EBPC-2024-winners-feature

Winners announced for 2024 Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

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Seven finalists pitched their ventures live at the HolonIQ Back to School Summit in New York City. Media Contact:  Jackie Jircitano, Catalyst @ Penn GSE Communicationsjackie@alessicommunication.com *Note for TV and

ABOUT US

Based in Leuven, Belgium, Say it labs BV is a Belgium-based “spin-off” from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (imec).

We are developing proprietary artificial intelligence-based speech recognition technology designed to support people with speech disabilities.

We combine our state-of-the-art technology with best practices in speech therapy and create video games with the goal of motivating and improving independent practice.

SAY IT Labs company logo

OUR TEAM

SAY IT Labs is a multidisciplinary team comprised of speech recognition engineers, video game designers and developers, linguists, and speech and language pathologists, working together to revolutionize speech therapy through gaming. Stutter Stars is deeply rooted in evidence-based practices and has been inspired by the life's work of Dr. Suzi Meyers-Fosnot, a renowned fluency specialist and former executive member of the American Board of Fluency and Fluency Disorders.

Dr. Meyers-Fosnot, Kristin Chmela, Dr. Martine Vanryckeghem, Dr. Francis Freeman and other leading experts have generously contributed their time and expertise to help integrate neurological, physiological, and linguistic approaches into the game’s design to create an engaging and effective tool for improving speech.

Erich Reiter M.S. CCC-SLP

CEO, Director & Co-founder

Erich holds a Masters in Computational Linguistics and a Masters in Communication Disorders. Erich brings 15 years of industry experience working as both a speech recognition scientist and speech and language pathologist.

Erich Reiter M.S. CCC-SLP

CEO, Director & Co-founder

Lukas Latacz, PhD

CTO, Director & Co-founder

Lukas Latacz holds a PhD in computer science. Lukas spent several years as a post-doctoral researcher specializing in speech recognition algorithms that targeted atypical speech often seen in people with speech disabilities.

Lukas Latacz, PhD

CTO, Director & Co-founder

Jonathan Last

Developer

Jonathan is a senior game developer. He graduated from Belgium’s Digital Arts & Entertainment College in 2019. Focusing on Independent game development he specializes in coding, game design and task management.

Jonathan Last

Developer

Christopher Dale

Developer

Chris is a game programmer and tools developer who helps build and fine-tune the core systems that make games run smoothly. He graduated from Belgium’s Digital Art & Entertainment College in 2017 with a specialization in Gameplay Programming.

Christopher Dale

Developer

Bram Maroy

Illustrator/Animator

Bram is an illustrator and concept artist with a focus on fun and stylized designs. He brings his ideas to life through sketches, illustrations and animation. He is a graduate from Belgium’s Digital Arts and Entertainment college with a specialization in visual effects and 3D production.

Bram Maroy

Illustrator/Animator

Noah Thys, MFA

Musician

Noah Thys is our incredibly creative and talented composer and singer (baritone). His works range from classical to new media. He studied at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent earning a Master of Fine Arts in Music.

Noah Thys, MFA

Musician

Kenneth Verheggen, PhD

Speech Researcher

Kenneth brings a unique blend of academic and professional experience to Say It Labs. He holds a PhD in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences from Ghent University and a Master’s in Industrial Biochemical Engineering from Howest.

Kenneth Verheggen, PhD

Speech Researcher

Jan Supierz

Video Game Developer

Jan graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Game Development from Digital Arts & Entertainment. He specializes in programming innovative mechanics and systems, using his skills to bring unique concepts to life.

Jan Supierz

Video Game Developer

stutter stars characters including Mooki, Zumi, Timmy, and Penguin