QUEST
TEAM HERO QUEST
WE AREN'T JUST PROFESSIONALS,
WE ARE ALSO PARENTS.
Dr. Neda Petz, Psy.D.
Founder & Officer of Development
Dr. Neda Petz, Psy.D. is a developmental psychologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and learning differences. She spent years at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Kaiser Permanente learning how kids connect and grow. Her background in Fine Arts and her Iranian American heritage taught her that the best learning happens when it feels like play.
A lifelong Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast and board game lover, Dr. Petz realized that the collaborative storytelling, problem-solving, and teamwork at the heart of tabletop RPGs create natural opportunities for children to practice empathy, communication, and social skills while having an absolute blast.
Johnny Brookbank is the father of four students and a 20-year veteran of the video production world, where he’s honed the art of creative problem-solving, collaborative-communication and detail-driven execution. He has also served as president of The Balcony of LA community nonprofit, president of the La Crescenta Elementary PTA and member of the Crescenta Valley Town Council .
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Discovering Dungeons & Dragons later in life, Johnny quickly recognized its real-world benefits: communication, leadership, math skills, public speaking, teamwork and strategic planning. The quest was clear: bring this amazing platform to developing minds!​​
Johnny Brookbank
Founder & Officer of Operations
Eric Petz
Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Eric Petz co-founded The Hero's Quest, bringing over 30 years of role-playing expertise to the world of social-emotional learning. His love of D&D began at age 12 when his older siblings handed down their gaming collection before heading to college, though he'd been sneaking into their games and begging to roll dice since elementary school.
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Eric has spent three decades as a Quest Master, honing his craft through countless campaigns. Eric has personally witnessed the transformative power of tabletop gaming, watching friends and colleagues, especially neurodivergent players, blossom into confident communicators.