Our Team, Our Heart
Our Corporate Team
Meghan Perazella, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT)
Co-Founder & CEO
Launching The Hangout Spot with her Co-Founder is the culmination of Meghan’s professional and personal journey focused on bringing a level of care and support to her community that foundationally improves lives one at a time. Meghan brings passion and over seventeen years of experience to The Hangout Spot, having provided special education and behavior analytic services in the center, home-, and public-school settings throughout Fairfield County. Meghan has co-authored publications in Autism Parenting Magazine and Behavioral Science in the 21st Century blog and served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Saint Joseph. She is a five-time prize recipient of awards honoring excellence and leadership in working with children with disabilities. Meghan earned her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Severe Special Needs and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Human Development from Boston College. She later completed her Post-Master BCBA Certificate at Endicott College.
Justyna Balzar, M.Ed. BCBA LBA (CT)
Co-Founder & CEO
Empathy and a passion for giving voice to those who struggle to find their own voice is what founding The Hangout Spot represents to Justyna. Justyna is driven by the notion that client success can only be achieved by building on the foundation of who we are as individuals and utilizing science and research to maximize the potential for positive change. Justyna brings unparalleled dedication and over 19 years of experience working with learners of varying profiles, ages, and abilities throughout Fairfield County. Justyna has co-authored publications in Autism Parenting Magazine and Behavioral Science in the 21st Century blog and founded @Behaviorchik, an online persona intended to disseminate behavior-analytic resources. She first received her Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification, and then completed her Master’s in Curriculum and Education in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University, followed by her BCBA certification shortly thereafter.
Sarah Callahan
Business Administrator
Sarah works providing administrative support and helping grow The Hangout Spot. She is from Greenwich, Connecticut and studied business administration and accounting at the University of Richmond. Sarah’s background and experience working with kids and teaching sailing has impressed upon her the importance of cultivating relationships and lifelong learning. She was immediately drawn to the passion and commitment to excellence of The Hangout Spot team and is so excited to have the opportunity to play a role in supporting the business. Sarah is so excited to work furthering the mission of The Hangout Spot!
Andrew Portnoy
Marketing & Business Development
Andrew is responsible for marketing programs, brand building and management and constituency engagement at The Hangout Spot. He has over 30 years of experience leading marketing and strategy teams for a suite of iconic global brands such as McGraw-Hill Education, Standard & Poor’s, JD Power & Associates and BusinessWeek. Passionate about representing the voice of the customer and using data to drive decision making. Andrew has consistently accelerated growth and grown market share for the brands he has stewarded. He has also served as Corporate representative for organizations including The Council of Foreign Relations, The U.S. Council for International Business, The Corporate Executive Board and the Marketing Leadership Council. Andrew received his BA with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with dual majors in English Literature and British History.