29th Annual Convention · July 23 – 25, 2026
Embassy Suites by Hilton O'Hare Rosemont · Chicago, IL Register TodayMeet the Facilitators and Speakers
Friends is powered by an extraordinary community of leaders and visionaries. Our speakers and facilitators include renowned researchers, therapists, artists, educators, parents, writers, musicians, activists, and scientists, many of whom wear multiple hats. This accomplished group of individuals is shaping the future of stuttering advocacy, education, and empowerment.
Throughout the convention, they’ll lead workshops, cultivate understanding, and foster connection. Their deep knowledge, lived experience, and bold ideas will shape not only the conversations we have, but the way we listen, connect, and grow together.
Evelyn Brow
Evelyn Brow, MA, LCMHC, RN, HN-BC, has worked since 2020 supporting adolescents, adults, and couples through anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship challenges, life transitions, chronic illness, and existential concerns. She is also a board-certified holistic nurse and registered nurse with more than 30 years of experience. Her training includes EMDR, CBT, Internal Family Systems, mindfulness, ecopsychology, and the Gottman Approach. As the mother of a person who stutters, she brings insight into communication, resilience, and compassion.
Nic Brow
Nic Brow M.A., CCC-SLP works as a speech language pathologist at the Sisskin Stuttering Center and as an Adjunct Faculty at George Washington University. He has worked as a speech therapist within multiple public schools with students from the preschool to high school level.
Adannaya Brown
Adannaya Brown (she/her) is a parent of a person who stutters, dedicated advocate, friend, and student of the stuttering community. A relentless chaser of joy, her favorite pastimes are reading, dancing, and staring at the sky. She lives with her husband, four children, and two dogs in Aurora, Colorado.
Erin Burback
My name is Erin Burback (previously Plemmons). My husband Paul and I are parents to Lauren, Skyler ,Brigg, Lani, and Ayla. After teaching students who have special needs for 24 years I will begin working on a PhD program at the University of Iowa where I will continue my education in the area of applied behavior analysis. My daughter Lauren is a person who stutters and the Friends organization has been so important to our family. We are so happy to be here.
Albert Bushala
Albert Bushala is a person who stutters and a Southern California entrepreneur and recent Chapman University graduate who studied Business Administration with an emphasis in Real Estate. Currently, he is building The Bank, a music venue and podcast studio in Fullerton, California, centered on creating spaces where people connect, express themselves, and feel heard.
Jason Cassell
Jason Cassell, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist, currently practicing in New York City where he treats adults, adolescents, and couples, including many clients who stutter. In the past he has conducted workshops for Friends, the National Stuttering Association, the American Institute for Stuttering, and New York University. He is married to Kristel, a lovely speech therapist who stutters.
Catey Easters
Catey Easters is a wife and mother of two teenage girls named Lauren (19) and Mackenzie (17). Mackenzie is a person who stutters. Catey worked in Human Resources for over 20 years until recently retiring. In her free time she likes to hang out with family and friends, travel, go on long walks, play pickleball, watch college basketball and cheer on the Stanley Cup Champions, The Carolina Hurricanes! This is her fifth Friends convention.
Mackenzie Easters
Mackenzie Easters is a teen who stutters. She likes watching hockey, listening to rap music and playing the drums. She enjoys art, traveling and film creating/editing. She recently got her first job and is enjoying meeting new people and learning lots of new skills. This year will be her fifth convention.
Julie Gasway
Julie Gasway is a speech language pathologist and an ASHA Board Certified Specialist in Fluency and Fluency Disorders. She has a passion for working with people who stutter and their families and friends. She has a private practice specializing in fluency and fluency disorders. She had the pleasure of working with Lee Caggiano at several Friends conferences and U of Iowa Speaks Camps. Julie is a mother of four and grandmother of three, and she loves to cook Sunday dinners for them!
Adam Giannelli
Adam Giannelli is a person who stutters; the author of Tremulous Hinge (University of Iowa Press, 2017), winner of the Iowa Poetry Prize; and an Assistant Professor of English at the United States Naval Academy. He deeply values his involvement in stuttering communities.
Ben Goldstein
Ben Goldstein is a speech-language therapist and stuttering consultant for Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland and an associate clinician at the Sisskin Stuttering Center in the Washington D.C. area. He is also an adjunct professor at Gallaudet University, teaching the graduate level stuttering course. Ben has presented on Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering (ARTS®) at international and national conferences, speech therapy graduate school programs, and to school-based speech therapists in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Chaya Goldstein-Schuff
Chaya Goldstein-Schuff, MA, CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters and a speech-language pathologist at the Sisskin Stuttering Center, specializing in trauma-informed stuttering therapy across the lifespan. Chaya is passionate about educating speech therapists about trauma-informed principles and practices. She is researching stuttering as a complex trauma to illuminate the lived experiences of those who stutter. Chaya lives on the Space Coast in Florida with her husband and baby boy.
Katie Gore
Speech-language pathologist by training, entrepreneur by accident, teacher by nature. My favorite thing to do is help people discover that they can do something they never thought was possible. This might be clinically, one-on-one: how do you become a more confident speaker, when you have a communication disability? It could be organizationally, figuring out the ins and outs of managing a team or navigating a crisis. And societally, how do create a world that is inclusive and affirming of those with different personal stories and brains and communication styles?
Heather Grossman
Heather Grossman is the Executive Director of the American Institute for Stuttering. She has extensive experience in graduate teaching and clinical supervision and frequently presents at professional conferences. Passionate about supporting the stuttering self-help community and fortunate to have been inspired by Lee Caggiano early in her career, she has been actively involved in Friends for over 25 years.
Jack Henderson
Jack Henderson MS CCC-SLP (he/him) is a stutterer and owner of Henderson Stuttering Therapy, PLLC. Jack is a co-leader of the Nashville NSA chapter. Jack is on the board of SPACE, an international arts-oriented stuttering advocacy organization and Unscripted, a non-profit focused on empowering people through equitable access to improv. He is an adjunct professor at Austin Peay State University and Portland State University. He lives in Nashville, TN with his spouse and two children.
Caryn Herring
Caryn Herring, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a person who stutters, a speech-language pathologist, and the Executive Director of Friends. Caryn first became involved with Friends in 2010, serving as the Board Chairperson for 5 years. Outside of Friends, Caryn is a co-PI on the HeardAI research project, making voice AI accessible to all, and has taught/clinically supervised undergraduate and graduate students at numerous universities including Michigan State University and The University of Pittsburgh.
Ana Hernandez
Ana Hernandez, is honored to be recognized as SLP of the Year by the NSA. As the owner of Adult Stuttering, she is the creator of Green Social and the Safe Spaces of Stuttering approach, and is a proud Global Partner of the Blank Center for Stuttering. Ana is an international speaker who provides professional training for schools and businesses. Her work is centered on prioritizing quality and dignity for those who stutter.
Anna Hertsberg
Anna Hertsberg is a retired cardiologist from the Chicagoland area and the parent of an adult who stutters. Through witnessing her daughter’s journey—and her work as a speech-language pathologist and stuttering researcher—I have come to deeply appreciate the strength and potential of people who stutter. Volunteering with Friends allows me to support other families, share what I have learned, and affirm that stuttering should not limit a child’s opportunities or sense of belonging.
Dori Holte
Doreen (Dori) Lenz Holte authored two books on the topic of childhood intervention including Voice Unearthed: Hope, Help, and a Wake-Up Call for the Parents of Children Who Stutter (2011) and VoiceS Unearthed: The Impact of Childhood Intervention on Those Who Continue to Stutter (2023). Dori advocates through university presentations, guest podcasts and blogs. She founded the Voice Unearthed Facebook group which has 4,200+ members. Most importantly, Dori is Mom to 29-year-old Elias who stutters.
Eric S. Jackson
Dr. Eric S. Jackson is a speech scientist, speech-language pathologist, and associate professor at NYU. Broadly, he studies the variability of stuttering, or why people stutter sometimes in certain situations but not other times. Dr. Jackson’s team has recently started focusing on using neuromodulation and classic psychedelics to improve therapy outcomes for stutterers. Dr. Jackson draws on his experience as a person who stutters to inform and inspire his research, practice, and teaching.
Cole Johnson
Cole Johnson is a PWS based in Brooklyn, originally hailing from Alaska. He currently works as a Design Manager at the New York Times, supporting designers in making software for one of the biggest newsrooms in the world. He’s been an advocate and a client at the American Institute for Stuttering for over 8 years.
Elizabeth Kapstein
Elizabeth Kapstein wears many hats: clinical social worker, psychotherapist, community builder, and person who stutters. She co-founded two landmark organizations — Passing Twice, a network connecting LGBTQIA people who stutter, and the Manhattan Stuttering Group, NYC’s first stuttering self-help community. Her advocacy has earned recognition from NPR and the Chicago Tribune Magazine. She sees clients in New York City through her practice at ektherapy.com.
Julia Kerrigan
Julia Kerrigan is a PhD Student in the Iowa Stuttering Lab and the Assistant Director of SPACE Community and Arts. They are not a person who stutters, but love being part of the community.
Joel Korte
Joel Korte is a person who stutters and the owner of Chase Bliss, a Minneapolis based company that designs and manufactures guitar pedals.
Kristel Kubart, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist based in New York City whose passion lies in working with kids, teens, and adults who stutter. Growing up with both a stutter and cerebral palsy, Kristel spent years feeling like an outsider, often the subject of stares and unwanted attention. A breakthrough came in her early twenties when her own speech therapist, Lee Caggiano (the founder of Friends), told her, “Maybe it’s OK to just stutter” — a moment that changed the course of her life. Read more →
Allison Ladavat
Allison Ladavat is a person who stutters, a former speech-language pathologist, and a mom of 3. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA, where she works as a student accessibilities coordinator at Point Park University. Through the Friends organization, Allison helped to develop a partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, coordinating unique experiences at each Penguins home game for local children who stutter. In her free time, Allison enjoys biking around the city with her partner, watching hockey, going to comedy shows, and picking up whatever new hobbies find her.
Allegra Ludwig
Allegra Ludwig is a speech-language pathologist and performing artist based in Boulder, Colorado. She specializes in stuttering therapy through her private practice, Cadence Speech Therapy, and as a clinical supervisor at CU-Boulder. She also authors the Cadence Speech blog, sharing the stories and experiences of people who stutter. As an actor, writer, and musician, she regularly performs on camera and on stage. She believes in the power of storytelling and the arts as a path to personal transformation.
Tim McCarren
Tim McCarren, MA, CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist for Hopkins Public Schools in Hopkins, MN. With a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts, Tim has a special interest in blending stuttering acceptance with elements of theatre. Tim is a chapter leader for the National Stuttering Association. He also co-leads two summer camps for kids who stutter, Star Lake Out Loud and the Sioris Family University of Minnesota Camp for Kids Who Stutter.
Jenny McGuire
Jenny is a PWS and an art therapist turned stuttering community advocate. She lives in Lafayette, CO, and unlike literally everyone around her, she is not an avid skier. When not working and volunteering with stuttering non-profits, Jenny can be found hanging out with her wonderful husband Seth and two amazing daughters, Danby and Grace. She also enjoys playing with her dog Pancakes, getting together with extended family, and laughing her head off with dear friends.
Liiiam McLaughlin
Liiiam McLaughlin is a dance artist and sound creative based out of Brooklyn, NY, USA. His artistry roots itself in “stutter/dancing”, a movement exploration that weaves the deeply embodied experience of stuttering into choreographic and pedagogical frameworks. He revolves his practice around two overarching questions: What can stuttering teach movement? What can movement teach stuttering?
Ryan A. Millager
Ryan A. Millager, PhD, CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at Rush University. He completed his PhD in hearing and speech sciences at Vanderbilt University. He has a clinical background in stuttering and fluency disorders in non-profit and university settings, as well as in medical speech-language pathology. Millager leads the STAR Lab at Rush University, where his research interests include (a) multifactorial contributions to stuttering in young children and (b) technologies and methods (e.g., automated speech recognition) to improve the efficiency and impact of speech-language research.
Liam Neil
Hi, my name is Liam, and I am a person who stutters. I will be going into junior year of high school. This will be my second annual convention. In my free time, I enjoy going to the beach and playing soccer.
Nora O’Connor
Nora A. O’Connor is a long-time member of the stuttering self-help community and a licensed clinical social worker. Through her work in addiction treatment and co-occurring disorders, she recognized parallels between the trauma experienced by her clients and her own lived experience as a person who stutters. This insight into the impact of cumulative trauma on people who stutter shaped her clinical focus, leading her to work with people who stutter in private practice for over 10 years using trauma-informed, somatic, and behavioral approaches. She is the author of the workbook Navigating the Emotional Response to Stuttering (to be published this year). She lives in San Pedro, California with her wife, son, and two black cats.
Mark O’Malia
Mark O’Malia, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and person who stutters. He is a full-time clinician at The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) in NYC, working with people who stutter across the lifespan.
Lauren Plemmons
Hello everyone! My name is Lauren and I’m 19 about to turn 20. I’m a person who stutters, and I’m going into my second year of college. I can’t wait to see everyone this year at Friends!
Morgan Roberts
Morgan Roberts is a rising junior in high school who stutters from the Little Apple, Manhattan KS, and this is going to be her 5th year of Friends! In her free time, she is involved in theatre in almost every single way. In the last 4 months, she’s been a Newsie, Nun, and Police Officer in Newsies, a Teacher in School of Rock, Schroeder in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Jan in Grease, and has gone to a performing arts camp at Kansas State University! She is so pumped for Friends 2026!
Naomi H. Rodgers
Naomi H. Rodgers, PhD, CCC-SLP is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa. She directs the Iowa Stuttering Lab examining the psychological and social aspects of stuttering. She teaches courses in stuttering, counseling, and clinical methods. Her work is inspired by her experiences as a pws, clinician, and advocate in the stuttering community. She is deeply committed to the mission of Friends and is honored to be working towards greater understanding and acceptance of stuttering.
Emily Root
Emily is a speech pathologist and college professor in New Jersey and knows that she is incredibly fortunate to work with people of all ages who stutter. She is proud to be the daughter of a mother who stutters and Emily is passionate about stuttering acceptance for all. Emily loves to travel, run, and attend 80’soncerts. She also loves spending time with her husband, two adult children, rescue dog, and two cats.
Aidan Sank
Aidan is the co-Founder and Executive Director of SPACE, a Canadian nonprofit creating a world that listens better to people who stutter, and everyone else. As an ally, he has worked with the stuttering community for over a decade, and is particularly interested in the intersections between stuttering and the arts. Aidan lives in Vancouver, BC and loves gardening and the rain. Attending Friends is his favorite weekend of the year.
Reuben Schuff
Reuben Schuff, MS, P.E. is an aerospace engineer, space exploration enthusiast, traveler, speaker, author, juggler, parent, and person who stutters. He contributes to the stuttering community in a variety of ways as an advocate and volunteer, including Friends, NSA, Stuttertalk, CampSay, Sisskin Stuttering Center, and ASHA. Reuben, his wife, and their baby son live in Florida on the Space Coast. Reuben’s long-term vision is to start a school on the moon.
Jeff Shames
Jeff Shames is a psychotherapist who has been active in the stuttering support world since the early 1990’s. Jeff co-founded the Manhattan Stuttering Group in 1994, and co-produced the award winning personal documentary film Spit It Out. Jeff is an avid baseball fan. He enjoys writing, both memoir pieces and poetry. He likes taking walks, especially in city environments. A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jeff lives in New York City with his wife, Elisa DeCarlo.
Arin Sheeler
I am the proud parent of a young boy who stutters. Our family found Friends in 2018 and attended our first annual convention in 2019. My husband, 3 children, and I live in Columbus, Ohio, and both my husband and I work at Ohio State University. I am a SLP specializing in adults with acquired neurogenic communication disorders. We love Friends and I am excited to be a part of helping Friends continue to flourish!
Dougie Storey
Dougie Storey is 18 years old and is going into his Freshman year of college. He has stuttered nearly his whole life, and hopes to have a positive impact on the lives of other people who stutter by being open about his experiences and letting people know that they are not alone. In his free time, Dougie likes to play and write music.
Mary Tesh
Mary Tesh, MA, CCC-SLP is a speech therapist who works in public schools. Mary builds meaningful relationships with students and families, collaborates with SLPs across the world about best practices for stuttering, engages deeply with the stuttering community, and supports other SLPs in her school district and beyond to provide helpful services to students who stutter. Mary’s passion for stuttering originates from how the stuttering community inspired (and continues to inspire) her own personal growth.
Kendra Wagner
Kendra Wagner, M.S., CCC-SLP is a parent to a son who stutters and a school-based speech-language pathologist passionate about supporting and advocating with and for children who stutter. She and her son attended their first annual convention in 2023 and have loved being part of the Friends community ever since. In her free time, Kendra enjoys spending time with her family, running, and traveling.
Stephen Wilkins
Stephen Wilkins is currently an SLP graduate student at Montclair State University. As a person who stutters, he is passionate about being involved in the stuttering community. Stephen enjoys running, reading fantasy novels, and playing soccer with friends.
Marc Winski
Marc is a professional actor/singer/dancer in NYC and a person who stutters. Recently, he was the voice consultant on HBO’s THE PENGUIN. As an actor, he is currently striving to give a voice and be an advocate for people who stutter in theatre/film/media/television. Using a large social media following (400k) as a bigger platform, he continues creating content and spreading stuttering awareness with wit and creativity for the stuttering community, a group of people who often go (quite literally) unheard and unseen in our culture. Follow for more @marcwinski
Luke Wyland
Luke Wyland is an Oregon-based composer, interdisciplinary artist, and cultural organizer. As a person who stutters, his work centers disability justice and speech diversity. In collaboration with arts nonprofit SPACE, he curates the Library of Dysfluent Voices, a living archive that reimagines stuttering as an expressive, generative form. Through live performances, immersive installations, and community exchange, he explores the textures of voice and the politics of fluency, inviting new ways of listening. lukewyland.com
Barry Yeoman
Barry Yeoman is a proud stutterer who has been in the self-help movement for most of his life. As a freelance journalist, he writes articles that put human faces on complex political, environmental, and social issues. He also teaches journalism at Duke University. Barry lives in Durham, N.C. with his husband and a goofy dog.
Tricia M. Zebrowski
Tricia Zebrowski is a long-time volunteer with Friends and has been a presenter and facilitator for many annual conventions, one-day workshops and virtual parent groups. She also organizes the Friends Graduate Student Training Program. She is a speech-language therapist and Professor Emerita at The University of Iowa, where she focused on the nature and treatment of stuttering, particularly in adolescence. For over 20 years Tricia directed UISPEAKS, a summer residential program for teens who stutter.