Program Director and Founder
Nicole Monat
Nicole Monat, Founder, President and Trustee of Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc., is a stay-at-home mother of three young boys aged 13, 10 and 8. Her oldest son, Sam, carries diagnoses of High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. Sam’s treatment began from the age of 16 months, and, throughout this journey, Nicole has been heavily involved in every aspect of Sam’s development. Her carry-through of therapeutic interventions within the home has been critical to the astounding progress that Sam has made.
Her vision for Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc., comes from the social progress that Sam was able to attain during play dates, when she would have Sam’s behavioral therapist attend and help facilitate Sam’s play dates. Nicole would like to offer other children this kind of support where they often need it the most — interacting with their peers in scenarios that are typical for all children to experience. Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc. will utilize all that Nicole has learned over the past eleven years and give children, both typically and non-typically developing, the opportunity to build stronger social skills and capture the joy of being a child.
Additionally, Nicole has a unique range of skills given her varied work experience prior to becoming a mother. After receiving her Masters of Business Administration from Columbia Business School (with a concentration in Marketing and Management), Nicole was chosen to participate in Novartis Pharmaceuticals’ prestigious Management Leadership Development Program, and worked in the market research group supporting the Stavelo (Parkinson’s Disease) and Focalin XR (ADHD) brands, as well spending time on the company’s managed care team.
Nicole also was a Product Manager for the immunosuppressive drug Myfortic, which helps protect against organ rejection after transplant. Prior to business school, Nicole worked as a salestrader for two international banks, Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank and Fortis Bank, in their Syndicated Loan Sales and Trading groups.
Nicole’s strong business background, as well as her extensive and intensive involvement in Sam’s treatment, give her a unique skill set to oversee and run Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc.
Clinical Director
Kristin Foley, M.Ed, BCBA
Kristin Foley has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) for a decade and has been working with individuals with a range of abilities and disabilities since 1999. Her professional interests lie in designing meaningful measurement systems, training behavior analysts, and supporting families, as well as effective collaboration and fluency-based instruction. She received her Masters of Education from Antioch University, her Masters Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2008. Kristin is a certified Special Education teacher with more than 3000 hours of direct experience implementing and supervising behavior analytic intervention programs.
Kristin’s experience includes establishing and managing a model preschool for children with Autism and their socially typical peers in Seattle, Washington. She also served as Preschool Coordinator at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University.
Kristin is currently the Director of Online Instruction and Training at Endicott College where she also teaches graduate classes in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders and Applied Behavior Analysis. She also maintains a private practice that focuses on supporting individuals with Autism, ADHD, anxiety and related disabilities in their home and school environments. Kristin is also pursuing an PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Kristin has presented her applied work at both the national conferences of the Association for Behavior Analysis and the International Precision Teaching Conference, as well as at Autism New Jersey. She has published her work in the Journal of Precision Teaching and Celeration (JPTC), and is a contributor to the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis. She maintains professional memberships in the Association for Behavior Analysis, the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts, Autism New Jersey, and the Standard Celeration Society.
In addition to being a Clinical Supervisor, Kristin also sits on Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc.’s Board of Trustees.
Clinical Supervisor
Philip Strobel, M.Ed, BCBA
Instructors
Alexandra Copman
Allie Copman graduated from Monmouth University with a Masters of Education in School Counseling. She completed her Bachelors Degree at the University of Delaware majoring in Human Services, with minors in Sociology and Disability Studies. Allie has worked at Forrestdale School in Rumson since 2018 as a School Counselor and Character Education teacher. In addition, she is the advisor for the Peer Leadership program. She has worked for nonprofit agencies as well as in public schools. Allie enjoys going to the beach, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. Her favorite part of being an educator is supporting children to be their best selves and biggest advocates.
Julia Tracy, LSW
Julia Tracy graduated from Monmouth University with a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Social Work. Julia has just begun her Social Work career working as a Family Support Clinician at the Greater Y of Monmouth County Social Services where she was also an intern. Julia has previously had experience working at an Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit and a Group home for teenagers. Julia is passionate about empowering others around her. Julia enjoys traveling with her family and friends, spoiling her dog, spending time at the beach, and trying new restaurants.
Matthew Kowalski
Matt Kowalski is a graduate of Temple University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education/Social Studies in May 2018. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Special Education at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ.
In addition to being an instructor at Friends Grow Friends, Matt is a Job Coach at Red Bank Regional High School where he guides and supports students in the Work Based Learning Program, ensuring they gain valuable skills essential for success in the workplace. Prior to his role as a Job Coach, Matt served as an Instructional Aide at Knollwood School in Fair Haven, where he provided one-on-one instruction during a remote learning phase and designed and introduced a behavior chart to benefit 4th and 7th graders. Additionally, Matt extended his support beyond the classroom by volunteering for the Running Club, assisting ABA students who participated in the extracurricular activity. Matt was also a long-term substitute teacher in the Fair Haven District, providing instruction to children on the autism spectrum in an ABA classroom.
Matt enjoys going hiking and bowling. Additionally he enjoys watching baseball and football in his spare time where he roots for the NY Mets and NY Jets.
Nick Colantino
Nick Colantino currently serves as an instructor at Friends Grow Friends Foundation, where he nurtures a supportive and inclusive environment for all students. Nick also works as a behavior therapist at Graham Behavioral Services, where he applies his past experience to make a positive impact on the lives of those he works with. His patient and empathetic approach, combined with his deep understanding of behavioral dynamics, allows him to create effective strategies for personal growth and development.
Before his current roles, Nick served as an instructional aide in the Fair Haven School District. This experience provided him with valuable insights into classroom dynamics and the diverse needs of students, shaping his approach to education and therapy.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kean University. In his free time, Nick enjoys watching movies, listening to music, playing video games, watching baseball, and writing screenplays and poetry.
Bradley Shumer, LSW
Brad Shumer is a graduate of Seton Hall University where he earned a Bachelor of Social Work in May 2021. He also graduated from Monmouth University with his Master of Social Work in May of 2023. Brad is also an LSW. He just began his social work career, working as a long-term substitute School Social Worker at Spotswood High School. Brad has prior experience working with elementary age students in grades 3-5 who have multiple disabilities. He is compassionate and always willing to be a good listener. In his free time, Brad enjoys being outside, hanging out with friends and family, exercising, spending time at the beach, eating food, and watching sports. He roots for the NY Mets, NY Knicks, NY Islanders, NY Giants and Seton Hall basketball.
Trustees
Matthew G. Strobel, Psy.D.
Dr. Strobel is a certified school psychologist and licensed psychologist. He is the founder and director of Navesink Psychological Services.
Dr. Strobel received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stockton University, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. While at GSAPP, Dr. Strobel earned a concentration in Psychological and Systems Support for Learning and received the Virginia Bennett Award for exemplary work supporting minority youth. In addition, he studied sport psychology. Dr. Strobel has over 10 years experience working in the public school setting as a school psychologist. He has worked at all levels (preschool through high school) in the school setting and with the entire age range in his private practice.
Dr. Strobel specializes in working with children who exhibit externalizing and internalizing behaviors in a variety of settings. He has worked with children having diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, Asperger’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), conduct disorder, depression, explosive behavior disorder, and intellectual disabilities. He also has experience working with clients who exhibit obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), school refusal, specific learning disorders, Tourette syndrome, and other related disorders.
Dr. Strobel has created highly successful programs that have allowed children with mental health and other needs to remain in their schools, participate with peers in sports and camps, and be successful members of their communities. Dr. Strobel is certified to provide the Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics from the Tourette Syndrome Behavior Therapy Institute (TS-BTI). He is a Lifelines Trainer for the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County which provides training to schools on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention.
Dr. Strobel is also a supervisor for doctoral candidates from Rutgers and often guest lectures on a variety of topics including supporting acting out students in the classroom, youth suicide, and school avoidance.
Kate Gagliano
Dual Certified Elementary and Special Education Teacher
Math, Literacy, Science, Social Studies & Study Skills, Knollwood School, Fair Haven
Jeffrey Monat
Jeffrey Monat, Treasurer and Trustee of Friends Grow Friends Foundation, Inc., received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has worked at a number of financial institutions throughout his career. In 2001, he began his career in the Mergers and Acquisitions department of Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, Jeff helped advise clients on M&A transactions, financial valuation and corporate governance issues. He then worked in the GS Principal Strategies Group, analyzing public-market opportunities for the firm’s proprietary investment fund.
Since his tenure at Goldman Sachs, Jeff has served in an analyst role at Rockbay Capital, where he was also a partner, and FrontPoint Rockbay, an event-driven hedge fund based in New York City. At Rockbay, he evaluated prospective investments and helped build the firm’s investment analysis infrastructure. Jeff has also served as a Senior Analyst at Seven Locks Capital, a long/short equity hedge fund as well as Sage Rock Capital, an event-driven hedge fund based in New York City. Most recently, Jeff joined Merida Capital, a private equity firm, as a partner where he analyzes and commits the firm’s capital to investments.
Jeff is a Trustee and volunteer for the Brad J Pinkowitz Foundation, which was formed to assist under privileged pre-school and elementary school children with educational toys and school supplies. Additionally, Jeff has first-hand experience with helping to develop the social skills of his son, Sam, who is on the autism spectrum. When he isn’t working, he is an integral part of Sam’s treatment plan and has dedicated his free time to gaining a thorough understanding of how kids like Sam grow and develop.