Cascade Reading Team
We spent years on the important stuff: controlled research, algorithm development & testing, and retesting. With three successful patent applications already, a comprehensive product map, and a B-to-B market strategy that will take us across the globe & into new worlds, we’re just getting started!
Our show-stopping innovation is a remarkable new “Reading Technology” with universal application.
Leadership with broad experience and a common passion
A diverse team of language scientists, technologists & entrepreneurs committed to translating evidence-based research into practical tools to improve reading for everyone.
Michael Gorman
Co-founder
Mark Lacek
Co-founder
Founder or co-founder of 8 companies at the intersection of Technology, Marketing, and Accessibility. Awarded the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year and Minneapolis/St Paul Magazine’s “Best Brains”. Dad to two college girls who are the loves of his life. Determined to change the world before he leaves it. MBA, University of St Thomas.
Julie Van Dyke
Chief Scientist
Senior Scientist at Haskins Laboratories, now part of the Yale
Child Study Center, for 20+ years. Ph.D in Cognitive Psychology, University of Pittsburgh; M.Sc., Computational Linguistics, Carnegie Mellon. Expertise in memory and language processes that support comprehension. Taught high school English/History for 5 years. Parent to 4 girls, one with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia. Driven by a desire to help every child reach his or her full potential.
Jon Moog
CTO
Serial tech leader growing large ideas into valuable technology businesses. CTO of EBureau, acquired by Transunion, and CTO of RiskWise, acquired by LexisNexis. Committed to ensuring every reader and learner can have access to great reading technology.
Jack Dempsey
VP of Research
Data scientist and reading psychologist with extensive experience in Bayesian inference and machine learning methods. Ph.D.; M.Sc. in Educational Psychology and B.A. in Linguistics from University of Illinois. Affiliated Lecturer at University of Illinois, teaching language development to future teachers. Research expertise in comprehension failure and the role of context and working memory during reading.
Research Comes First
Cascade Reading is committed to research with an emphasis on controlled studies of the impact of the Cascade Format on reading comprehension. Research has been, and will always be at the forefront of our work.
Reading Changes Lives, Cascade Changes Reading! ™
The Benefits of Cascade Reading: Supporting Diverse Readers
Cascade Reading leads to many benefits. In this blog, we focus on how it directly supports neurodiverse and linguistically diverse...
Read moreThe Benefits of Cascade Reading: Motivation, Preference, & Anxiety
Cascade Reading leads to many benefits. In this blog, we focus on how it improves motivation, mitigates anxiety, and is...
Read moreThe Benefits of Cascade Reading: Comprehension, Fluency, & Syntax
Cascade Reading leads to many benefits. In this blog, we focus on how it scaffolds core literacy skills.
Read more