Parkinson Voice Project

What Parkinson Voice Project does

Parkinson Voice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by Samantha Elandary and headquartered in Richardson, Texas. The organization develops and delivers the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program, a structured, evidence-based speech rehabilitation methodology designed specifically for people with Parkinson's disease and related neurological disorders. The program is built on the proprietary Circle of INTENT clinical framework and combines intentional speaking exercises with cognitive-linguistic tasks and group singing components to address the motor speech and swallowing deficits characteristic of Parkinson's. Core delivery channels include an in-person clinic at the Richardson headquarters, live telehealth sessions, daily Home Practice Sessions engaging 5,000+ participants per cycle, and weekly Parkinson's Sing-Along group singing sessions via Zoom.

The organization's business model is donation-funded under a Pay It Forward structure that has provided all speech therapy services at no cost to patients since 2008, enabled by a transformational founding gift from Bart and Joan Bartholomew. The organization reports that approximately 85% of its annual budget is allocated directly to patient care. Revenue diversification is modest: charitable donations (primary), an e-commerce store selling therapeutic products (SPEAK OUT! Booklet at $100, Speech Therapy Flashcard Sets at $54, Heart/Tulip Notecards at $32), and Pay It Forward training fees for speech-language pathologists and graduate students seeking SPEAK OUT! Provider certification ($250-$2,500 suggested contribution). The certified-provider channel, combined with grant-funded SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Centers at nine named U.S. universities, functions as a self-reinforcing distribution network where each newly certified provider extends the organization's reach without proportionate customer acquisition cost.

Parkinson Voice Project serves three primary customer segments: people with Parkinson's and related neurological disorders (free therapy recipients), speech-language pathologists and graduate students (training and certification customers), and care partners and family members (education and support). The organization holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating and the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, and it operates globally through telehealth, a multilingual SPEAK OUT! Booklet available in 14 languages, and an international certified provider network. Management is founder-led, with Samantha Elandary as Founder and CEO and Laura Langer as Chief Clinical & Research Officer.

Name

Parkinson Voice Project

Legal name

Parkinson Voice Project, Inc.

Website

https://parkinsonvoiceproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parkinson Voice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops and delivers the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program, providing free speech and swallowing therapy to people with Parkinson's disease via its Richardson, Texas clinic, global telehealth, certified provider network, and university-based research centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speech Therapy Services for Neurological Disorders

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) & Swallowing Therapy Centers (HLADAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outpatient Rehabilitation & Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapy Centers (HLAFABAB), Neurological Rehabilitation Therapy In-Home (e.g., Stroke, Parkinson’s) (HSABADAE), Swallowing (Dysphagia) & Feeding Therapy In-Home (HSABADAK)

Keywords

• Parkinson speech therapy
• Speech-language pathology training
• Neurological rehabilitation services
• Voice disorder treatment
• Nonprofit healthcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Richardson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Parkinson Voice Project's primary revenue source is charitable donations from individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The organization does not charge patients for speech therapy services, which have been provided at no cost since 2008. The donation-funded model enables the organization to allocate a reported 85% of its budget directly to patient care.
2. E-Commerce Product Sales: PVP operates an online store selling therapeutic products including the SPEAK OUT! Booklet ($100), speech therapy flashcard sets ($54), and Heart/Tulip Notecards ($32). These products serve both as revenue generators and as practical tools for patients conducting home practice.
3. Pay It Forward Training Fees: The organization offers training courses for speech-language pathologists and graduate students who wish to become certified SPEAK OUT! Providers. Training operates on a Pay It Forward donation model with suggested contribution ranges of $250 to $2,500, depending on the professional status of the trainee. This model both generates revenue and expands the delivery network at minimal customer acquisition cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Parkinson Voice Project delivers the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program, an evidence-based speech and swallowing rehabilitation protocol specifically designed for individuals with Parkinson's disease and related neurological disorders. Services are delivered at no cost to patients through in-person therapy at the Richardson, Texas clinic, live telehealth sessions, daily Home Practice Sessions, and weekly Parkinson's Sing-Along group sessions. The organization also trains and certifies speech-language pathologists and graduate students through its Pay It Forward program, and sells therapeutic physical products including the SPEAK OUT! Booklet and Speech Therapy Flashcards.

Product overview

Parkinson Voice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers a unified therapy program centered on the SPEAK OUT!® Therapy Program. The core offering includes individual and group SPEAK OUT! Therapy sessions (available both in-person at their Texas clinic and online), daily Home Practice Sessions (Monday-Friday at 10 AM CT with 24/7 recordings), and weekly Parkinson’s Sing-Alongs. Supporting the core therapy are training programs: the SPEAK OUT! Certification Course for licensed speech-language pathologists (1.3 ASHA CEUs, 13 hours, 20 modules) and the Student Training Course for graduate SLP students (17 modules). The product ecosystem also includes physical products: the SPEAK OUT! Booklet (60-page therapy guide available in 14 languages) and a Speech Therapy Flashcards Collection (13 types of 54-card sets for cognitive-linguistic practice), plus Heart and Tulip Notecards created by people with Parkinson's. Digital resources include the SPEAK OUT! eLibrary (multilingual online booklet access) and the Virtual Parkinson's Family Education Group (monthly Zoom sessions). The organization operates on a Pay It Forward funding model, offering all speech therapy services at no cost since 2008.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPEAK OUT!® Therapy Program: A comprehensive speech therapy program developed by Parkinson Voice Project for treating motor speech deficits in Parkinson's disease and related disorders. The program includes in-person therapy, home practice sessions, and group singing sessions.
• The Intentional Singers
• Bartholomew Circle

Products and services

• SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Speech therapy provided at no cost for 18 consecutive years (since 2008), serving thousands of patients across in-person, telehealth, and Home Practice Sessions formats
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Georgia Southern University (RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia Southern University's RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders operates as a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center, receiving grant funding from Parkinson Voice Project. The center delivers the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program to people with Parkinson's in the Georgia region, while simultaneously providing specialized clinical training opportunities for speech-language pathology graduate students.
• Stockton UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStockton University hosts a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center supported by PVP grants. The center provides speech therapy services to the local Parkinson community and serves as a training site for graduate students in speech-language pathology, aligning with PVP's dual mission of patient care and professional education.
• Murray State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMurray State University operates a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center funded through PVP grants. The center extends access to Parkinson's speech therapy across Kentucky and the surrounding region while providing hands-on clinical education for speech-language pathology students.
• University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAB hosts a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center supported by PVP grant funding. As a major research university with a strong health sciences program, UAB provides both clinical service delivery and research collaboration opportunities related to Parkinson's speech therapy.
• University of South FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of South Florida operates a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center, delivering Parkinson's speech therapy services to the Florida region under a PVP grant agreement. The center integrates the SPEAK OUT! Program into the university's speech-language pathology curriculum.
• University of Nebraska at KearneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Nebraska at Kearney hosts a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center as a grant-funded partner of Parkinson Voice Project, extending specialized speech therapy access to the Nebraska and Great Plains region and providing student training opportunities.
• Hardin-Simmons UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHardin-Simmons University operates a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center with support from PVP grants, serving the West Texas Parkinson community and integrating the program into its graduate speech-language pathology training.
• Kent State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKent State University hosts a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center funded through PVP grants, providing speech therapy to the Ohio Parkinson community and serving as a clinical training site for speech-language pathology students at one of the largest SLP programs in the country.
• Northeastern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNortheastern University operates a SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center as a grant-funded partner, delivering the SPEAK OUT! Program to the New England Parkinson's community and integrating specialized Parkinson's speech therapy training into its graduate speech-language pathology program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Constant Therapy Health: Constant Therapy Health offers a digital speech, language, and cognitive therapy platform used by clinicians and patients. Comparable technology-enabled delivery of SLP exercises, particularly overlapping with PVP's Home Practice Sessions digital component.
• Davis Phinney Foundation: The Davis Phinney Foundation is a smaller Parkinson's-focused nonprofit emphasizing living well with Parkinson's through education, exercise, and wellness programs. An emerging-play ecosystem peer focused on patient quality-of-life programs that complement PVP's speech therapy.

Direct peers

• Better Speech: Better Speech provides online speech therapy with licensed SLPs via telehealth, covering adult speech, language, and swallowing conditions. Comparable telehealth SLP delivery model to PVP's remote therapy channel.
• The Hello Foundation: The Hello Foundation is a speech-language pathology practice providing online and in-person therapy, with a strong clinician training and mentorship component. Comparable outpatient/telehealth SLP service model with professional development emphasis.
• Expressable: Expressable is an online speech-language pathology practice delivering therapy via telehealth across the U.S. Comparable online SLP delivery model to PVP's telehealth channel, serving adults with communication and swallowing disorders from home.
• LSVT Global: LSVT Global trains and certifies clinicians in LSVT LOUD, the other leading evidence-based speech therapy protocol for Parkinson's disease. Direct competitor to SPEAK OUT! for the Parkinson's speech therapy market, with a comparable clinician training and certification business model.

Broad incumbents

• Michael J. Fox Foundation: The Michael J. Fox Foundation is the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research worldwide. It is a leading ecosystem peer as a potential research collaborator, donor, and broader awareness driver that helps the Parkinson's patient pipeline that PVP serves.
• Parkinson's Foundation: The Parkinson's Foundation is a major national nonprofit funding Parkinson's research, education, and care programs. While not a direct SLP provider, it funds and promotes Parkinson's care services and is a natural ecosystem peer and potential partner for PVP.
• American Parkinson Disease Association: APDA is a national nonprofit providing Parkinson's education, support, and research funding with a national network of information & referral centers. A broad-incumbent ecosystem peer that overlaps with PVP on patient education and community support.

Others

• Lingraphica: Lingraphica makes speech-generating devices, therapy apps, and AAC tools primarily for adults with aphasia and other communication disorders. An adjacent enabling company in the broader SLP technology ecosystem that overlaps on adult communication impairment but does not directly compete with PVP's Parkinson's speech therapy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pvp646
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ParkinsonVoiceProject
• Facebookfacebook.com/ParkinsonVoiceProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parkinson-voice-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/parkinsonvoiceproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Parkinson Voice Project