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Your Name: Timberly Leite
Business Name: Innovative Therapy Solutions Pediatric Speech Therapy, a speech language therapy service
Type of Business: Other — Professional Services
Business Location: New York, NY, United States
Reason for starting: I am a licensed speech therapist by trade, but I have a younger sibling that had a severe language delay. He didn’t communicate with us verbally until he was 6 years old. He needed speech therapy and other related services. We grew up in Harlem, New York, but had to travel over 100 city blocks for him to receive quality therapy services. Fast forward 25 years later and there was no local place for children to go to receive quality speech therapy services in Harlem. I opened my doors in January of 2012 offering speech therapy services in a nurturing, loving environment. We now provide speech therapy, occupational therapy and special education services to children ages 2-13 and their families. We provide services in our inviting clinic, in preschools, private schools, charter and catholic schools in Harlem and throughout Manhattan.
How do you define success? I define success as it relates to my business by the parents hearing progress outside of the therapy setting. When a family notices improvements and they mention it, I feel most successful.
Biggest Success: My biggest success was stepping away from a comfortable contract with a local charter school to pursue my own business full-time. It was scary and exciting at the same time. I was blessed to find a location for my business that is literally 3 blocks away from where I grew up. Now children like my brother who need services no longer have to travel out of their neighborhood to receive it.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? My top challenge is finding enough qualified therapists that are willing to travel to the schools that need the services the most.
Who is your most important role model? My most important role model is my father, hands down. He is such an inspiration to me. My mother is a housewife and my family of 6 never went without. He worked hard to provide for us and always wanted the best for my family. He showed me a strong work ethic everyday and I have learned so much from him, he is the best role model a person could have.
[box_light]Website: www.ny-speechtherapy.com
Twitter: @1SuperSLP
Facebook: Innovative Therapy Solutions[/box_light]
Read about another innovator in therapy!
Cover image courtesy of: Harlem Condo Life