Welcome to another episode of The Female Founder. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Carla Small, founder of Sprout Labs, who explains how her son’s dyslexia inspired her to start a company that delivers personalized, AI-driven reading instruction to children, providing families with tools and resources for early intervention.
A personal starting point
Before launching Sprout Labs, Small led a business accelerator at Boston Children’s Hospital, managing a portfolio of ventures created by doctors, researchers, and nurses. One of those projects focused on dyslexia screening and was later acquired by a major education publisher, allowing the tool to reach schools nationwide. That exit gave Small the opportunity to focus on what she describes as her true passion: supporting families facing dyslexia, a challenge her own son experienced at a young age.
Small’s personal experience, watching her son’s confidence suffer as he struggled in early elementary school, became the driving force behind her mission. While her family eventually secured the necessary resources, she observed how confusing and fragmented the process of finding support can be for parents. Sprout Labs was created as a unified, single-source solution to this problem, providing families with consistent access to expert instruction without the need to coordinate various providers.
According to Small, dyslexia affects about 20% of the population and often runs in families. Early intervention matters, especially between ages three and six, when targeted instruction can rewire the brain and prevent long-term academic challenges. However, many families do not identify the issue until third or fourth grade, when children shift from learning to read to reading to learn.
AI-powered early intervention
Sprout Labs delivers daily, high-dosage tutoring tailored to each child’s learning profile. The platform combines structured literacy methods with AI-driven personalization, making lessons engaging for children who may also struggle with attention issues such as ADHD. Additionally, Small compares the experience to having a highly trained reading instructor available whenever a child is ready to learn.
The company recently earned national recognition after winning the Disruptor Award at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s CO-100 event. Small said the award highlights how Sprout Labs uses AI for good by expanding access to high-quality tutoring that is often cost-prohibitive. She says, traditional tutoring can exceed $100 an hour, making daily sessions unrealistic for most families.
Expanding access at scale
“We’re actually tapping into and supporting the reading specialist in speech and language pathology community in an interesting way.”
Beyond reading, Sprout Labs plans to expand into math, writing, spelling, and executive function support. Small said many learning challenges overlap neurologically, making a personalized, whole-child approach more effective than isolated interventions.
As Sprout Labs scales, the company is building partnerships with speech-language pathologists, reading specialists, and neuropsychologists to broaden access. Through philanthropic support, it also offers scholarships to underserved families.
Looking ahead, Small said her goal is to democratize high-dosage tutoring and help close gaps in a system that leaves many children behind. For families and educators alike, Sprout Labs represents a growing model of how mission-driven entrepreneurship and technology can create lasting impact.
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