Owner/Heart Behind NXT

Dani Williams

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For more than fifteen years, Dani Williams has dedicated her work to creating inclusive, heart-centered spaces where neurodivergent individuals, families, educators, and communities can show up authentically and grow through support that honors who they are. Dani is the founder of NXT Generation Wellness, an education and WHOListic health company that supports differently-abled individuals and their families through participant-centered, strengths-based, and deeply human approaches to learning and well-being. She is also the co-founder and President of SEED Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to expanding access, advocacy, resources, and whole-community support for special populations. Beyond her educational and nonprofit work, Dani is the creative force behind Side Quests Creations, heARTwork, and Squiggly By Design—passion-fueled artistic endeavors that celebrate creativity, neurodivergent brilliance, healing, and authentic self-expression through a variety of mixed-media forms.

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At the heart of Dani's work is what she describes as a living curriculum — one that recognizes everyday experiences as meaningful opportunities for learning and allows growth to unfold through movement, creativity, reflection, curiosity, and connection. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates multi-sensory learning, nervous system regulation, health and wellness, executive functioning, emotional intelligence, identity-centered coaching, therapeutic arts, and energetic awareness, creating environments where individuals are empowered to learn in ways that align with who they naturally are. 

Dani is a lifelong learner who continually expands her knowledge through both formal education and lived experience. She is a certified Elementary and Special Education Teacher, Quantum Human Design Specialist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Therapeutic Arts Practitioner, and SE Adaptive Special Needs Master Trainer. She also holds certifications in Youth Yoga and Fitness, Cognitive Coaching, ADHD and Autism support, Neurodiversity Coaching, and Autism-Informed Practice.

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Throughout her work as an educator, advocate, curriculum designer, coach, wellness facilitator, entrepreneur, and occasional coordinator of beautiful chaos, Dani's mission has remained consistent: to support the whole person—physically, emotionally, mentally, socially, and spiritually—in ways that feel safe, participant-centered, strengths-based, and sustainable. Much of her work is inspired by the meaningful moments that happen beyond traditional classrooms and clinical settings. This philosophy comes to life through the programs, curriculum, and self-published resources she creates, including poetry collections, regulation workbooks, functional life skills curriculum, wellness journals, mixed-media artwork, Human Design–informed educational tools, and strengths-based resources designed for neurodivergent individuals, families, educators, and care teams.

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In a world that often relies on one-size-fits-all systems, Dani believes that every individual deserves an approach as unique as they are. Through multidimensional, collaborative, and community-centered systems of support, she strives to help people discover their strengths, deepen self-understanding, and build lives rooted in authenticity, connection, and possibility. Whether she is coaching participants, designing curriculum, facilitating workshops, creating art, or building partnerships within the community, Dani's purpose remains the same: to help others recognize that growth is not about becoming someone different—it is about becoming more fully who they have always been.​

Head FUNctional Fitness Coach

Mackenzie Brown

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​Behavior Tech

Certified Neurodiversity Coach

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I aim to turn challenges into triumphs. 

Coach

Lucille Wicks

Certified Neurodiversity Coach

Certified Adaptive Trainer Level 1

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I help different minds thrive.

Coach

Danny Riches ​​

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Danny Riches is honored to be part of the coaching team at NXT Generation, where he feels he has found the perfect place to make a meaningful impact. As the father of three sons and a parent for more than 30 years, Danny brings not only life experience but also a deeply personal understanding of the neurodivergent journey.

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He often describes his parenting experience as two distinct chapters: life before his neurodivergent son was born and life after. While his early parenting experiences were guided by communication, clear expectations, and trust, raising his neurodivergent son introduced an entirely new learning journey—one that ultimately led his family to NXT Generation.

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In 2018, when his son was just under three years old, he began working with NXT founder Dani Williams. Danny witnessed firsthand Dani's remarkable ability to connect with, motivate, and empower his son through individualized fitness, movement, and meaningful relationship-building. Every session reflected thoughtful attention to his son's unique developmental needs and strengths.

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After three years with Dani, his son transitioned to working with Coach Mackenzie Brown, who has now been his coach for more than four years. Danny quickly recognized Coach Kenzie's exceptional combination of knowledge, compassion, and genuine passion for creating fitness experiences that build confidence, physical strength, trust, and social communication.

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Having spent more than seven years as both a parent and volunteer within the NXT community, Danny developed a deep appreciation for the organization's mission and individualized approach. When Dani invited him to officially join the coaching team, he enthusiastically accepted. Today, he combines his unique perspective as both a parent and coach to support other families as they navigate their own journeys toward growth, independence, and confidence.

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Danny's personal passions include music, fitness, communication, and advocacy. He enjoys creating engaging experiences through instrument and sound exploration, strength and coordination training, and activities that build confidence in phonics, reading comprehension, and both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. He is also a passionate advocate for the neurodivergent community and is committed to helping individuals develop strong self-advocacy skills while recognizing and celebrating their unique strengths.

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Danny believes that every individual deserves to be seen, understood, and empowered, and he is grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside participants and families as they discover what is possible through the NXT Generation community.

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Coach

Jainey Howard

Coach

Julia Strauss

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For over a decade, Julia has been dedicated to supporting neurodivergent children, adults, and their families to thrive through empowering programs focused on communication, self-advocacy, resilience, social emotional wellness, and joy. She believes that learning happens by starting with each child’s strengths and interests, prioritizing emotional and sensory regulation, and building from that strong foundation using curiosity, joy, and experiential learning. As a neurodivergent individual herself, Julia understands the important roles that regulation, self-advocacy, and personal strengths play in growth and personal development.  

Julia has a Bachelor degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida St Petersburg, a Master of Education in Special Education from Vanderbilt University, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with completion of a post-graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology. 

Julia also has training in Acceptance and Commitment Teaching (ACT), which she utilizes to support learners to gently build resilience and flexibility with a heart-centered, person-centered approach. Her ACT-based programs use experiential exercises to build skills in mindfulness, self-identity, acceptance and resilience, and using personal values to guide actions. Using these skills, learners are able to navigate the world confidently and flexibly, taking on challenges in their lives using the tools to regulate and act in ways that align with their own values and sense of self. In addition, Julia has training in teaching Interoception Awareness, which builds learners’ identification of internal sensory states to help them build the skills to self-regulate and advocate for their sensory needs.

Outside of her work with NxtGeneration Wellness, Julia provides neurodiversity-affirming Applied Behavior Analysis services to families, using the science of learning in progressive ways to help individuals build flexibility, regulation, and communication skills with relationship-centered, assent-based approaches. She has additional expertise in supporting non-vocal communicators to build their language and communication skills through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as well as helping families of children with significant food selectivity build flexibility in their diets with approaches that center safety and choice for the child. Julia is an advocate within the neurodivergent community and trains professionals in the ABA field how to shift towards using neurodiversity-affirming, assent-based, play-centered and relational programming. When not at work, Julia loves to travel and spends most of her time outdoors with her dog and family- you can find her hiking, paddle boarding, running, gardening, or searching the local cafes for coffee!

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Coach

Cal Davidson-Turner

Master of Science | Applied Physiology & Kinesiology

Certified Neurodiversity Coach 

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I am dedicated to empowering neurodivergent individuals through education & fitness.