Lisa Cassenti is a single mom entrepreneur and breast cancer thriver. She received her BA in biology from SUNY at Stony Brook University in 1997. She studied capuchin monkeys in Argentina through SUNY at Stony Brook University, as her initial dream was to work in conservation biology with non-human primates. While applying to graduate school, she took a position working with teenagers with special needs. She fell in love with the children and the field of special education. She completed her student teaching at Bank Street and received her MA in early childhood special education from Teachers College at Columbia University in 2001. Throughout her 24 years in special education, she worked with a primary concentration with children with autism. She worked primarily in early intervention (birth through three years) and CPSE (three through five years), supporting the children with special needs and their families in a variety of community settings. She then served as the Assistant Director for a NYC early intervention program for several years. At the end of 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and found her way to health, hope, and happiness through being introduced to NWM. Her ripple effect is vast via her work in NWM. She adores partnering with single parents, advocates for patients of breast cancer, parents of children with special needs, those who love and work with animals, and female athletes.

www.lisacassenti.com