Meet the Aspire Team

From a very young age, Dana knew she wanted to help people. “My aunt is a speech pathologist, and I had the opportunity to observe her work as a teenager and immediately fell in love with all things speech!”

Dana started Aspire with the idea that we could better help kids and families if we could "meet them where they are" physically and otherwise. She wanted to eliminate the "drop off and pick up" feel of traditional therapy and include the family in therapy as much as possible. In doing so, we’re able to support the whole family and to encourage generalization of skills to other environments.

Today, Dana oversees the operations of the clinic, marketing, outreach, and managing the staff.

“I LOVE that we have the opportunity to help support the growth of kids at Aspire but also love and support their families. Each therapist here has a heart and passion for what they do and the love they have for their work shines through every day.”

Dana believes all kids should have the opportunity to meet their full potential. She founded Aspire to help ensure kids have access to the care that they need and deserve, and says we shouldn't try to change who they are, but celebrate them for who they are.

“My favorite moments are the ‘small’ victories and the joy that you see from the child and their parent when those moments happen.”

Dana has a Bachelor Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Dakota.

When your job is all about problem solving and making things better, each day requires creativity, innovation, and anticipation. Thankfully, Elizabeth specializes in those things. She is the Assistant Director at Aspire and the Speech-language Pathology Team Lead, so she assists with day-to-day operations, creating policies and procedures, managing scheduling, and providing guidance to team leads and clinicians.

I got into Speech-language Pathology because of my love for children and wanting to help enrich their lives by helping them connect and communicate with others. Without connection and communication life is way less exciting. I didn't know I was interested in leadership and business development until I was told I would be good at it and was offered an opportunity to develop my leadership skills in my last job at a nationally recognized children's hospital. When I met Dana, she also saw my potential and how my previous experiences would help her build her dream company and carry out her mission of serving families in the Dane County area.” Elizabeth enjoys tackling problems through the lens of experience and leadership, and tries not to take herself too seriously. She works to help Aspire reach its potential and make a lasting impact.

She loves that the families Aspire works with are so incredibly invested in making sure their children have every opportunity to enjoy all that life has to offer.”

Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Baylor University and a Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Texas-Dallas.

Emily always wanted to work with children and be in a profession that improved the lives of others. Pediatric occupational therapy has been the perfect balance for her.

“I get to play with children on a daily basis and know that I am improving their lives and their families’ lives as they learn new skills and reach their highest potential. I also love coming to a job where the clients inspire me daily.”

Emily is the Lead Occupational Therapist at Aspire and is working within/developing the Feeding program.

She loves the core values that Aspire strives to uphold, especially the focus on family-centered and play-based child-led therapy. She appreciates being part of a team of therapists who are so passionate about their jobs and would do anything for their clients.

“I feel so strongly about empowering families and children and making therapy fun and enjoyable for everyone. I want each child I work with to know anything is possible.”

Emily received a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Salus University.

As part of Aspire’s leadership team, Jeff is responsible for most aspects of business administration, including finance, payroll, benefits, and technology. “My mission at Aspire is to create a great workplace for our team and build a strong company that makes a long-term impact in our community.”

Jeff brings a lot of experience managing programs, projects, and people to Aspire, which his wife Dana founded. He believes strongly in the clinic’s mission and in the talented, experienced team of therapists who work with your kids and help them do great things.

While he doesn’t work directly with children, Jeff says, “I love hearing their excitement and laughter in the clinic - especially when there is clapping and cheering involved!”