Meet the Team
Mother-Son Co-Founders
Maria McWhirt PhD, CEO
Daniel Mills, CTO
MPower Me founder, Dr. Maria McWhirt has over 30 years of experience in social work and policy research. As she faced the service cliff with her youngest son who has autism, she recruited his older brother, born with severe vision impairment, to develop MyGuide™. The mother-son team worked together with clinicians and teachers to develop do-it-yourself tech-based tools to empower everyone with temporary or permanent special needs to participate more meaningfully in their own lives.
The MyGuide Story
Due to autism, Dominic struggled to connect with people and regulate his emotions. Out of desperation to support him, and inspired by his older brother's mastery of technology despite being legally blind, his family created MyGuide to empower Dominic to uncover his voice and choice, on his own terms.
Before MyGuide, Dominic self-injured, was non-verbal, eloped, could not attend school, was hospitalized, and eligible for placement in an institution. Today, Dominic is a full-time intern, and 1,500 other families are using MyGuide to empower the voice and choice of their loved ones. Join the movement at MPM.care.
This interview was recorded after three years of MyGuide use.
Kevin Winslow
Sr. Director of Development
Kevin joined this mission in 2019 with background studies in psychiatry, and 15 years of experience supporting children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Kevin educates communities about MPower Me and MyGuide, including families seeking technology solutions, and the providers who serve them. He builds relationships with our partners, develops their capacity with inclusive technologies, and organizes feedback from the community in order to influence the direction of technological development.
Shelley Hart
Director of Coordination
After twelve years in technology sales and coordination, Shelley applied her expertise in a new direction in 2018 when she began supporting Medicaid waiver recipients seeking Assistive Technology (AT), Durable Medical Equipment (DME), and Environmental Modifications (EM). Shelley joined us in 2021, and now oversees MPower Me coordination, walking MyGuide users and their support systems through their request process by providing education on their options, acquiring and organizing required documents, and submitting requests through the appropriate channels.
Gary Grenter
Senior Advisor
With more than thirty-five years in Senior Executive positions in several companies, Gary has founded three Medical Device Field companies and founded his consulting company, Alpha-Flow Management Consulting. He holds a B.S. in Production Management, and an M.B.A. in Management. He provides strategic guidance to MPower Me through team building, organizational development, and strategic planning.