Dr. Ufondu is an Educational Psychologist, accomplished Educator, Special Education Advocate and co-founder of Beautiful Minds Inc.- Advocacy & Special Needs Solutions. A Baccalaureate and Master’s graduate in Educational Psychology from California State University, Long Beach and a Baccalaureate and Master’s graduate in Higher Education with an emphasis in Curriculum Development from Howard University. As a Ph.D. graduate at the University of London Kings College, Dr. Ufondu’s dissertation entitled “The Affect of Mitigating Race, Class and Gender on the Academic Success of the Young, Black Male: A Cross Cultural Ethnography” propelled his career into the arena of Special Education. His findings led him to assert that Race, Class and Gender were extremely relevant in the discipline and social demotion of young, Black males, while taking into account developmental and behavioral issues that could have compounded their academic growth. Dr. Ufondu currently sits on the alumni board of his alma mater, Howard University and is presently running a campaign for the Mansfield Independent School District Board of Trustees- Place 3. 

Dr. Ufondu is court-qualified as an expert in transition planning, vocational assessments, I.Q. assessments relevant to African-American males in education, special education, and school evaluation, as well as other related areas. As the principal of Beautiful Minds Inc.- Advocacy & Special Needs Solutions, Dr. Ufondu is called upon by school administrators, attorneys and individuals from around the country to represent them. He provides consultation to school administrators on issues such as special education, behavior management and over-representation of minorities in special education, and to attorneys in cases involving schools and the education of children with learning disabilities.

Dr. Ufondu has been a presenter of more than forty engagements, at national and international venues including Paris, the United Kingdom and Spain, and has been a guest on numerous radio programs. He has authored more than twenty academic papers on hegemony, special education, minority education, globalization, and race, class, and gender in the U.S. public school system and abroad. Dr. Ufondu has served as a member of the international honour society at the Universite de Paris, Saint Denis, University of London’s King College and Nottingham-Trent University, United Kingdom.

Dr. Ufondu will review students academic and ARD/IEP records, observe current and potential school placement, evaluate program quality, and perform independent vocational assessments and transition plans. Beautiful Minds Inc.- Advocacy & Special Needs Solutions will make recommendations and help individuals make informed decisions regarding the education of their child(ren). He currently sits on the Executive Board for the Dallas-Ft.Worth Howard University Alumni Club (HUAC), and also serves as vice-president of the Dallas based 501c. Non-Profit, Diamonds of Dallas Community Development Corp. et al.

Mrs. Ufondu is a Life Coach and a corporate businesswoman with a career in property management in the commercial real estate industry. Mrs. Ufondu utilizes her previous life experiences, wins and losses, to assist in conveying her message of mentorship and perseverance. Mrs. Ufondu is co-owner of Beautiful Minds Inc. and has founded a mentoring program for all young women, GurlPower, a program committed to helping young girls sustain the clarity, voice, and self-confidence that they might risk losing during the difficult transition to adolescence. GurlPower is designed to help every single girl regain and sustain her “TRUE-SELF” by developing and always expressing her strengths.

From preventing teen pregnancy to promoting positive body image, Mrs. Ufondu utilizes her own life experiences to make a difference in the lives of young girls everywhere. Throughout the years, Mrs. Ufondu has developed a powerful regime to help countless young women grow their full potential and prepare them for womanhood. GurlPower provides opportunities for girls to express their thoughts and feelings, breakthroughs and doubts, while gaining experience and confidence with help from a community of other girls and professional women alike.

Meet our incredible son Neiko Ufondu, who is the true reason we founded Beautiful Minds Inc. twelve years ago. Neiko struggled with ADD/ADHD as a first grader in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where his inattentiveness and frustration created a wall between his ability to learn and his academic success. His father, Mr. Ufondu, an educator and post-secondary administrator for Los Angeles and Long Beach Unified Schools District’s decided to leave his teaching career to focus on his own son’s growing issues. With extensive usage of BMI’s educational therapy, mentoring, redirection tools, courage and amazing effort by Neiko, his symptoms have subsided. Neiko is a graduate from Summit High School (MISD) and is currently attending Tarrant Community College.

Joy is the Executive Administrator of Beautiful Minds Inc. corporate office in Beverly Hills, CA. She has devoted her career to creating the best possible learning environments for this generation of Special Needs and At-Risk students. Prior to joining Beautiful Minds Inc., Joy directed the Culver City Unified School District leadership and advocacy efforts in special education. In this role, she focused on the intersection of education policy and research, emerging technologies, and the reality faced by teachers, students and administrators. Joy is the nucleus of our agency and is the liaison between our Los Angeles and Dallas/Ft. Worth offices.

Maria is a recent graduate of University of Phoenix. She is responsible for new client orientation, scheduling IEP/ARD meetings, booking travel, scheduling parent pre-qualification interviews, and contact between our office, school district and parent. Maria demonstrates a strong commitment to working with multi-cultural families and an understanding of diverse work with professionals in the education and social sector while maintaining a sensitivity to issues affecting special needs children and At-Risk youth.

Miami, FL native, prominent business owner, motivational speaker and father of two extraordinary young men, Andres Lopez is an essential player in the Beautiful Minds Inc. family. Heading up the Life Skills team, Andres develops independent, life/social skill strategies and plans for graduating and transitioning young adults. Andres also works very closely with Beautiful Minds Inc. co-founder, Nicole Ufondu as a mentor in the GurlPower mentoring program.

A Dallas, TX native and graduate of the University of North Texas, Michael is an integral part of our youth advocacy team. Michael holds a Special Education teacher certification in the state of Texas and has spent the last three years fighting for the rights of school aged handi-capable students in the DFW metroplex. Michael is available for STAAR tutoring, teen advocacy and mentoring.

Larry leads the Transition Plan Services team for Beautiful Minds Inc. Los Angeles office. A 2013 graduate of the University of California, Santa Clara, Larry prepares to receive his Master’s in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Special Education from California State University of Northridge in June, 2016. Larry’s concentration in Transition Services regarding students and young adults with disabilities make sit possible for families to witness their loved ones create a blueprint from post-secondary to college or the working world. Prior to joining Beautiful Minds Inc. in 2011, Larry was a case manager with the Los Angeles ARC.

Cooper joined Beautiful Minds Inc. in 2009. He received a B.S. specializing in English and Art in 2004 and a M.Ed. in Special Education in 2007, both from Texas Tech University. He received his Texas Educational Diagnostician’s certification in 2008, Texas Professional Educational Diagnostician certification in 2009, and National Certification for Educational Diagnosticians in 2011. Cooper is also a National Certified Educational Diagnostician (NCED) member. Cooper’s focus at Beautiful Minds Inc. is the identification of cognitive deficits which relate to academic the academic difficulties faced by inner city students with Specific Learning Disabilities.

Daphne joined Beautiful Minds Inc. in 2011. She received her B.A. in Early Childhood Education from California State University of Fullerton in 2010. Daphne’s role as Youth Counselor allows her travel nationwide to perform public speaking engagements to students in the private and public school setting throughout the country. Her topics of discussion range from the influence of social media on today’s youth to the pitfalls of teen pregnancy in America. Daphne also has a dual role in the agency. She now leads the Foster Care transition team in Miami, FL, where her primary role is to educate and assist with placing Special Needs children who are currently in foster care in Dade County. 

Kaitlynn Calloway is an English Content Area Liaison/Teacher recognized as a passionate, student-centered educator continually seeking to improve learning and school culture. She earned B.A. degrees in Education and English from the University of Maryland, a M.A. in English from the University of Montana, and is Ph.D. candidate in Education from the University of Texas at Arlington.  Kaitlynn is an expert in curriculum design and construction, One-to-One instruction presenting at state and national levels on topics including Advanced Placement and College and Career Readiness. She is an AP Scorer and a member of the TEA Master Teacher’s Team. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and UMBC Outstanding Teacher of the Humanities.