Season 2 Premiere: Return of the Parentrepreneurs!

We’re kicking off Season 2 by spotlighting parent-innovators who turned lived experience into action. This episode brings together founders who are reshaping pediatric mental health, literacy, and NICU care through empathy, technology, and perseverance.

Hafeezah Muhammad, founder and CEO of Backpack Healthcare, shares how her son’s mental health crisis led her to build a technology-enabled, family-centered mental health platform that serves children as young as four and supports parents, caregivers, and clinicians together. Carla Small, founder of Sprout Labs, explains how science-backed literacy tools and AI can identify dyslexia early, personalize instruction, and prevent years of academic struggle and declining self-esteem. Phil Martie, founder of Nicolette, reflects on his NICU journey as a parent of premature twins and how it inspired him to build tools that turn complex hospital data into clear, empowering insights for families navigating neonatal intensive care.

Together, these conversations highlight the power of early intervention, empathetic design, and technology that meets families where they are, before crises deepen and systems fail them.

Episode Resources:

Medicaid

Orton-Gillingham Approach

Learn more from the previous ‘’parentrepreneurs’’ episodes:

The Mighty Parentrepreneurs

Autism: Tools to help doctors and parents

Connect with Hafeezah Muhammad:

Backpack Healthcare Website

Backpack Healthcare Facebook

Backpack Healthcare Twitter

Backpack Healthcare Instagram

Backpack Healthcare LinkedIn

Backpack Healthcare TikTok

Hafeezah Muhammad LinkedIn

Connect with Carla Small:

Sprout Labs Website

Sprout Labs LinkedIn

Sprout Labs Instagram

Carla Small LinkedIn

Connect with Phil Martie:

Nicolette Website

Nicolette LinkedIn

Nicolette Instagram

Phil Martie LinkedIn

Connect with us:

KidsX Website

KidsX LinkedIn

Children's Hospital L.A. Website

Children's Hospital L.A. Instagram

Children's Hospital L.A. LinkedIn