Our People
Founded in 2018 by therapist Patty Williams (now Gently) and public school teacher Tori Jones, Bright Insight Support Network takes a whole-person approach to educating about, advocating for, and supporting the gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent communities. As a grassroots organization, Bright Insight seeks to create a network of individuals, communities, and resources to collectively support exceptional individuals in all environments.
The Bright Insight Team
(aka the UnBoard)
Patty Gently
Patty Gently, MSMHC, PhD, is a doctor of developmental psychology and founder of Bright Insight Support Network, and author of Intersection of Intensity: Exploring Giftedness and Trauma. Grounded in advanced training in psychotherapy and trauma-informed approaches such as EMDR and parts work, she now serves as a therapeutic mentor, supporting gifted neurodivergent adults in their own autopoietic autopsychotherapy processes.
Drawing from her Identity Development (GEAR) Theory, developmental psychology, and structured reflection, Dr. Patty facilitates opportunities for self-alignment, coherence, and meaning-making. Her current work explores hyperneuroplasticity as a unifying framework for understanding gifted neurodivergence, emphasizing information integrity, integrated inclusivity, and a whole-person perspective. She writes about this, DÄ…browski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD), and more on the Bright Insight Blog, and on her Substack @thegentleheretic.
Information & Institutional Memory Steward
& Organization Founder
Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray
Resource Steward
Chlece Walker-Neal-Murray is a wife, mother, legal advocate, and founder of Chicago Advocate Legal and the Preventive Law Initiative. Her work bridges law, social work, and computer science to build systems for health equity. Guided by faith in Jesus and the Bible, she reflects deeply on giftedness, trauma-healing, and Black identity.
& Director of Transdisciplinary Justice and Preventative Law Strategy
Jim
Jim (they/them) is a twice exceptional writer, counsellor and teacher who founded Old Pine Counselling & Consulting. They are non-binary, trans, and queer and proud to be part of the neurodivergent, disabled, and BDSM/kink communities. They are mixed and Anishinaabe, and live and work on Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississagiig Mesinege territories.
Process and Integrity
Steward
& Director of Equity and Accessibility
Quirky, wordy, and lightning-fast at the keyboard — Youssef Sleiman believes curiosity and play can change lives. He researches, writes, creates and presents about giftedness and twice-exceptionality when he’s not working as an SEO strategist and professional copywriter.
​​
A walking think tank, Youssef is the creative mind blending evidence-based psychological theories with game design to create learning tools such as the Dynamism Deck and IDT The Game! and running role-playing games on YouTube as The Narrativist.
​​
Youssef also operates Gifted Curious Consulting, which offers
-
Personal Consulting: One-on-one support for individuals who are newly identified as gifted, rediscovering their giftedness or who are simply gifted curious.
-
Creative Solutions Consulting: Unique strategies and out-of-the-box thinking for enterprises, founders, and business owners seeking a neurodivergent approach.
Youssef Sleiman
Organizational Steward
& Director of Creative Strategy
Andrew Goldish
Honorary Member &
Nerdstock Founder
Andrew Goldish, an MIT-trained polymath, is a software engineer, historian, and writer with interests from spirituality to linguistics. The mastermind behind Nerdstock, he hosts intellectual salons, blogs at Brookline Polymath, and supports gifted and 2E individuals in building meaningful connections through community engagement.
