Our Origin Story
We started AllSpeak because we’ve lived this problem ourselves.
Our CEO, Bethany Edmunds, a computer scientist and AI researcher, spent years watching her son work so hard to share his thoughts—only to be misunderstood. His speech wasn’t clear to most people. None of the speech recognition tools worked for him. The AAC devices they tried were clunky, slow, and frustrating. Instead of making things easier, they often added to the struggle.
This isn’t just their story. It’s the reality for millions of people with speech differences. Every day, they face the same barriers: being left out of conversations, not understood by doctors, not able to say what they need to say. Not because they can’t communicate—but because the technology wasn’t built for their voices.
We believe people shouldn’t have to work harder just to be heard.
That’s why we’re building AllSpeak—using AI and clinical insight to create tools that actually listen. Our system learns how you speak, instead of asking you to fit into a system that wasn’t made for you.
Because being able to share your thoughts, ask for help, tell a joke, or say “I love you” isn’t something we take for granted. It should be possible for everyone.
Meet the Team
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Aanchan Mohan, Ph.D
Founder & CTO
Dr. Aanchan Mohan, a computer science professor at Northeastern University and founder of Happy Prime Inc., builds cutting-edge AI communication technology that works for everyone. With a PhD in speech recognition from McGill University and industry experience from startups to large companies, he is revolutionizing inclusive tech through research-backed innovation. -
Bethany Edmunds, Ph.D
Founder & CEO
Dr. Bethany Edmunds holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Rutgers University where she developed novel machine learning algorithms for robot navigation. She is passionate about breaking down barriers to create greater diversity, access, and inclusivity within the technology community and the products they create.
Dr. Edmunds has been named one of BC Business's Most Influential Women in STEM, Business in Vancouver's Forty under 40, and YWCA’s Women of Distinction. -
Katelyn Eng, M.Sc. RSLP(C), CCC-SLP
VP of Product & Speech-language pathologist
Katelyn combines clinical expertise in stroke and brain injury rehabilitation with innovative technology. A member of SAC and ASHA, and registered with the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC, Katelyn believes in life participation as the foundation for her work with her clients. At Happy Prime, she passionately leads product development, transforming lives through accessible, empowering communication solutions.
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John Alderete, Ph.D
Senior Scientific Advisor
Dr. John Alderete is a research scientist with 20+ years of experience leading strategic research in linguistics, computational cognitive science, and speech and natural language processing. He is passionate about democratizing AI through real-world solutions grounded in human values, focusing on LLM alignment, evaluation, AI safety, and multilingual trustworthy AI.
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Rupal Patel, PhD
Advisor
Rupal Patel, PhD, is an academic entrepreneur with a track record of translating speech science and artificial intelligence into impactful, real-world technologies. She is a Professor at Northeastern University with joint appointments in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, where she directs the VOXX Lab, an interdisciplinary research group focused on developing voice-based biomarkers and scalable digital health solutions. Dr. Patel is the founder and former CEO of VocaliD, a pioneering voice AI company that created personalized synthetic voices for individuals with speech impairments, which was successfully acquired by Veritone in 2022; she subsequently served as Vice President of Voice AI and Accessibility, leading the deployment of inclusive AI technologies across enterprise and regulated sectors. Her work integrates large-scale acoustic analysis, machine learning, and clinical insight to design products that improve communication access and health outcomes. As an advisor and investor, she brings deep expertise in product development, research translation, and ethical AI to startups operating at the intersection of healthcare, accessibility, and intelligent systems.