At Aspire, we are lucky to have an incredibly hard working team. We currently have twelve employees spread across the three sectors of our organisation. Our graphic design team is made up of is made up of both neurotypical and neurodiverse members.
Our employees are the backbone of our organisation, without whom we would not be able to provide the services and level of care we deliver. We operate a succession system and believe in nurturing and supporting our staff to grow and develop their skill set to their full potential.
Aspire is governed by a Board of Directors, who are responsible for steering Aspire towards a sustainable future. The Board is currently compiled of 6 directors, including a Chair, Treasurer and Company Secretary.
Chairperson
Donal is an experienced executive having held senior positions up to and including CEO in both commercial and not for profit sectors. Donal holds a BSC , MBA and Diploma in Corporate Governance and has worked in Ireland, UK, Netherlands and USA. As well as being chair of Aspire Donal is also a board member of charity Irish Community Rapid Response
Secretary
Board Member
Siobhán O’Dwyer graduated from Trinity College Dublin as a social worker in 1988. She has previously worked as a Senior Manager and Social Worker in London, Dublin and Belfast. During her career Siobhán has worked with children and families in both the community and voluntary and statutory sectors. Siobhán is CEO of YAP Ireland since 2008. Siobhán brings a wealth of service provision, management and governance experience to the Board of Aspire.
Aspire Director/ Board Member
Niall studied an undergraduate in Business Management and an MBA. Niall comes from a teaching background, both in his native Kerry before teaching and managing education institutions in Italy, Spain, Poland, and the UK for 7 years.
Returning in 2016 to work in his hometown, he has managed foundation programmes for Middle Eastern and African students coming to Ireland since then. Niall also managed several projects for medical governing bodies, including the recruitment and education of specialised doctors into the Irish health system. Niall currently manages international recruitment for the University of Galway.
Board Member
Neil Kenny is an Assistant Professor at the School of Inclusive and Special Education at DCU where he is programme chair of the Master of Education in Autism (MEdA) . Neil has a B.A. (psych) from U.C.D. and a PhD. from Maynooth University. He has expertise in Autism research, inclusive qualitative research, and participatory research. He is the coordinator of ACoRN Research Network.
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Aurelia Deflandre (She/her) is originally from France and has worked in the UK, the Netherlands, Finland and now lives in Dublin, Ireland. She holds the position of Neurodiversity lead for Google Ireland and co-chair of the Google employee resource group “The Disability Alliance”, she is also a business advisor at Google Ads.
She is a late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman working in the Tech industry for more than 15 years, through her personal journey of diagnosis and lived experiences, she realised that a lot more support should be available for neurodivergent individuals and their families. She now collaborates with other Tech corporations, charities and neuro-minorities to increase awareness, advocacy and support for neurodivergent communities locally and globally. Aurelia also works not only to raise awareness and funds but also to influence policies that will benefit the next generations.
Chief Executive Officer
Linda is the Chief Executive Officer of Aspire, with over 8 years management and leadership experience within the Charity, Education, Homeless Residential and Family Support Sectors. Linda has extensive experience working with disability services, family resource and foster care, she has a deep understanding and experience of audit and HIQA inspection processes, compliance requirements, and HSE requirements for Registered Provider. Linda’s qualifications include an MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a BA in Applied Social Studies.
Residential Manager
Deborah is the Social Care Manager at Aspire. With over 30 years of experience in the care industry, Deborah’s journey into social care was inspired by her personal experiences with close family members with disabilities. She firmly believes that individuals with disabilities deserve the same respect and equal opportunities as everyone else, regardless of their abilities.
Her extensive experience spans across older person care, physical disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. After having her own children, three of whom are on the autistic spectrum, Deborah developed a deep passion for advocating for individuals with autism. She is dedicated to promoting acceptance and educating the general public, striving toward a more inclusive society.To further enhance her skills and knowledge, Deborah returned to education and completed a B.A. Honours Degree in Social Care Practice at Tallaght University. Her professional journey includes working in a family resource centre and within intellectual disability services. However, her passion ultimately guided her back to the field of autism care.
In her role at Aspire Residential, Deborah finds a strong sense of purpose in ensuring that all residents’ needs are met with respect and dignity. Her commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive environment shines through in every aspect of her work.
Accounts Assistant
Julie is an Accounts Assistant with Aspire. She holds a degree in Psychology and Sociology. Julie began an Accounts Assistant job in 2004 and has worked in this type of position in the 18 years since. Julie loves being part of a team that makes a difference. Julie joined a Couch to 5km course back in Dec 2019 and has ran about a 1000km since with a few 10km runs for Charities in there. Her two young kids keep her on her toes.
Enterprise Strategy, Marketing & Wellbeing
Assistant Manager
Aspire residential / Social care worker
Neill completed his Diploma in Autism Studies at University College Cork in May 2023, shortly afterwards he joined the Aspire Team as a Social Care Worker. Before becoming a Social Care Worker, Neill worked in Scotland for 20 years as a Rock-Climbing Instructor and Mountain Leader.
Engagement Officer & Mentor
Steven, the Engagement Officer at Aspire, has dedicated his career to amplifying the focus on alleviating isolation within the autism community, armed with a deep understanding of the unique needs and challenges individuals with autism face
Steven works tirelessly to develop inclusive programs that foster social growth and connectivity, such as our monthly adult social group that meets in Token in Dublin
He envisions a world where every individual on the spectrum can embrace meaningful interactions and experience a sense of belonging
In his spare time, Steven enjoys all forms of gaming from board games to card games and also video games
Website Administration
Adam understands the world through a distinctive lens. This lens shapes his interests, motivations, behaviour, and the kinds of problems he returns to. As a neurodivergent person, part of his development has involved learning how to understand this way of thinking and turn it into something useful, communicable, and reliable.
His journey through education, work, and personal study has been non-linear, but not empty or merely accidental. Over time, pieces of a personal and professional architecture have been forming. Adam’s current focus is on developing the life and work processes that allow his abilities, interests, and self-understanding to become disciplined practice.
Adam recently achieved a first class honours degree in Computing at TU Dublin in 2025. This achievement is one outward marker of a deeper process: strengthening the foundations that allow him to engage more confidently with complex systems, technologies, and ideas. He is continuing this development through mathematics, physics, and an interest in emerging areas such as AI, quantum, biological, and neural computing.
At Aspire, Adam is responsible for website administration and has worked with the organisation since 2011. He supports Aspire’s online presence and is currently exploring AI-supported tools to improve access to website information. This work connects to his wider interest in systems, information, communication, and how knowledge can be made easier to navigate.
Outside Aspire, Adam enjoys photography, 3D visualisation, and creative workflow design. These are not separate from his main interests, but another way of exploring how ideas, detail, information, and real-world material can be captured, structured, and turned into useful processes.
M.Ps.S.IMA in Counselling and Psychotherapy under clinical supervision| Cert. in Neuroaffirming Therapy
Volunteer
Casey is happy to be part of the Aspire Designs Team and commends the great work that they do. He is committed to helping individuals improve their mental well-being by fostering a supportive and collaborative work and leisure environment.
Volunteer
Hi, I’m Wenmin Sun, a media student at UCD. Volunteering at Aspire has been such a joy! I’ve loved getting to know Evan and Rowan; we always have the best chats about everything from history and films to the future of AI while exploring the parks. We even went out for some delicious, authentic Korean food! More importantly, this experience has allowed me to see firsthand how communities and families work together at a grassroots level to help children thrive. It’s been an eye-opening and heart-warming journey.
