated for individuals with autism.
In 2016, Erica founded Hope Grows for Autism, a nonprofit organization advocating for cannabinoid-based medicine as a front-line solution for symptoms and clusters of symptoms related to Autism. Starting as a small group of local parents learning and sharing about medical cannabis in each other’s living rooms, Hope Grows has since grown to a global online group of over 1500 members. On a mission to educate all participants in the medical cannabinoid supply chain about this life-altering solution, Erica has educated countless politicians, manufacturers, educators, and medical professionals. She has spoken at dozens of in-person events and been interviewed in over 75 podcasts, news hits, and articles. The organization has also partnered with a pharmaceutical company to publish research on the development and efficacy of cannabinoid-based products.
Our Board
Andi Moritz, Board Member
Andi is the inventory manager and former lead herbologist at Herbology, where she also has the role of developing and implementing continuing education for the location’s herbologists. Prior to working in the cannabis industry she was employed by the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, helping find forever families for homeless animals. Andi is on the spectrum herself and has experienced firsthand the life improving qualities of cannabis for individuals with autism. The most rewarding part of her job is helping parents of children with autism navigate the world of medical cannabis. Her goal is for caregivers to leave the dispensary with the knowledge they need to feel comfortable and confident about administering medicine. In her free time she enjoys hiking, kayaking, line dancing, and spending time with her cat, Sagwa.
Carrie Stockmal, Board Member
Carrie Spott Stockmal has 20 years of experience creating and implementing growth strategy plans for creative companies. She is also an accomplished marketing and production executive with two decades of unique experience in entertainment and media. Through this, Carrie has gained expertise in unscripted long form, network short form, branded content, and more.
Carrie has been involved in the disability community since the birth of her son Jack in 2002. She is a parent support member of the Parent-to-Parent of Pennsylvania network and is a member of HOSTS for HOSPITALS. Carrie has participated in several improvement committees at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and served as a parent liaison at Jack’s schools for his district’s special education parent support group.
In 2017, Carrie combined her love for animals and her desire to provide employment for people of all abilities to create PETacular Pet Sitting. Founded on the mission of offering quality pet care delivered by an inclusive workforce, PETacular Pet Sitting’s employees care for pets while simultaneously learning the skills and confidence necessary for individual growth.
Jaime Gordon, Board Member
Jaime’s role as an autism advocate began when her son Dylan was diagnosed with autism. She is currently self-employed as a Securities & Anti-Trust Attorney and Legal Business Advisor.Jaime earned her law degree from Widener University School of Law and shortly after became a litigation partner for the law firm of Margolis Edelstein where she practiced for over 16 years.
When she isn’t managing her family or legal tasks, she is volunteering her time as a member of the Board of Directors for The Philly Friendship Circle, which is a non-profit organization connecting teens and young adults with special needs and their families through a full range of social offerings.Additionally, Jaime spends time as a Board Member of Lower Merion School District’s Committee for Special Education.
Brooke Goodspeed, Board Member
Brooke Goodspeed has over 18 years of experience as an oncology nurse practitioner that spans complex care and clinical research with Phase II clinical trials at the University of Pennsylvania. Brooke became involved with the disability community in 2010 after the birth of her second son Oliver who has multiple developmental and medical conditions. Recognizing that her experience in the oncology setting translated to care for the disability community, Brooke is currently pursuing a PhD in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania where she is examining how employment influences health and well-being among individuals with ASD.
Concurrently, Brooke is the Founder and Executive Director of GETincluded, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating the social inclusion of neurodivergent individuals and individuals with a disability in the community setting. This mission is brought to life through the operation of community space and coffee shop GET Café in Narberth, Pennsylvania.
Vikki Gitlin, Board Member
Vikki is the Owner of Out of The Blue Productions specializing in traditional and digital media for healthcare and life sciences. She is also Executive Producer and commonly referred to as “Producer Woman.” You see, she has a superpower…. It’s the ability to mind-meld with her clients! Vikki has over 20 years of experience and claims to be able to get into the client’s head, channeling their thoughts and desires for a project.
Vikki creates stories that truly connect, and make memorable impressions – beautifully, on time, and on budget. She does whatever it takes to get it all done right. Her talents exceed her client’s expectations because she can take even the most complicated concepts and transform them into incredibly engaging content for your audience.
She also enjoys challenging herself at Soul Cycle, where she’s been known to sing loudly to the hits of Rihanna and Hamilton.
Vikki became involved and passionate about autism advocacy when she began to spend time with her teenage cousin who is severely affected by autism. Vikki remains active in supporting the neurodiversity community.