Our Team
FOUNDERS
“Everyone deserves to wake up with a purpose. Purpose can change a life.”
“Independence is more than doing things on your own, it’s helping others grow, too.”
BOARD MEMBERS
Laurent Berman
TreasurerLaurent Berman is a mortgage banking professional with more than 20 years of experience in residential lending and financial services. He also spent over 30 years involved in his family’s retail linen business, gaining firsthand experience in customer service, sales, inventory management, operations, and entrepreneurship.
In addition to his professional background, Laurent has personally invested in and managed residential rental properties throughout Montgomery County, Maryland. His experience in real estate, finance, and day-to-day business operations brings practical insight to LuxPoshibilities as the organization plans for sustainable growth, facility planning, and long-term financial responsibility.
As a father of Emilie, Laurent has spent years advocating for greater opportunity and inclusion for adults with disabilities and neurodivergent adults. His personal experience helped inspire the vision behind LuxPoshibilities and the belief that every individual deserves meaningful opportunities to learn, work, and thrive.
Amanda Kornfield
SecretaryAmanda Kornfield knows firsthand what it means to raise children whose abilities the world hasn’t always made room for. When her son Sam-Henry was diagnosed with Autism at age 2, and later her daughter Madz in 2012, Amanda didn’t just navigate the system — she worked to change it. For two decades, she has partnered with educators and providers to ensure that children with different abilities are seen, heard, and counted.
Before dedicating herself to education, Amanda brought a creative eye to some of the country’s most recognized media organizations, working in the D.C. bureaus of Fox News and ABC News, and in Los Angeles at The Gage Group.
In 2007, she channeled that same energy into the classroom, earning her Maryland State Level 4 preschool educator certification with a special interest in neurodivergent needs. She has since shaped young lives at The Children’s Learning Center and currently teaches at Rockville Presbyterian Cooperative Preschool, where she helps children grow and succeed — regardless of ability.
Amanda brings to LuxPoshibilities something no credential can teach: the perspective of a mother who refused to let her children be defined by limitation. That belief that possibility belongs to everyone is exactly what this organization was built on. She lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband Tom and their two cats, Nigel and Inky.
Lisa Seltzer Becker
Board MemberLisa Seltzer Becker, is a Principal attorney at the law firm of Offit Kurman. She brings decades of experience in education and family law. Growing up in Montgomery County, she developed an early appreciation for the importance of strong schools, supportive families, and inclusive communities.
Her professional background and personal ties to the community inform her commitment to expanding access to meaningful employment, independence, and opportunity for individuals with disabilities.
Her work is rooted in a commitment to dignity, advocacy, and opportunity—values that align closely with the mission of LuxPoshibilities.
Cheryl Himmelfarb
Board MemberDr. Cheryl Dennison Himmelfarb is a nationally recognized nurse scientist, researcher, and academic leader, serving as Vice Dean for Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Her work focuses on advancing health equity, strengthening community engagement, and building trust across diverse populations.
Through her leadership in large-scale research and community partnerships, Dr. Himmelfarb has dedicated her career to expanding access, opportunity, and inclusion—values that align closely with the mission of LuxPoshibilities. Her expertise in bridging institutions and communities brings a powerful perspective to the organization’s vision of empowerment and independence for neurodivergent young adults.
Kiana Walcott
Board MemberKiana’s calling found her at 17, when she volunteered at Over the Rainbow Camp — an occupational therapy summer camp serving children and teens on the autism spectrum. She never looked back. What began as a summer grew into years of progressive leadership, miving from group assistant to art therapy assistant to lead art teacher. The experience set the foundation for a career built entirely on one belief: that neurodiverse individuals deserve joy, friendship, and the tools to live fully.
She deepened her expertise working at the Treatment and Learning Center in Rockville, Maryland, where she served as a group therapist under Dr. Shirley Anderson, using the Floortime/DIR Model developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan. Mentored further by behavioral therapist Dr. Robin Alan, Kiana went on to found Kiana’s Consulting at just 23 — filling the gaps that traditional therapies left behind by focusing on everyday living skills, real friendships, and building confidence in the community.
In 2017, she launched Adaptivities, dedicated to creating and adapting games so autistic individuals can experience the simple power of play alongside family and friends. The two merged in 2025, now offering Saturday social groups that continue to grow toward a national vision.
As a board member of LuxPoshibilieis, Kiana brings over two decades of frontline expertise and entrepreneurial heart, championing possibility for every person, in every community. She looks forward to partnership between Adaptivities and LuxPoshibilities, united by a shared mission to foster independence with pride and help the autism community not just survive but truly thrive.
Jodi Fields
Board MemberJodi Fields is a seasoned retail professional with over 20 years of experience in sales and management at Bloomingdale’s, where she built a reputation for excellence in customer relations, team leadership, and operational success. Beyond her professional achievements, Jodi is deeply engaged in her community. She has been an active volunteer in local elementary schools and the PTA, and organizing neighborhood events and school initiatives that bring families together. Jodi combines her strong organizational skills, creative energy, and people-first approach in everything she does.
Jodi lives in Potomac with her husband, David. She enjoys visiting and spending time with her son, Matthew who lives in Dallas, Texas and her daughter, Jenna a senior in college. Most days you will see her walking her neighborhood with her beloved dog Harley.