Episode #505: Emily Cadiz

Meet Emily Cadiz — educator, musician, mom of three, and the visionary founder of Prelude Early Learning, home of Finnegan the Dragon.

Emily’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. After a traumatic brain injury left her needing to relearn how to talk and walk, she found her way back through music and singing. That deeply personal experience became the foundation for Prelude’s innovative, music‑based approach to building language and pre‑reading skills in young children.

With master’s degrees in education, special education, and music, and over 20 years of experience working with children and families, Emily blends research, creativity, and compassion in everything she does. Her blended learning system, developed in partnership with the NIH, has shown extraordinary results—helping children achieve up to 250% gains in early literacy skills in just weeks.

Emily’s story resonates on so many levels:✨ A survivor who rebuilt her voice through music
✨ An educator transforming how children learn language
✨ An innovator closing the kindergarten readiness gap for families and classrooms

She’s a powerful guest for conversations about parenting, early education, resilience, and the role of technology in children’s development. Viewers walk away inspired—and equipped with practical, joyful tools to support children’s literacy journeys.