About the Instructors

Online Speech, Language and Early Childhood Specialists

Jill Bacigalupi, M.A., CCC-SLP, is the founder and owner of Speech & Smile. She earned her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from Indiana University Bloomington and has more than 20 years of experience working with children and families.

As a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist, Jill has extensive experience supporting children’s speech, language, literacy, and communication development. She is dedicated to helping children build confidence and strengthen their skills through engaging, child-centered learning experiences.

Jill is also passionate about creating innovative educational resources that support language, literacy, and learning. She collaborates with speech-language pathologists, educators, and authors to develop and curate learning materials, including the Say & Play Mini Objects™ product line. Select Speech & Smile products are also available through Super Duper Publications.

Jill believes children learn best through play, storytelling, hands-on exploration, and meaningful engagement. Her vision is to help children become confident communicators, readers, and lifelong learners by creating positive educational experiences that inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning.

Krista Gapinski, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist with 29 years of experience helping young learners build strong communication skills. For 26 of those years, she worked in a kindergarten through third-grade school, specializing in articulation, phonological disorders, and expressive and receptive language development.

Krista earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University. She has dedicated her career to helping children build confidence while strengthening the speech and language skills they need to succeed.

Krista is a proud mom of three grown children. Her oldest is a second-grade teacher, her middle child works in business development management, and her youngest is studying occupational therapy in college. Outside of work, Krista enjoys camping, traveling, boating, and spending time with family and friends.

Krista is passionate about creating engaging and supportive learning experiences that help every child grow with confidence.Meet Kailey

Kailey Riker, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist with more than 14 years of experience working with children in school-based and outpatient settings. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University and her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from Central Michigan University.

Kailey has extensive experience supporting speech sound development, language, literacy, reading, spelling, and communication. She is passionate about helping learners build confidence through interactive educational experiences that connect speech, reading, and spelling skills.

At Speech & Smile, Kailey leads online classes focused on speech sound practice, literacy development, reading, spelling, and communication. She creates engaging lessons that target specific speech sounds while incorporating vocabulary, language, reading, and spelling activities.

Kailey is also the co-author of the Sound Tales series, a collection of educational books that helps educators, families, and speech-language pathologists teach challenging speech sounds through meaningful activities. Her goal is to inspire learners to become confident communicators, readers, and writers by making learning practical, engaging, and fun.

 

Courtney Yates, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist and the founder of Connected Kids Therapy. Her career began with a degree in early childhood education and development, followed by valuable experience working with children in diverse classroom and community settings.

Courtney’s professional path shifted when her own son needed communication support, inspiring her to return to school and become a speech-language pathologist. Her experience as both a clinician and a mother gives her a unique combination of professional expertise, creativity, and empathy.

Over the past five years, Courtney’s passion for the field has led her to open her own private practice and create specialized speech products. These include CoCo, a custom-designed monkey plush that serves as a hands-on learning companion. CoCo’s flexible tongue helps children see how to position their mouths when practicing speech sounds.

Courtney is passionate about turning speech and communication practice into a playful, encouraging, and confidence-building experience for children and families.

Bianca Pierre, C-SLPA, is a certified speech-language pathology assistant and the owner of Café-au-Langue, LLC.

Bianca enjoys helping children and teens become more confident and capable communicators. Her areas of interest include friendships, joining conversations, telling stories others can follow, expressing opinions, self-advocacy, handling misunderstandings, and deciding what to say when a social situation does not go as planned.

She also enjoys using digital communication, online safety topics, learners’ interests, and age-appropriate pop culture to make communication practice relevant, engaging, and meaningful.

Meet Our Resident IN PERSON Teacher and Tutor

Molly McCarthy, B.S.,  is Speech & Smile’s resident in-house teacher and tutor, offering individualized, one-on-one tutoring sessions. She has more than 16 years of classroom teaching experience and over five years of tutoring experience.

Molly earned her Bachelor of Science from Lake Superior State University and completed her teaching certification through Spring Arbor University. She has experience supporting learners across a variety of academic subjects and is passionate about helping students build confidence through engaging, individualized instruction.

At Speech & Smile, Molly provides academic enrichment, literacy instruction, and personalized tutoring based on each learner’s needs. She creates positive learning experiences where students feel comfortable participating, strengthening their skills, and developing a love of learning.

In addition to her work as an educator, Molly is a talented artist who creates and exhibits her artwork at local art shows. Her creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication to student success inspire the learners she works with every day.

Meet Our Story Time Creator

Ms. Stephanie wears many hats at Speech & Smile—she is truly our very own Mary Poppins! When she isn’t busy filling Say & Play Kits in the workshop, you’ll likely find her bringing stories to life with mini objects. Find her Story Time Recordings on Outschool and YouTube. Stephanie’s creativity and kindness shine through in everything she does, and we are so fortunate to have her as part of the Speech & Smile team!