About NeuroLink
Mission
NeuroLink connects people and systems to accelerate meaningful change for neurodivergent individuals, people with disabilities, families, and communities.
Vision
To become Washington State's leading cross-sector collaborative network advancing equitable systems for neurodiversity and disability inclusion.
Our approach
NeuroLink is not another special education advocacy organization. It is an ecosystem that connects education, healthcare, disability services, research, public policy, and families to address the systemic barriers that no single organization can solve alone.
NeuroLink is Latino-led. Culturally responsive practice and Latino family leadership shape how we work, and our systems change efforts are meant to benefit all neurodivergent and disabled communities in Washington.
Our commitments
- Lived experience and meaningful participation
- Latino leadership and culturally responsive practice
- Disability inclusion and accessibility
- Family and community voice
- Equity and community accountability
- Nonpartisanship
- Collaboration over competition, and avoiding duplication
- Cross-sector coordination, learning, and systems change
How NeuroLink is organized
NeuroLink uses shared leadership with defined accountability. A Founding Executive Lead works in partnership with a Founding Leadership Council of the four founders, each guiding a defined area of the work, and NeuroLink's Board of Directors provides governance and fiduciary oversight.
Shared leadership does not mean equal authority over every decision. It means shared responsibility, meaningful participation, distributed leadership within assigned portfolios, and collective accountability to NeuroLink's mission.
Founding leadership
Balvina Cortez
Founder and Founding Executive Lead
Balvina Cortez is the founder and Founding Executive Lead of NeuroLink and a member of the Seattle Disability Commission, appointed by the City Council. She is passionate about creating systemic change and building stronger community connections. With her experience as a parent of neurodivergent children, her formal training to serve on nonprofit boards, and her participation in the University of Washington's LEND leadership program, she brings the perspective of someone directly impacted along with a dedication to listening, learning, and working collaboratively to advance disability justice. Balvina co-founded Genki Garb, which makes comfortable clothing for people living with LVADs, after nearly a decade in healthcare at MultiCare Health System. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Jerome Mayoral, M.Ed.
Co-Founder, Literacy Systems and Education Transformation Lead
Jerome Mayoral, M.Ed. is a Transformational Literacy Systems Design Innovator, PhD student in Literacy Leadership, and founder of Spiral Literacy. Jerome is the originator of Orthographic Motoric Encoding (OME), an innovative inclusion-and-access instructional routine and The Science of Learning in Literacy (SoLL) Transformational Literacy Systems Design framework and a national leader in motor neuroscience-aligned implementation of literacy teaming-improvement and implementation. Jerome has supported schools to re-evaluate curriculum, development, assessment, and MTSS for access. Jerome coaches educators, school leaders, districts, literacy organizations, departments of higher education, professionals and education agencies across the U.S. and globally, advancing equitable, cognitive and motoric-neuroscience-based reading and writing systems that strengthen access, mattering, and long-term student mastery across languages and literacy domains. Jerome trained under Karen Sonday, OGA/F (2020+), and in University of Central Arkansas's PhD in Literacy Leadership (2029).
Jerome believes in NeuroLink because its mission aligns with her life's work: building systems where all students thrive from systems design that promotes access and mattering; including neurodivergent learners, multilingual students, and the historically marginalized. This collaboration ensures authentic dignity, and science-to-practice leadership. NeuroLink's commitment to lived experience, equity, and systems change reflects the values that drive Jerome's work, advocacy, and leadership.
Samantha Carrillo Mastache, MA.Ed., MFA
Co-Founder, Education, Culture and Community Learning Lead
Samantha Carrillo Mastache is a bilingual university professor, early childhood education specialist, author, and educational leader committed to building more equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive learning environments. Her professional work bridges early childhood education, adult learning, curriculum development, the arts, bilingual education, and social justice. She is a Washington State-Approved Trainer, a CDA Professional Development Specialist, and President of the WAEYC Latino Chapter, where she advocates for greater representation and access for Spanish-speaking educators and families. Samantha is also pursuing doctoral studies in Education with a focus on diversity, inclusive education, and educational equity. As a founder of NeuroLink, she brings an educator's perspective to the intersection of human development, innovation, technology, and community, with a particular commitment to ensuring that progress remains centered on people, access, belonging, and human potential.
Why I believe in NeuroLink
I believe innovation becomes truly meaningful when it expands human potential rather than leaving people behind. NeuroLink represents an opportunity to connect education, technology, knowledge, and community in ways that are more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the people we serve.
As an educator, I have learned that transformation begins when people feel seen, heard, valued, and given genuine opportunities to grow. I believe NeuroLink can help build those bridges.
“Technology can connect information, but people transform lives. I believe NeuroLink can bring both together—innovation with purpose, knowledge with access, and progress with humanity.”
Manuela Slye
Co-Founder, Family and Community Engagement Lead
Leads NeuroLink's work on family voice, parent leadership, community engagement, culturally responsive outreach, and lived-experience integration.
What we do today, and what comes next
Today, NeuroLink operates a free resource directory for King and Pierce Counties and is convening partners for a statewide roundtable. Future work includes the L.I.N.K. Latino Leadership Coalition, a bilingual Resource Hub for families, and a Policy Institute. Those programs are in development and are not yet offering services.