Meet Our Team
Samantha Fleitas M.A. BCBA
Founder | Board Certified Behavior Analyst | Director of Quality Assurance
My motivation for creating Bright Minds was and always will be to provide the community with high quality family-centered therapy from a passionate and dedicated team. My commitment to the science of ABA has allowed me to experience the joy and reward of truly making a difference in others lives. I hope Bright Minds will make a positive, long lasting impact in the lives of children and their families throughout the South Florida community for years to come.
I earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Florida International University and a Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism from Ball State University. I was born and raised in Miami, FL and am bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. For over 13 years, I have specialized in working with children of all abilities, primarily children diagnosed with autism as well as other developmental disorders. I have extensive experience working with families in a variety of settings - in homes, schools, multidisciplinary clinics, and in the community.
Jennifer Bell M.S. BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
I have had the joy of working in the Field of Applied Behavior Analysis for over 18 years which has allowed me work with a wide variety of families and truly understand how unique each child I come in contact with is. I was first introduced to the science as a Sophomore in college and fell in love with it immediately. I quickly changed my major from Biology to Psychology and sought out mentorship, as ABA and Autism were still fairly uncommon at this time. I then went on to pursue my Masters degree at St. Cloud State in Minnesota, where I was chosen for an internship with the Lovaas Institute. Prior to working in the field of ABA, I was a professional Nanny, so I am grateful that I have the ability merge my experience in child-care with my passion and understanding of ABA, and create family-centered treatment plans that make sense in both a scientific, and realistic way. Since joining Bright Minds Consulting in 2016, I have had the honor of training and supervising many therapists as they work towards obtaining their certification. I take immense pride in having the opportunity to shape the future of ABA one individual at a time.
Andrea Zurita M.S. BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Andrea Zurita is a dedicated Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with an Applied Behavior Analysis track at Florida International University and her master’s degree from Purdue University. Her ultimate goal has always been to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and continue helping families in the community and she is living her dream! Andrea has been working directly with children, employing the principles and practices of ABA, for the last five years. She is very passionate about improving the lives of children and families. In her free time, she enjoys working out, spending time with her husky and re-watching Friends for the 100th time.
Ingrid Cortes M.S. BCaBA
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst
Ingrid Cortes received her Bachelors degree in Psychology with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis and earned her Masters of Education degree with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism. She began her career as a behavioral therapist providing services for children with autism during her undergraduate studies. After seeing the life changing results that came from ABA therapy-- she has dedicated herself to focus on positive relationships built through Applied Behavior Analysis techniques and the incorporation of parents into the therapeutic environment. The goal is to improve the independence, inclusion and overall quality of the child, using evidence-based interventions. It is also essential to take a compassionate approach to supporting caregivers in understanding challenging behavior because it can be key to a successful outcome. She truly believes that "if a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn", -Dr. Ivar Lovaas.
Michelle De Mota
Registered Behavior Technician
I have lived in Miami Florida all my life. I have 2 girls, ages 10 and 6. I obtained my AA in Education from Union Institute and University and my bachelor’s degree In Education with a Certification in Applied Behavior Analysis. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the park, or home playing games, as well as gardening with my girls. I have always loved working with children, I worked in afterschool care for over five years, in that time I also ran the Children's Trust for our aftercare program and became a team leader. I can say my passion grew from working with the Children's Trust program and afterschool care program. I began working in ABA in 2017 and I continue to work and study Applied Behavior Analysis with a goal of becoming a BCaBA.
Nicole Rose M.S.
Registered Behavior Technician
Nicole was born in raised in South Florida. She obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Clinical Psychology at the University of Central Florida and her Masters of Science in Forensic Psychology at Purdue University. Nicole intendeds to extender her education and knowledge in Psychology in the future. She is extremely friendly and passionate in aiding in her clients success. Nicole loves playing with cats, planting and traveling during her free time!
Christian Martinez
Registered Behavior Technician
Christian Martinez is a hardworking, Venezuelan-born, Miami-raised man with a love for behavior analysis. He is currently enrolled in Florida International University working on his Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus on behavior analysis. He has been an RBT since 2019 and looks forward to eventually being a BCBA.