How Two Female Founders Are Rethinking Pediatric Therapy Access

Stephanie Hall (Occupational Therapist) and Tisha Shah (Speech-Language Pathologist), co-founders of TheraFriends Community Partnership, share why they launched a nonprofit to fix the gaps in pediatric therapy access. They break down what occupational therapy and speech therapy really are, how insurance creates massive barriers for families, and why early intervention is critical for child development.

In this episode, Melinda Jackson talks with Stephanie and Tisha about building a nonprofit healthcare organization from scratch, the realities of insurance vs. private pay, neurodiversity-affirming care, and why schools alone often can’t meet kids’ therapy needs. They also discuss virtual therapy in North Carolina, sliding-scale goals, fundraising challenges, and how communities and businesses can support families who need care the most.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 7 Links:

— TheraFriends Community Partnership: https://therafriendscommunity.org

— TheraFriends on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therafriendscommunity

— TheraFriends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therafriendscommunity

— TheraFriends on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/therafriends-community-partnership

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade: www.airwavearcade.com

#OccupationalTherapy #SpeechTherapy #PediatricTherapy #EarlyIntervention #NeurodiversityAffirming #NonprofitHealthcare #TherapyAccess #ChildDevelopment #DisabilityAdvocacy #InclusiveHealthcare #HealthcareReform #TheraFriends #WomenFounders #CommunityCare