Turning Advocacy Into Action: A Rochester Founder’s Journey

VICTOR, N.Y. — When Samantha Taylor launched Olive Speech Therapy, in 2022, she was not just starting a private practice. She was rethinking how families experience speech-language services and how clinicians are supported in delivering them.

Today, Taylor leads a growing team of eight speech-language pathologists serving families across the Rochester region. In 2025, she expanded her impact further with the launch of the Empowered Parent Network, a community-driven platform focused on parent education, advocacy,

and support, particularly for families navigating communication differences.

Taylor, a Rochester native, earned her bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus in journalism from St. John Fisher College before completing her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Ithaca College. Prior to founding her own practice, she worked as a school-based speech-language pathologist, serving students from preschool through high school.

“Working in schools gave me a deep understanding of how systems operate,” Taylor said. “But I also saw where families sometimes needed more support and advocacy than the system could provide.”

That tension, between best clinical practice and institutional limitations, became a defining motivator. Taylor recalls sitting in annual review meetings where parents appeared overwhelmed or discouraged. “I felt the disconnect between what I believed was best practice and what I could realistically provide within the structure,” she said.

Starting her own practice was a response to that gap.

“I wanted clinical decisions to be guided by evidence, relationships, and individual student needs, not just systems,” Taylor said. “Families deserve to feel informed, empowered, and genuinely supported.”

Her work is also deeply personal. As a mother to a deaf son, Taylor brings lived experience into her professional approach. She is the founder of the Deaf Education and Advocacy Foundation, serves on multiple boards focused on deaf education, and remains active in community-based advocacy. That dual lens, clinician and parent, has shaped Olive Speech Therapy’s philosophy.

One of the milestones she is most proud of is growing her team to eight clinicians. “When I started, it was just me with a vision,” Taylor said. “Building a team of thoughtful, skilled speech-language pathologists who share those values feels incredibly meaningful.”

The growth has allowed her to step further into leadership and focus more intentionally on the Empowered Parent Network. “It’s not just about growth in numbers,” she said. “It’s about expanding access for families and creating space for clinicians to thrive.”

Launching and scaling the practice has not come without challenges. “The biggest challenge has been navigating uncharted territory,” Taylor said. From insurance and hiring to operations and outreach, she built the organization from the ground up. “There were moments when I wasn’t sure I had all the answers. But those challenges pushed me to grow.”

The advice that continues to guide her comes from author Marie Forleo: “Everything is figureoutable.”

“That mindset changed everything for me,” Taylor said. “Problems stopped feeling like roadblocks and started feeling like things I could work through.”

Taylor chose to build in Rochester not only because it is home, but because of the community’s character. “It has the energy of a big city with a close-knit feel,” she said. “There are so many innovative people here.” She also points to the region’s strong Deaf community as a meaningful anchor for her family.

“I want to give back and strengthen what makes this place special,” she said. “Every child and family deserves to feel supported and included.”

Outside of work, Taylor enjoys exploring Rochester’s fairy trails, attending the Lilac Festival and Party in the Park, and visiting independently owned bookstores. Her favorite meeting spots include Leaf & Bean, Pure Imagination, and Cafe Sasso.

As Olive Speech Therapy and the Empowered Parent Network continue to grow, Taylor represents a broader shift in health services entrepreneurship one rooted in lived experience, community connection, and the belief that systems can be improved from the inside out.

Fast Facts

Category	Detail
Founder	Samantha Taylor
Company	Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC / Empowered Parent Network
Founded	2022 / 2025
Headquarters	Victor, NY / Rochester, NY
Industry	Speech Therapy / Parent Advocacy & Coaching
Education	St. John Fisher College - BA Communications, Ithaca College - MS Speech-Language Pathology
Hometown	Rochester, NY
Team Size	8 clinicians
Favorite Restaurants	Gate House, Salena’s, Trata
Favorite Local Businesses	Independently owned bookshops
Favorite Activities	Fairy trails, Lilac Festival, Party in the Park
Coffee Spots	Leaf & Bean, Pure Imagination, Cafe Sasso
Instagram	@olive_speech_language_therapy / @parenthood.unscripted

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About the Founder Spotlight

The Connected Know Founder Spotlight is a weekly feature highlighting the entrepreneurs and leaders shaping Rochester’s business and startup ecosystem. Each profile offers insight into the people building companies that strengthen the region and expand opportunity across industries.

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