About Uplifting Minds
Martha Harris, President
Reverend Martha Lester Harris is an accomplished entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, and ordained Episcopal priest. As the founder of three education-focused technology companies, including Fizika Group, she dedicated herself to improving education and supporting educators for 15 years. Fizika Group specialized in brain-based learning strategies and offered professional development courses in active learning and trauma-informed teaching. The organization also supported early childhood educators and parents of children at risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), providing practical resources to help families navigate this journey.
Before founding Fizika, Harris co-founded InnerLink, Inc., which developed Health eTools, a health data management system widely used in Pennsylvania schools. She also served as Deputy Secretary in the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development under Governor Tom Ridge, where she helped integrate workforce and economic development. Harris has a long history of leadership, including launching Catalyst Connection in Pittsburgh and creating Fizikaflex, a web portal promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. She holds degrees from Dickinson College, Harvard Kennedy School, and Lancaster Theological Seminary, and was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2022. She currently serves as Rector of two parishes in Lancaster County.
Pastor Harris became fascinated in how our brains learn after her daughter was born prematurely with evidence of cognitive impairment. Through multifaceted interventions and a growing appreciation for neuroscience which says our brains are plastic and elastic, her daughter graduated from college in 2015 and is gainfully employed.
Carli Rhoades, Treasurer
Carli Rhoades (she/her) is an actor and advocate. She was a lead organizer of the first Queer Liberation March in New York City which drew 50,000 marchers from around the world, and an early member of the Reclaim Pride Coalition, NYC. She spent several years as a co-artistic director of Hit the Lights! Theatre Company, and has performed across the United States as well as in Bali, Indonesia and Dublin, Ireland. In recent years, she has worked as a financial specialist at Fractured Atlas, a not-for-profit that works to make the journey from inspiration to living practice more accessible and equitable for artists and creatives. Prior to all of this however, Carli’s work with neurodivergent children began when she was a child herself. Growing up, she spent many evenings moving between her brothers’ speech and OT appointments. Her first job at 14 was as a one-on-one aid in a preschool program held on a working farm. As a young adult, she specialized in after-school care for neurodiverse children from 18 months to 11 years old. In her late 20s, Carli was finally diagnosed with ADHD herself, which has made a lot of things make a lot more sense! She has spent the years since learning as much as she can about her own brain, and how to help others understand their children as well as themselves.
Lexi Weinberg, Executive Director
When Lexi’s son was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum at 2 ½ years old, she found herself overwhelmed by the lack of clear guidance and resources for parents navigating this journey. Faced with confusing systems, long waitlists, and limited support, she realized that no family should have to struggle alone. Determined to turn her challenges into a source of empowerment for others, she founded Uplifting Minds, a nonprofit dedicated to helping parents and caregivers access the information, support, and advocacy they need to make informed decisions for their children.
Through Uplifting Minds, Lexi provides essential resources, workshops, and a supportive community for families at every stage of the autism journey. Whether connecting parents with a community of others walking the same path, offering advocacy training, or simply providing a listening ear, she ensures that no family feels lost or alone. Passionate about education and inclusion, she works closely with families to create a more accessible and supportive world for neurodivergent children. Her mission is simple: to help parents become confident advocates so that every child on the spectrum has the opportunity to thrive.
Lindsay Kelley, Secretary
Lindsay is a communications graduate from Millersville University with a passion for connection, service, and education. Her career has included working at Disney in Guest Relations and as a member of the prestigious Dream Squad, as well as serving as a Resident Coordinator at Robert Morris University. For the past 10 years, she has been a dedicated dance teacher at E-Dance Center, inspiring students through movement and expression.
Above all, she cherishes her role as a wife and mother. She and her husband share two incredible boys who are the center of her world. Her oldest son, who has autism, has taught her to see life from a beautifully unique perspective, deepening her understanding of love, resilience, and advocacy. While she has been fortunate to experience many incredible opportunities, she considers motherhood her greatest blessing and takes immense pride in being a champion for her children.
