MIKE SHANE

President, Athletes 4 Autism Awareness

Mike lives in Irvine, CA and works at Chipotle Mexican Grill Headquarters in Newport Beach, CA, where he is a Senior Restaurant Training Analyst. Mike has been in the restaurant industry for his entire professional career and lived in China for 6+ years helping to open several restaurants - including The Cheesecake Factory. His true passion has always been working with local community service organizations on projects that benefit local and international communities in need. Mike is also a member of the Rotary Club and enjoys playing baseball, basketball, football, and running in his free time.

Mike’s journey with Autism began when his daughter, Summer, was diagnosed with Autism at age 3. After returning to Orange County from China to get Summer the early intervention support she needed, Mike met Keinan and Bryan and the A4AA story began. Through hearing stories of professional athletes with children on the spectrum and seeing a gap in athletic & recreational services available to those on the spectrum, the three dads decided to use their love of sports and a burning passion for spreading awareness to form Athletes 4 Autism Awareness.

KEINAN SHARIF

Secretary, Athletes 4 Autism Awareness

Keinan lives in Irvine, CA and works at CenturyLink where he is a Senior Sales Specialist within the overlay team for Content Delivery. With over 10+ years in the cloud and content Delivery space, Keinan has had the fortunate opportunity to learn from the top media and internet companies around the world. Sports shaped his career path growing up, as team work, competition, and willingness to follow a common goal led him to work with two of the three largest telecom companies in the U.S. Keinan was part of a team within a startup that ultimately grew into an IPO while another was purchased by one of the largest consumer facing organizations. Keinan holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Technology from the University of Houston.

Keinan’s Autism journey began when his son Kasim (Simmy) was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3. After living throughout the Los Angeles area, it was quickly determined that Irvine would be the best location to give Simmy the best chance for advancement. Irvine, CA, regarded for its public school system, has an early intervention program where Keinan met Mike and Bryan. The three athletes came together to bond over sports and the joys of seeing their children develop for the positive. They identified that a passion for sports and a new understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder should drive the creation of a new idea: Through athleticism and participation in sports, A4AA can truly relay a positive message towards Autism Awareness.

BRYAN HUA

Treasurer, Athletes 4 Autism Awareness

Bryan’s journey with Autism began when his son, Nolan, was diagnosed at age 2. The diagnosis opened the door for the early intervention that Nolan has been fortunate to receive since. It was a special education preschool that brought Keinan, Mike, and Bryan together to form A4AA. With a desire to spread awareness, the trio hopes to continue spreading awareness through sports and education while also providing social skills opportunities.

Bryan works at the University of California at Irvine as the Director of IT and Operations for the Paul Merage School of Business. Bryan is fortunate to enjoy a career at his Alma Mater where he gets to work with renowned faculty, staff and a diverse student population. Bryan looks forward to the weekends spending time with his wife and two sons on family outings. Bryan also enjoys playing volleyball, cycling, hiking and golf in his spare time (not much of that these days :-D).