About Us

Fish in a Tree: Center for Neurodiversity Education, Advocacy, and Activism is a neurodivergent-led hub dedicated to building the future of neurodiversity justice. Founded in New Orleans and now working nationally and globally, we create the infrastructure needed to move from awareness to action, through consulting, training, thought leadership, and coalition-building.

Fish in a Tree, a 501c3 non-profit organization, began as a local neurodiversity community center and has grown into an internationally recognized organization advancing systems change. Today, our work includes providing consulting and training to universities, corporations, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and technology innovators; developing new academic and professional pathways; and coordinating collective advocacy through the Neurodiversity Coalition of America. We are proud to lead major initiatives such as the Graduate Program in Neurodiversity Studies, the Board-Certified Neurodiversity Consultant (BCNC) professional credential, the Neurodiversity Justice Bookshelf, NeuroStage, and the first Neurodiversity Pride Day Parade in the U.S.

Our ethos is rooted in lived experience, the social model of disability, and disability justice. We believe neurodivergent people are not just participants in this movement, but leaders and innovators whose expertise shapes more equitable systems for everyone. Our projects reflect this belief, turning survival into structure and truth into strategy, while creating spaces where neurodivergent leadership is visible and valued.

Bridgette Hamstead, MS, is the Founding Director of Fish in a Tree. A late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) woman, Bridgette is also Chairperson of the Board of the Neurodiversity Coalition of America and a global keynote speaker. She was named Activist of the Year in 2023, served as a United Nations panelist for World Autism Acceptance Day in 2024, and delivered the Global Neurodiversity Pride Day keynote in 2025. Her forthcoming book, The Trouble with Being Good: How Late-Diagnosed AuDHD Women Break the Rules to Save Themselves, blends memoir, research, and collective insight to tell the story of survival, reclamation, and systemic change.

Together, Fish in a Tree and its partners are designing the next chapter of the neurodiversity movement: one built by us, for us, and with justice at its core.

Board of Directors

  • Bridgette Hamstead, MS

    FOUNDING DIRECTOR & BOARD CHAIR

    Bridgette Hamstead, MS, is the Founding Director of Fish in a Tree. A late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) woman, Bridgette is also Chairperson of the Board of the Neurodiversity Coalition of America and a global keynote speaker. She was named Activist of the Year in 2023, served as a United Nations panelist for World Autism Acceptance Day in 2024, and delivered the Global Neurodiversity Pride Day keynote in 2025. Her forthcoming book, The Trouble with Being Good: How Late-Diagnosed AuDHD Women Break the Rules to Save Themselves, blends memoir, research, and collective insight to tell the story of survival, reclamation, and systemic change.

  • Seth Hamstead, MBA

    CO-FOUNDER & BOARD TREASURER

    Seth Hamstead is a New Orleans–based entrepreneur and community leader who currently serves as Director of Special Projects at Canal Barge, where he leads strategic initiatives and partnerships that advance regional economic and environmental goals. He is also the co-founder of Fish in a Tree. Previously, Seth co-founded Cleaver & Co., a pioneering whole-animal butcher shop that helped shape New Orleans’ farm-to-table movement before its closure, and later served as Director of Operations at Camellia Beans, one of the city’s most iconic food brands. His career reflects a deep commitment to sustainability, cultural preservation, and community-rooted ventures, grounded in lasting relationships with New Orleans’ chefs, farmers, artists, and activists, while also championing equity and resilience through his family’s leadership in neurodiversity justice.

  • John Woodruff, MS

    BOARD MEMBER

    John Woodruff is the Senior Director of Accessibility Services and ADA Coordinator at Rowan University, where he also co-leads the Center for Neurodiversity. With more than 35 years of experience in education, administration, and disability services, he is recognized for his leadership in fostering inclusive environments and supporting the success of disabled and neurodivergent students in higher education. Woodruff’s work includes overseeing campus accessibility, developing faculty training on neurodiversity, and advancing institutional change through mentoring, advocacy, and research. He is co-author of College Success for Students on the Autism Spectrum: A Neurodiversity Perspective and Creating Inclusive Library Environments.

Contact Us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!