MEET THE TEAM

Chloe Alexander

Owner + Head Coach, PlayWisely ATX

My name is Chloe Alexander and I'm so excited to have brought PlayWisely ATX to Austin and the surrounding suburbs! I am a lifelong learner with a passion for education, child development, and family.

I have a Masters degree in Elementary Education from The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and a Bachelors in Elementary Education and Spanish Studies. I was an elementary school teacher/team leader in both Minnesota and Texas for 6 years. I'm so excited to utilize my passion and experience in education to make PlayWisely ATX classes engaging, memorable and fun for both littles and their loved ones.

I currently reside in Dripping Springs, TX with my husband, John, our adorable three-year-old son, Hayes, and our rescue dog, Brooks In my free time, I love to spend time with family and friends, travel, go out to eat, do pilates, thrift shop, read, and experience all that Austin has to offer!

Brooke Martin

Assistant Coach, PlayWisely ATX

Hi there! My name is Brooke and I am SO excited to be joining the PlayWiselyATX team. The Austin area is near and dear to my heart- I grew up in San Antonio, TX, then graduated from the University of Texas (hook em!!) with my degree in Applied Learning and Development. As a certified teacher, I went on to teach 2nd grade for 3 years, then 4th grade for 3 years. My husband and I then moved to Dripping Springs last summer, where we welcomed our sweet little boy, River, who is the light of our lives!

Alongside my boys, I love to be outside, travel, read, craft, and spend time with our friends, family, and cats (we have 3!). We also love going to PlayWisely classes, too!

When River and I started going to PlayWisely, I was thrilled to be around other mamas and babies in a setting that was developmentally appropriate and FUN! We loved PlayWisely SO much, that I decided I wanted to become a part of the team. To say I am THRILLED is an understatement! Watching my sweet River learn, process, and explore at PlayWisely has been a true joy, and I can’t wait to walk alongside you as you experience it with your child.

I look forward to meeting you and your sweet baby or toddler- we are going to have so much fun!! See you in class!

Patty Hannan

Founder, PlayWisely

Patty Hannan is the founder of PlayWisely, a brain-based early cognitive and motor development system, recognized nationally and internationally for its ground breaking approach to Early Child Development.

The inspiration for the science behind the play evolved from Patty's experience as an All-American collegiate gymnast and her participation in a research project conducted by NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (1984-1985). The study focused on the unique human performance capabilities of the world-class gymnast. Patty was particularly impacted by her experience in zero gravity where she became acutely aware of the profound affect gravity has on the form and function of human performance. Upon the urging of NASA scientists, Patty learned the language of neuroscience and cognitive psychology which ultimately led her to focus on early human performance development.

In 1987, Patty helped found the prestigious da Vinci School in Dallas, TX, known for its innovative science based curriculum. In 1988, Houghton Mifflin published Hannan's first book, "Teaching Your Child Basic Body Confidence".

Patty started PlayWisely in the ASI gymnastics center in Rockwall, TX and by 2006 launched in the Czech Republic. That same year, she presented PlayWisely's "The Directionality Method" to an early learning forum at Oxford University in England. PlayWisely has since expanded to Slovakia, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, and beyond.

Patty is now a member of the International Society of Psychophysics for her innovative work and has presented at universities in Italy, Germany, Canada, Israel, Sweden and Russia.

PlayWisely was the featured business in the Bank of America Small Business Owners Report for Fall 2015. Patty continues to teach PlayWisely classes, lead trainings, educate others, and currently resides near Dallas, TX.