One conversation at a time for a better tomorrow
We've innovated the HeyKiddo family of solutions from our own experiences as psychologists, parents, and professionals.
After years of research - funded in part by a National Science Foundation grant - we learned that parents need ways to find the right words to evoke powerful conversations with their kiddos. Big feelings can be addressed with the right questions asked by people kids trust the most. HeyKiddo™ provides quick, easy-to-implement ideas that work well in the car, classroom or around the dinner table. That's how HeyKiddo™ was born and why we know it works-- we've seen it first-hand!
The idea behind our products is simple: We want to empower parents, caretakers and educators with tools to help kids discover their potential and feel better, one week at a time. Word-by-word, activity-by-activity, we've seen the building blocks of what happens when families and classrooms invest in resilience, empathy, and the power of storytelling.
HeyKiddo™ gives parents and caregivers the tools they need to help develop fundamental social-emotional skills. In less than 15 minutes each day, our solutions create a positive, lifelong impact. Use evidence-based strategies to open up communication and model behaviors you would like to build in your child.
We believe in the power of a shared mission
With a combined 100+ years of experience, our team has world-recognized psychologists, educators, child specialists, and designers who all believe that families and caregivers need the right tools to solve our globe's largest problem: Kids need better support.
Each HeyKiddo™ team member is a leader in their sector. Together, we're changing not only the face of social-emotional health, but we're committed to creating a future filled with resilient, compassionate children. Featured on NPR, The New York Times, Fox News, and Entrepreneur Magazine, we are sought-after leaders and speakers in our field. Get to know our team below...
Dr. Nicole Lipkin, Psy.D., MBA, Founder & CEO
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
"Every night I am in a race with my husband to finish brushing my teeth first. I'm the only one who knows about the competition, and every night I win!"
Dr. Lipkin is an internationally recognized clinical & organizational psychologist, executive coach, speaker and founder of HeyKiddo™. She brings 23 years of experience and thought leadership in human and leadership development and assessment. She is an NSF SBIR funded entrepreneur and has a proven track record of starting and scaling companies with a successful exit. She is a 2x published author, a columnist at Forbes.com and has been featured on numerous international and national media outlets. Lipkin has built a network of companies with one, intertwined mission: To enhance from the inside-out. Nicole's personal mission is to help all humans (big and small) connect deeply to their potential and build impactful leadership, social and emotional skills to fortify them throughout their lives.
Nicole is working on this social emotional skill:
For Nicole, it's always more than one. Currently, mindfulness and patience are at the top of her list, a challenge of a lifetime!
Dr. Kayla LaBarge, PsyD, Head of Research and Content
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
Kayla often makes up and sings impromptu songs about things that inspire her in the moment. And just to be clear, these songs are not great songs. They are more like a list of sometimes rhyming words strung together. Here's one, "Sunflowerrrr, you got me thinking of sunflowerrsss! It's a beautiful day. Shake all the stress away.
Dr. LaBarge is a licensed clinical psychologist trained in evidence-based neuropsychological assessments and behavioral treatments for children and adults. She has a strong research and writing background having published several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on topics including resilience, service utilization, public health disparities, rural health, and positive psychological interventions. She currently acts as Director of Content and Research at HeyKiddo, managing the teams responsible for content and assessment creation, technological product development, and efficacy research. Over the course of her career, she has worked on large federal grants, including NIH and NSF, focused on positive community health outcomes. Over the past four years, Kayla has worked at the intersection of technology and psychology to create products that help parents, educators, and children thrive and flourish.
Kayla is working on this social emotional skill:
Patience. She likes to move fast and get things done. Practicing mindfulness has helped Kayla to slow down and appreciate the present moment in new ways.
Matthew Leleux, Head of Technology & Senior Software Engineer
Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His
"One of my passions is in the kitchen cooking up Cajun & Creole dishes for my family and friends!"
Matthew is a Senior Fullstack Software Engineer who is always looking to learn new ways to build meaningful and impactful cloud technologies. He holds a Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems (CIS) with a concentration in Application Development from Northwestern State University. His experiences at Real Vision Software Inc. & Blackbaud Inc. have allowed him to grow in several areas of the IT industry. He has experience building web applications, mobile applications, and is also versed in many DevOps concepts & solutions. He likes to consider himself the "Jack of all trades" when it comes to programming because he is determined to learn any facet of the development process, and he is never afraid to accept and overcome any challenge.
Matt is working on this social emotional skill:
Being more mindful and present.
Dr. Nicole Lipkin, Psy.D., MBA, Founder & CEO
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
"Every night I am in a race with my husband to finish brushing my teeth first. I'm the only one who knows about the competition, and every night I win!"
Dr. Lipkin is an internationally recognized clinical & organizational psychologist, executive coach, speaker and founder of HeyKiddo™. She brings 23 years of experience and thought leadership in human and leadership development and assessment. She is an NSF SBIR funded entrepreneur and has a proven track record of starting and scaling companies with a successful exit. She is a 2x published author, a columnist at Forbes.com and has been featured on numerous international and national media outlets. Lipkin has built a network of companies with one, intertwined mission: To enhance from the inside-out. Nicole's personal mission is to help all humans (big and small) connect deeply to their potential and build impactful leadership, social and emotional skills to fortify them throughout their lives.
Nicole is working on this social emotional skill:
For Nicole, it's always more than one. Currently, mindfulness and patience are at the top of her list, a challenge of a lifetime!
Dr. Kayla LaBarge, PsyD, Head of Research and Content
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
Kayla often makes up and sings impromptu songs about things that inspire her in the moment. And just to be clear, these songs are not great songs. They are more like a list of sometimes rhyming words strung together. Here's one, "Sunflowerrrr, you got me thinking of sunflowerrsss! It's a beautiful day. Shake all the stress away.
Dr. LaBarge is a licensed clinical psychologist trained in evidence-based neuropsychological assessments and behavioral treatments for children and adults. She has a strong research and writing background having published several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on topics including resilience, service utilization, public health disparities, rural health, and positive psychological interventions. She currently acts as Director of Content and Research at HeyKiddo, managing the teams responsible for content and assessment creation, technological product development, and efficacy research. Over the course of her career, she has worked on large federal grants, including NIH and NSF, focused on positive community health outcomes. Over the past four years, Kayla has worked at the intersection of technology and psychology to create products that help parents, educators, and children thrive and flourish.
Kayla is working on this social emotional skill:
Patience. She likes to move fast and get things done. Practicing mindfulness has helped Kayla to slow down and appreciate the present moment in new ways.
Matthew Leleux, Head of Technology & Senior Software Engineer
Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His
"One of my passions is in the kitchen cooking up Cajun & Creole dishes for my family and friends!"
Matthew is a Senior Fullstack Software Engineer who is always looking to learn new ways to build meaningful and impactful cloud technologies. He holds a Bachelor's in Computer Information Systems (CIS) with a concentration in Application Development from Northwestern State University. His experiences at Real Vision Software Inc. & Blackbaud Inc. have allowed him to grow in several areas of the IT industry. He has experience building web applications, mobile applications, and is also versed in many DevOps concepts & solutions. He likes to consider himself the "Jack of all trades" when it comes to programming because he is determined to learn any facet of the development process, and he is never afraid to accept and overcome any challenge.
Matt is working on this social emotional skill:
Being more mindful and present.
Demi Leleux, ATR-BC, MA, Content Specialist
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
"I'd choose to watch a good, animated show or film over anything else. I've come to understand that when my inner child is content, so am I!"
Demi is a board certified art therapist on track to receive her licensure in counseling in the state of PA. She holds a Master's in Art Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University. She oversees the creation and design of social-emotional and therapeutic content at HeyKiddo™. In her work, she integrates knowledge and interventions from developmental, cognitive, behavioral and creative modalities. She has contributed to and presented on child development research topics and has worked with infants, children, adolescents, and adults. She believes that a strong, foundational, social-emotional skill set fosters on-going, long-term positive changes in wellness for children, parents, and educators.
Demi is working on this social emotional skill:
She's working to continually build communication because she values actively listening and thoughtfully responding to those in her life.
Ava I-Wen Huang, MA, Senior UX/UI Designer
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
"Work hard, travel harder and make the world a better place."
Ava is an award-winning user experience designer who believes meaningful and delightful experiences can improve human welfare. She holds a Master's in Interactive Telecommunications Program from New York University with mobile and web development expertise. She has worked with brands across different industries like Nickelodeon, Johnson & Johnson, ASUS, and Cooper Hewitt Museum, to name a few. Her work at Nickelodeon was recognized by The Webby Award (Winner, Apps, mobile, and voice - Family & Kids) and App Store Editors' Choice. She currently oversees UX/UI, branding as User Experience and Design Lead at HeyKiddo™.
Ava is working on this social emotional skill:
Managing stress. Mindful breathing and yoga have helped Ava cultivate a new perspective during stressful times.
Colton Kennedy, Senior Software Engineer
Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His
"I'm a HUGE Marvel & Star Wars nerd. I also love to watch football and manage my three fantasy football teams, but I'm a Saints fan till the end. WHO DAT!"
Colton is a Fullstack Software Engineer whose focus is mostly around the UX/UI aspect of development; however, he doesn't mind a challenge on the backend. Colton studied Computer Information Systems at Northwestern State University with a concentration in Web Development. He changed his major four times before a friend suggested he consider a career in IT. From that day forward, they have been great friends and now work together at HeyKiddo™ where he's met an incredible team that he hopes to be part of for many years.
Colton is working on this social emotional skill:
Self-management. He is very ambitious, however, sometimes you get more food on your plate than you can eat. He is working on achieving his goals one step at a time rather than shooting for them all at once, while maintaining the abilities to manage stress and stay motivated/optimistic.
Demi Leleux, ATR-BC, MA, Content Specialist
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
"I'd choose to watch a good, animated show or film over anything else. I've come to understand that when my inner child is content, so am I!"
Demi is a board certified art therapist on track to receive her licensure in counseling in the state of PA. She holds a Master's in Art Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University. She oversees the creation and design of social-emotional and therapeutic content at HeyKiddo™. In her work, she integrates knowledge and interventions from developmental, cognitive, behavioral and creative modalities. She has contributed to and presented on child development research topics and has worked with infants, children, adolescents, and adults. She believes that a strong, foundational, social-emotional skill set fosters on-going, long-term positive changes in wellness for children, parents, and educators.
Demi is working on this social emotional skill:
She's working to continually build communication because she values actively listening and thoughtfully responding to those in her life.
Ava I-Wen Huang, MA, Senior UX/UI Designer
Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
"Work hard, travel harder and make the world a better place."
Ava is an award-winning user experience designer who believes meaningful and delightful experiences can improve human welfare. She holds a Master's in Interactive Telecommunications Program from New York University with mobile and web development expertise. She has worked with brands across different industries like Nickelodeon, Johnson & Johnson, ASUS, and Cooper Hewitt Museum, to name a few. Her work at Nickelodeon was recognized by The Webby Award (Winner, Apps, mobile, and voice - Family & Kids) and App Store Editors' Choice. She currently oversees UX/UI, branding as User Experience and Design Lead at HeyKiddo™.
Ava is working on this social emotional skill:
Managing stress. Mindful breathing and yoga have helped Ava cultivate a new perspective during stressful times.
Colton Kennedy, Senior Software Engineer
Preferred Pronouns: He/Him/His
"I'm a HUGE Marvel & Star Wars nerd. I also love to watch football and manage my three fantasy football teams, but I'm a Saints fan till the end. WHO DAT!"
Colton is a Fullstack Software Engineer whose focus is mostly around the UX/UI aspect of development; however, he doesn't mind a challenge on the backend. Colton studied Computer Information Systems at Northwestern State University with a concentration in Web Development. He changed his major four times before a friend suggested he consider a career in IT. From that day forward, they have been great friends and now work together at HeyKiddo™ where he's met an incredible team that he hopes to be part of for many years.
Colton is working on this social emotional skill:
Self-management. He is very ambitious, however, sometimes you get more food on your plate than you can eat. He is working on achieving his goals one step at a time rather than shooting for them all at once, while maintaining the abilities to manage stress and stay motivated/optimistic.
Strategic Advisors
Amrish Macedo
Amrish Macedo is an entrepreneur and former turn around executive. Equipped with computer science and business degrees, Amrish started his career with software companies, selling predictive modeling solutions to enterprise clients. He has managed up to 250 people and has run IT delivery as well as operations delivery in organizations. He has experience in health, pharmaceuticals, finance and energy. His recent areas of interest have included IoT and machine learning and his primary focus is on helping companies find product-market fit.
Sushma Rajagopalan
Sushma is a global leader who is extremely skilled in scaling companies and passionate about entrepreneurship & innovation. She is a Partner with Rittenhouse Ventures Fund III in Philadelphia. Rittenhouse Ventures is an investor in emerging growth software companies focused in HealthTech, PharmaTech, FinTech, HRTech and general B2B SaaS. Her framework for success rests on designing and executing strategies that result in rapid scale up, building an innovation ecosystem, driving a high-performance culture, staying ahead of technology trends and globalization through effective partnerships. Her management style can be described as strategic, entrepreneurial and inclusive. She leads with 4Cs - Clarity of thought, Courage of Conviction, Charisma to carry the team and True to Character always! Sushma was the CEO of ITC infotech, a global technology solutions company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of a $10B+ leading consumer product goods company ITC in India. She has more than 25 years of experience as a Chief Strategy Officer, and CEO/President of technology companies in the US and India including LiquidHub (Wayne, PA), Larsen & Toubro (Edison & Mumbai) Igate ( Pittsburgh), Citibank (Mumbai, India) and CMC (Mumbai, now a TCS company). Sushma has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, specializing in entrepreneurship & strategy, in addition to a Master's degree in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India. She was the Chair of IT Services @ the National Association of Software Services Companies (Nasscom). She also serves on the boards of several technology companies in New Jersey, Philadelphia, India & California. She actively mentors companies and women entrepreneurs and CEOs in the US & India as a member of Harvard's mentorship program, PACT & 1Crowd. She is on the board of Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens in Devon, Pennsylvania and WISH Foundation, USA.
Russ Starke
Russ Starke is CEO of Think Company, a service design and digital experience design and development firm based in Philadelphia. He's been a professional designer for almost 25 years, working with corporate and nonprofit clients as an award-winning digital strategist, experience designer, information architect, instructional designer, business analyst, and project manager. Originally from Long Island NY, Russ holds an M.S. from Bloomsburg University in Instructional Technology, a B.S. in Telecommunications from Kutztown University, and was an adjunct graduate faculty member and course designer for Philadelphia University's Digital Design and Instructional Technology programs from 1999-2010. In addition to his work at Think Company, Russ serves on the board of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia (Class of 2015), the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers, and on the Hospitality & Corporate Council for Broad Street Ministry, an organization dedicated to tackling homelessness and hunger in an innovative way by bringing public and private sectors together. He is also a founding partner of the Philadelphia chapter of Social Venture Partners, a trust-based philanthropy community building powerful relationships to alleviate intergenerational poverty.
Amrish Macedo
Amrish Macedo is an entrepreneur and former turn around executive. Equipped with computer science and business degrees, Amrish started his career with software companies, selling predictive modeling solutions to enterprise clients. He has managed up to 250 people and has run IT delivery as well as operations delivery in organizations. He has experience in health, pharmaceuticals, finance and energy. His recent areas of interest have included IoT and machine learning and his primary focus is on helping companies find product-market fit.
Sushma Rajagopalan
Sushma is a global leader who is extremely skilled in scaling companies and passionate about entrepreneurship & innovation. She is a Partner with Rittenhouse Ventures Fund III in Philadelphia. Rittenhouse Ventures is an investor in emerging growth software companies focused in HealthTech, PharmaTech, FinTech, HRTech and general B2B SaaS. Her framework for success rests on designing and executing strategies that result in rapid scale up, building an innovation ecosystem, driving a high-performance culture, staying ahead of technology trends and globalization through effective partnerships. Her management style can be described as strategic, entrepreneurial and inclusive. She leads with 4Cs - Clarity of thought, Courage of Conviction, Charisma to carry the team and True to Character always! Sushma was the CEO of ITC infotech, a global technology solutions company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of a $10B+ leading consumer product goods company ITC in India. She has more than 25 years of experience as a Chief Strategy Officer, and CEO/President of technology companies in the US and India including LiquidHub (Wayne, PA), Larsen & Toubro (Edison & Mumbai) Igate ( Pittsburgh), Citibank (Mumbai, India) and CMC (Mumbai, now a TCS company). Sushma has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University, specializing in entrepreneurship & strategy, in addition to a Master's degree in Personnel Management & Industrial Relations from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India. She was the Chair of IT Services @ the National Association of Software Services Companies (Nasscom). She also serves on the boards of several technology companies in New Jersey, Philadelphia, India & California. She actively mentors companies and women entrepreneurs and CEOs in the US & India as a member of Harvard's mentorship program, PACT & 1Crowd. She is on the board of Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens in Devon, Pennsylvania and WISH Foundation, USA.
Russ Starke
Russ Starke is CEO of Think Company, a service design and digital experience design and development firm based in Philadelphia. He's been a professional designer for almost 25 years, working with corporate and nonprofit clients as an award-winning digital strategist, experience designer, information architect, instructional designer, business analyst, and project manager. Originally from Long Island NY, Russ holds an M.S. from Bloomsburg University in Instructional Technology, a B.S. in Telecommunications from Kutztown University, and was an adjunct graduate faculty member and course designer for Philadelphia University's Digital Design and Instructional Technology programs from 1999-2010. In addition to his work at Think Company, Russ serves on the board of LEADERSHIP Philadelphia (Class of 2015), the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers, and on the Hospitality & Corporate Council for Broad Street Ministry, an organization dedicated to tackling homelessness and hunger in an innovative way by bringing public and private sectors together. He is also a founding partner of the Philadelphia chapter of Social Venture Partners, a trust-based philanthropy community building powerful relationships to alleviate intergenerational poverty.
Mel Baiada
Mel is a managing partner at BaseCamp Ventures, an early stage venture fund and co-founder of Huddy Health. Mel founded Bluestone, Inc. in 1989 to provide technology expertise to Fortune 1000 companies and government organizations. Under his direction, Bluestone rapidly grew, earning its inclusion in the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the U.S. for three straight years, from 1994 to 1996. The software arm underwent a successful IPO in 1999, and was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2000.
Amy Manning, MA
Amy holds master's degrees in cognitive psychology from Yale University and in elementary education from the University of New Haven. She has been a classroom teacher in Connecticut public school systems since 2004. She is passionate about teaching kiddos the skills that they need, both academic and social, to be successful in their futures. She loves to create a classroom environment in which her students feel safe to respectfully challenge her, themselves, and each other. Amy is an advisor to HeyKiddo consulting with the team to ensure the content is applicable, inclusive and impactful.
Marcy Diamondstein, MBA
Marcy is a dynamic, high energy, results driven Sales Executive. She is recognized for developing strategy as well as defining processes and structure to improve business practices, boost productivity and increase revenue and profitability. Marcy leads and inspires teams undergoing internal company change and culture shifts. She is known for being collaborative, innovative, and unwavering in her pursuit of excellence. Marcy comes to HeyKiddo with a breadth of experience. She has helped a Fortune 100 company reshape its go-to-market strategy, created strategic and tactical initiatives to improve process and profitability, and has led a privately held organization through unprecedented growth the last few years. She earned her MBA from the University of Maryland.
Mel Baiada
Mel is a managing partner at BaseCamp Ventures, an early stage venture fund and co-founder of Huddy Health. Mel founded Bluestone, Inc. in 1989 to provide technology expertise to Fortune 1000 companies and government organizations. Under his direction, Bluestone rapidly grew, earning its inclusion in the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the U.S. for three straight years, from 1994 to 1996. The software arm underwent a successful IPO in 1999, and was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2000.
Amy Manning, MA
Amy holds master's degrees in cognitive psychology from Yale University and in elementary education from the University of New Haven. She has been a classroom teacher in Connecticut public school systems since 2004. She is passionate about teaching kiddos the skills that they need, both academic and social, to be successful in their futures. She loves to create a classroom environment in which her students feel safe to respectfully challenge her, themselves, and each other. Amy is an advisor to HeyKiddo consulting with the team to ensure the content is applicable, inclusive and impactful.
Marcy Diamondstein, MBA
Marcy is a dynamic, high energy, results driven Sales Executive. She is recognized for developing strategy as well as defining processes and structure to improve business practices, boost productivity and increase revenue and profitability. Marcy leads and inspires teams undergoing internal company change and culture shifts. She is known for being collaborative, innovative, and unwavering in her pursuit of excellence. Marcy comes to HeyKiddo with a breadth of experience. She has helped a Fortune 100 company reshape its go-to-market strategy, created strategic and tactical initiatives to improve process and profitability, and has led a privately held organization through unprecedented growth the last few years. She earned her MBA from the University of Maryland.