Aura Elizabeth Vizcaya (Ellie)
Founder | Neurodivergent Advocate | Early Childhood Educator
Aura Elizabeth Vizcaya is the Founder of Autismo Día a Día, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic families navigating autism through education, advocacy, and community support.
Aura’s leadership is deeply rooted in lived experience. She is the mother of two neurodivergent children: a young adult son diagnosed with autism who also lives with multiple medical conditions including leukopenia and neutropenia, and another child diagnosed with ADHD. In addition, Aura herself is diagnosed with autism and ADHD, giving her a unique perspective as both a parent and a neurodivergent advocate.
These personal experiences have shaped her mission to build stronger support systems for families, helping them navigate diagnosis, therapies, education systems, and community resources with greater confidence and knowledge.
She is also the founder of Habitat Early Learning, a pioneering Family Child Care Learning Home in Georgia recognized for its holistic model, neurodivergent inclusion, and Spanish immersion. The program is licensed by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), participates in Quality Rated, and operates under the USDA.
Aura is an advocate, educator, and consultant who advises families and entrepreneurs on the development and opening of Family Child Care Learning Home businesses. She is also a Notary Public, certified in Access Consciousness Bars, and trained in language acquisition through motor planning and sensory-based learning.
Her professional development includes education in early childhood development, leadership in early care and education, autism understanding, sensory learning, and regulatory frameworks for child care programs.
Throughout her work in community advocacy and education, Aura has received numerous recognitions for her leadership and impact, including awards from Piedmont Technical College and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Mujer Magazine, Univision, Telemundo, the Professional Family Child Care Alliance of Georgia, and international leadership organizations recognizing her contributions to community service and social impact.
Through her work, Aura continues to build bridges between families, institutions, and communities so that Hispanic families navigating autism can access the knowledge, resources, and support they need.
RICARDO MATOS JR
President | Advocate for Fathers in Autism | Inclusive Environment Design
Ricardo Matos Jr. serves as the President of Autismo Día a Día, where he helps guide the organization’s mission to empower Hispanic families navigating autism through education, advocacy, and community engagement.
His commitment to the organization began when he became part of Mauro’s life and experienced firsthand the realities of supporting a young person on the autism spectrum. Through this journey, Ricardo developed a deep understanding of the challenges many families face, particularly the importance of creating supportive environments that respect the sensory and emotional needs of neurodivergent individuals.
Motivated by this experience, Ricardo has become a strong advocate for greater involvement of fathers and male caregivers in conversations around autism, acceptance, and family support. He actively works to create spaces where fathers can better understand the diagnosis and play an engaged role in supporting their children.
Professionally, Ricardo brings over 20 years of experience in construction and project management, working on both residential and commercial projects across Georgia. His expertise allows him to approach autism advocacy from a unique perspective: the creation of inclusive and sensory-aware environments.
Within the home, Ricardo has dedicated himself to designing and modifying living spaces that support neurodivergent individuals by reducing overstimulation and promoting comfort, safety, and inclusion. These adaptations help create environments where individuals diagnosed with autism can feel regulated, supported, and included in everyday family life.
In commercial settings, Ricardo also advocates for modifications that promote neurodiversity awareness and inclusion, including the creation of sensory-friendly spaces that allow individuals with autism and sensory sensitivities to access public environments more comfortably.
Through his leadership at Autismo Día a Día, Ricardo continues to promote awareness, inclusion, and community collaboration while helping families better understand how supportive environments can improve the quality of life for neurodivergent individuals.
VANESSA IBARRA
Advisor | Global Partnerships | Community Leadership
Vanessa Ibarra is the Founder and Impact Facilitator of THESHAREDWORLD, a glocal (global + local) strategic advisory firm dedicated to accelerating the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by bridging sectors, breaking silos, and fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration. With a core focus on global commerce, smart cities, social initiatives, and storytelling, TheSharedWorld unites local and international stakeholders to co-create solutions to humanity’s most pressing challenges. The firm aligns highimpact initiatives with the resources, partnerships, and connectivity needed to scale and succeed.
With over 16 years of experience in international affairs, global partnerships, economic development, smart cities, and community engagement, Vanessa has built a reputation as a trusted advisor across Atlanta’s civic and business landscape. As the former Executive Director of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs, she advised three mayors and played a pivotal role in shaping the city’s global strategy in economic diplomacy, education, innovation, and culture. She expanded the Office of International Affairs, founded the city’s first Office of International and Immigrant Affairs, and led initiatives that mobilized community resources for immigrant communities. Her leadership resulted in welcoming over 1,000 delegations from more than 150 countries and spearheading over 10 international economic missions, including leading the City of Atlanta delegation to the United Nations. As Founder and Impact Facilitator at TheSharedWorld, Vanessa has collaborated with organizations such as The Carter Center, Smart City Expo USA, Smart City Expo World Congress, National Center for Race Amity, educational institutions, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and foreign government agencies including Estonia, Costa Rica, and the Czech Republic.
She has been awarded the French National Order of Merit with the rank of Knight, named to Georgia State University’s 40 Under 40, and recognized for four consecutive years as one of the “50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia” (2022–2025). Vanessa currently serves on several boards and advisory groups, including the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Autismo Dia a Dia,BoldImpact ATL, the Congress for the New Urbanism Atlanta Chapter, the Georgia Conservancy, and MASSIVE. She is also a member of the French American Chamber of Commerce and part of the Georgia Technology Association’s Smart Communities & Sustainability Society.
Why Our Leadership Matters
The leadership of Autismo Día a Día combines lived experience, professional expertise, and community engagement. Our team understands the challenges families face because we live them, work with them, and advocate for meaningful solutions that support neurodiverse individuals and their families.
Join Our Mission
Become part of a supportive community dedicated to empowering Hispanic families navigating autism through education, advocacy, and connection.
OUR PARTNERS
Partners committed to supporting neurodiverse families
