# Christina Sanders

> Christina Sanders, M.A., BCBA is the Chief Executive Officer of Opya (rebranded as Spectrum Pride), a California-based autism early intervention therapy provider delivering ABA, speech, occupational, and feeding therapy to young children. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a Master's from Ball State University, she rose from VP of ABA Clinical Operations to CEO, overseeing a company that has raised $34.7M in venture funding, earned BHCOE 3-year accreditation, and expanded across Northern and Southern California to serve over 110 employees and thousands of families.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Opya (Spectrum Pride)
- **Organizations:** Opya, Spectrum Pride, Center for Learning and Autism Support Services (CLASS), Trumpet Behavioral Health, YMCA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis, Ball State University
- **Known for:** Led Opya to earn 3-Year Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) Accreditation - one of only 8 ABA providers in California with this distinction, Guided Opya through a $15.4M Series A round backed by Panoramic Ventures, SoftBank's SB Opportunity Fund, and Disability Opportunity Fund, Oversaw total fundraising of $34.7M across multiple rounds

## Career timeline

- **~2013** — Earned M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University; obtained BCBA credential
- **~2013-2015** — Worked in behavioral health roles including at Trumpet Behavioral Health and Center for Learning and Autism Support Services (CLASS)
- **2015** — Joined Opya in an early clinical leadership capacity
- **2015-2022** — Served as VP of ABA Clinical Operations at Opya, building clinical standards and operational infrastructure
- **2021** — Opya raised $15.4M Series A led by Panoramic Ventures with SoftBank's SB Opportunity Fund participating
- **2022** — Opya earned 3-Year BHCOE Accreditation and expanded to Orange County under Sanders' clinical leadership
- **2023-2024** — Promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Opya
- **2024** — Led acquisition of Center for Autism Spectrum Therapy (CAST) in Culver City, expanding into center-based care
- **2024** — Oversaw company rebrand from Opya to Spectrum Pride, expanding services to all ages

## Achievements

- Led Opya to earn 3-Year Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) Accreditation - one of only 8 ABA providers in California with this distinction
- Guided Opya through a $15.4M Series A round backed by Panoramic Ventures, SoftBank's SB Opportunity Fund, and Disability Opportunity Fund
- Oversaw total fundraising of $34.7M across multiple rounds
- Grew Opya to 110+ employees across Northern and Southern California
- Led strategic acquisition of Center for Autism Spectrum Therapy (CAST) expanding service offerings to center-based care
- Shepherded company rebrand to Spectrum Pride with expanded all-ages service model
- Scaled clinical operations delivering ABA, speech, OT, and feeding therapy with zero waitlists in some markets

## Latest updates

- **2024-04** — Opya acquired Center for Autism Spectrum Therapy (CAST) in Culver City, California, expanding into center-based autism care
- **2024-06** — Opya rebranded as Spectrum Pride, expanding services from early intervention to all ages with a broader multidisciplinary model
- **2021-08** — Raised $15.4M Series A led by Panoramic Ventures with participation from SoftBank's SB Opportunity Fund and Disability Opportunity Fund

## Links

- Website: https://opyacare.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-sanders-836a594
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/OpyaCare/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_clsanders_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpyaCare/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/christina-sanders
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-27