April graduated from UMKC with a Bachelors of Arts. In school, she studied English Literature with a true passion for writing. In her personal time, there is nothing she enjoys more than taking her experiences and turning them into testimonies of herself and the lives she encounters. Her professional career has been centered around helping people—another great passion of hers. April’s most rewarding professional endeavors have been in the social work and human services fields working with minorities and at risk populations. She loves being able to be hands-on in a job that she can put her belief in, and really feel and see the positive impact her efforts have.
Whether April is writing or working, her biggest aspiration is to be a comforting face, voice, and helping hand to the people who encounter her.
Abby is a bilingual speech-language pathologist with more than 15 years of pediatric clinical experience. She holds an undergraduate degree in Spanish and Speech-Language and Hearing from the University of Kansas, a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Rockhurst University, and is currently completing her PhD in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Missouri.
Abby has held both clinical and academic positions. Her clinical experience includes pediatric speech and language disorders; bilingual speech and language assessment and intervention; and interprofessional team assessment supporting children with cleft palate, swallowing disorders, and childhood maltreatment.
In her role as a university faculty member, Abby has taught coursework in human communication disorders, research methods, cultural and linguistic diversity in CSD, trauma-informed care for the SLP, genetic bases of communication disorders, clinical methods in pediatrics, language development, and pediatric language assessment. Her research interests include child language development within parent-child interaction, early language intervention, and bilingualism.
Most importantly, Abby loves being a wife and a mom of three kids. She loves to spend her free time outside with family and friends. She enjoys gardening, walking, reading, and all things Kansas City.
Jessica has dedicated the last 15 years of her career to the field of credentialing and medical billing. Her previous experiences include credentialing, authorizations, scheduling, medical records, and health care operations. Jessica has partnered with insurance companies to improve the process to obtain authorizarions and reduce claim denials. Jessica enjoys being able to work with a team that can ensure that families are getting the services they need. In her free time, Jessica enjoys watching her two children play sports, going to the lake, and spending time as a family.
Kylie graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Missouri – Columbia, where she also minored in Wellness and Business. While at the University, she interned working with children with various disabilities to help meet weekly goals. Kylie has spent 10+ years working in the service industry and many years working in healthcare. During her time working with various communities, she embraced the opportunity to help people navigate difficult questions and concerns. Kylie enjoys being a first point of contact and helping people feel comfortable. In her free time, Kylie enjoys reading and being outdoors, and on nights when it’s a little colder, snuggling with her cat Bindi (plus every night).
Olivia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Missouri State University and is a Certified Human Resource Professional through the Society for Human Resource Management. Her passion for human resources is evident in her dedication to fostering inclusive and supportive workplace environments. Olivia’s commitment to the HR profession shines through in her work, as she continuously seeks to create spaces where employees feel valued and heard. She has been recognized with the Human Resources Specialist award from AASPA and has received a Letter of Commendation from Johnson County, accolades that underscore her expertise and dedication. Before joining Playabilities, Olivia served as the HR Manager for a non-profit medical rehabilitation center in the KC Metro area, where she successfully implemented numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She is passionate about fostering a sense of belonging and advocating for ability inclusion.
Olivia’s passion for working with children has led her to roles in juvenile corrections and special education classrooms. At Playabilities, she finds fulfillment in merging her HR expertise with her dedication to positively impacting children’s lives. Outside of work, Olivia volunteers with Be My Eyes, The Learning Club, and Ability KC. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, visiting the dog park, or hiking with her Goldendoodle, Bear.
Kendra is a Revenue Cycle Manager with more than 20 years experience in medical billing. She has a passion for billing and helping families understand and navigate the complex process and challenges people occasionally face with health insurance coverage. Prior to Playabilites, Kendra lead various teams across multiple clinical outpatient therapy settings to improve cash flow, reduce denials, and working collaboratively with insurance carriers to ensure successful resolution of claims processing projects. In her limited spare time Kendra enjoys traveling, gardening and visiting her family and friends in Nebraska.
Carleigh has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Kansas. She started working with the disability community straight out of high school, and has continued doing so over the last 16 years. Her greatest passion lies in serving individuals with disabilities and their families to ensure top quality services are always accessible.
Carleigh lives in Roeland Park with her husband and two sons, Oliver and Theo. In her free time she enjoys reading and hanging out with her boys. She also loves hiking and anything else that involves being outside in the fresh air and sunshine.
Hannah has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Kansas. She joins Playabilities team after eight years in fundraising. Hannah supports with coordinating schedules across our clinic locations and helps ensure each family’s needs are met with high touch services! Hannah lives in Overland Park with her husband and their dog.
In her free time, you can find Hannah cheering on the Jayhawks, on walks with her dog, and playing board games with her family.
Becky has an Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Truman State University. She grew up in KC and after living in Milwaukee, St. Louis and Indianapolis working for the same company, she settled back down in KC. She brings a unique perspective to our team – being a parent of a special needs child. She is a strong advocate of play-based therapy and inclusion for all children. She has a passion for helping families on their parenting journey and believes it takes a village. Becky plays a vital part of overseeing our entire client experience, as well as developing relationships with community-based partners and overseeing our facilities and marketing priorities. She has worn many “hats” at Playabilities over the years to support various operational needs of Playabilities.
Becky finds joy supporting her 3 children in their unique passions and activities, wishing time would slow down. Family nights always include pizza and a board game.
Laura is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s Bloch School of Management, where she received both her Bachelor’s degree and her MBA with an emphasis in Finance. She also holds a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Prior to joining Playabilities, Laura was the VP and Chief Operating Officer at the largest community based brain injury rehabilitation agency in the Midwest. Here, Laura found her passion of building an efficient and positive work environment to allow therapists to provide the best services possible to patients and their families. Other experience includes business analysis at a private equity firm specializing in home health care. Laura has also been involved in business operations at a federally qualified health center.
Laura enjoys sharing her passion of the Kansas City area by engaging with community organizations such as the Zonta Club of Kansas City and a local elementary school’s Educational Enhancement Fund. Laura previously served on the Bloch School of Management Alumni Board for six years, as well as the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s genKC Steering Committee, the Starlight Young Professionals, and the Prom Planning Committee for the Down Syndrome Guild. Laura is a certified running coach through RRCA and she completed her first marathon in October 2022. In her free time, Laura enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
