Our Team
Ulises Lopez
Executive Director and Co-Founder
Ulises Lopez leads The Aya Mission as Executive Director and Co-Founder with a singular focus; expanding access to psychedelic therapy for Veterans. In this role, he provides strategic leadership, engages with the board, oversees finances, and serves as the organization's public representative, ensuring all programs uphold the mission's standards of excellence.
A decorated U.S. Army combat Veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Ulises brings nine years of active duty experience to his leadership. His military credentials include Ranger qualification, Advanced Rated Jumpmaster status, and expertise as a Level 4 Modern Army Combatives Program Instructor. He also holds a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under Thiago Ximenez.
Following his military service, Ulises built a distinguished career with the Veterans Health Administration, advancing from volunteer to Program Analyst with Clinical Analytics & Innovation at the Phoenix VA. His expertise spans CPRS instruction, Health Informatics, and executive-level project management, reflecting his commitment to enhancing Veteran care through innovation.
An accomplished academic, Ulises served as valedictorian and keynote speaker for Gateway Community College's 2017 graduating class and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. His unique combination of service, leadership, and resilience continues to drive his mission-focused work at The Aya Mission.
Patrick Gibbons serves The Aya Mission in the dual capacity of Board Member and Director of Development, where he spearheads fundraising strategies, cultivates strategic partnerships, and contributes to long-term organizational planning. His advocacy for healing and transformation is fueled by a profound personal commitment to supporting veterans through plant medicine and holistic wellness approaches.
An accomplished entrepreneur, Patrick founded Gibbons Handmade in 2008, building a luxury custom leather goods company renowned in the golf industry for its meticulously crafted exotic leather products and uncompromising quality standards.
His professional background includes over a decade in land development and home building, where he served as Vice President of Land Acquisition and Entitlement. This combination of experience in large-scale development and artisanal craftsmanship provides Patrick with a distinctive perspective on strategic growth and organizational sustainability.
A DePaul University graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Patrick brings to The Aya Mission a powerful blend of entrepreneurial vision, business expertise, and dedicated service orientation that enhances the organization's mission and impact.
Patrick Gibbons
Director of Development
Jadon Krapf
Director of Operations
Jadon Krapf is the Director of Operations at The Aya Mission, where he oversees the organization’s internal systems, human resources, compliance, and logistics—ensuring smooth day-to-day operations that support the mission’s healing work. Jadon’s leadership style is rooted in calm under pressure and a deep sense of purpose. He empowers his team through clear communication, mutual respect, and a commitment to excellence, fostering a culture of collaboration and growth.
He served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 2009 to 2013. His first three years he specialized in search and rescue during hurricanes and drug interdiction in the Gulf of Mexico, followed by a one-year shoreside deployment to the Middle East prior to separating. He later served as a Wildland Firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, continuing his dedication to protecting others in high-risk environments. These experiences shaped his resilience and ability to lead with clarity and composure in complex situations.
His path to healing began with a transformative ayahuasca ceremony, where he experienced the restoration of nerve function in his left arm after shattering his humerus, that had limited him for seven years—allowing him to play guitar again. He also had (2) herniated discs in his lumbar spine healed in one night of ceremony. Since then, Jadon has participated in over 100 ceremonies and now helps support veterans and others on their healing journeys. Whether mentoring a team member, helping facilitate a ceremony, or sharing his story, he leads by example and reminds others of their own capacity for transformation.
At The Aya Mission, Jadon combines his operational expertise, service-driven mindset, and lived experience with healing to help the organization thrive from the inside out.
DIANE SMITH
Director Of Veteran Outreach
Diane Smith brings her experience as an Air Force veteran to her dual roles as Veteran Outreach Director and Board Member at The Aya Mission. During her decade of military service (2003-2013), Diane evolved from an enlisted Intelligence analyst to a commissioned Intelligence officer, deploying alongside Marine, Army, Navy, and special forces personnel—experiences she holds in highest regard.
Following her military career, Diane earned her Doctorate in Audiology from the University of Arizona and now practices as an audiologist in Tucson, specializing in vestibular diagnostics. When not serving patients, she embraces the Southwest's natural beauty through backpacking, running, climbing, and mountain biking.
Diane's profound commitment to The Aya Mission stems from personal transformation—having experienced firsthand how plant medicine saved and revolutionized her own life. Her leadership now focuses on extending these healing opportunities to fellow veterans, embodying her dedication to giving back to the community she once served with.
Joel R. Velazquez
Director of Technology
Joel brings his extensive military expertise to The Aya Mission as a medically retired Marine and Purple Heart Medal recipient. Following his distinguished military career, he extended his service beyond the uniform by applying his operational and intelligence skills to address humanitarian crises across the Middle East and Europe within the nonprofit sector.
With over 17 years of combined experience in military operations, intelligence, and nonprofit management, Joel's approach to service was shaped by his father's 30-year legacy as a firefighter and paramedic. This family tradition of selfless dedication inspires his commitment to supporting at-risk and vulnerable communities both domestically and internationally.
At The Aya Mission, Joel excels in designing and implementing digital solutions that address organizational challenges. His methodical approach emphasizes coordination, integration, affordability, and user accessibility—ensuring the organization's technological infrastructure effectively supports its mission to serve veterans through healing modalities.
Joel's unique combination of military precision, humanitarian compassion, and technical expertise strengthens The Aya Mission's operational capacity and enhances its ability to deliver transformative services to those who have served.
jennifer attila
Director of Research
Jennifer Attila leads The Aya Mission's research initiatives as Director of Research, bringing scientific rigor to the organization's work in ethical, culturally grounded psychedelic research and harm reduction practices. With a master's degree in psychology specializing in neuropsychology and a doctorate in public health underway, she combines academic expertise with strategic vision.
Living with Parkinson's disease, Jennifer contributes a unique dual perspective of researcher and lived experience to her work. After facing workplace challenges related to her disabilities, she found professional belonging as a civilian data analyst supporting military operations—a community that valued her intellectual contributions and mission-driven approach.
At The Aya Mission, Jennifer spearheads several critical research initiatives, including EEG-based studies on ayahuasca, development of the organization's Institutional Review Board, and advocacy for veteran-centered healing modalities. Her leadership bridges scientific inquiry with spiritual care approaches, ensuring research practices honor both empirical evidence and the transformative potential of psychedelic experiences.
Jennifer's commitment to evidence-based approaches strengthens The Aya Mission's position at the intersection of rigorous research and compassionate service delivery for veterans seeking healing alternatives.
Holly Horan
Director of Integration
LCSW-S, LCDC
Holly Horan served 7 years in the United States Marine Corps. She deployed twice to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, with the 9th Communications Battalion as a field wireman. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from American Military University while on active duty as an instructor at the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School in Twentynine Palms, California.
After her service, Holly attended the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston, where she received her Master of Social Work in 2015. She worked as a medical social worker while obtaining the hours needed to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. During this time, she also became a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor.
In late 2020, Holly opened her private practice, Courageous Growth HTX. She works full time in her practice, where she focuses on helping adults heal from addiction, trauma, past relationship issues, inner child wounds, and low self-worth.
In 2023 Holly attended an ayahuasca retreat in Peru that changed the trajectory of her life. The healing that she experienced inspired her to become a Certified Transformational and Psychedelic Integration Coach and began working with clients who were preparing and integrating psychedelic medicine journeys. Holly participated in the inaugural Veterans Day Retreat with the AYA Mission in November 2024. The community made such an impression on her that she decided to volunteer with The Aya Mission as an integration coach to support the continued healing of the veteran community.