Clinician. Educator. Entrepreneur.
Reimagining what’s possible in speech-language-pathology
BECAUSE OUR CLINICAL TRAINING IS A LAUNCHPAD – NOT A LIMITATION!
You've done everything right as an SLP. You trained hard, built clinical skills and expertise, and show up fully for your patients, day after day. But somewhere along the way, a quiet question started following you: Is this all there is?
I know that question well — because I've asked it too.
I'm Dr. Rinki Varindani Desai, a speech-language pathologist, entrepreneur, educator, healthcare leader, and mom. I created this space for every SLP who suspects there's more — and needs someone who's walked the path to show them what's possible.
From Bombay to Boston, One Step at a Time
I grew up in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, trained as an SLP, and moved to the United States in 2009 — alone, ambitious, and determined to build something meaningful as a healthcare professional, far away from home. Becoming a medical SLP and dysphagia specialist was my only dream. I earned my MS from the University of Texas at Dallas and went on to earn my Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology from MGH Institute of Health Professions. I became a Board-Certified Dysphagia Specialist and Certified Dementia Practitioner, built a deep clinical foundation across hospitals and rehabilitation settings, and spent over 15 years doing the kind of work that genuinely matters – helping patients and their families impacted by communication, cognition, and swallowing difficulties.
But clinical care was never the ceiling — it was the starting point of my journey. Along the way, I co-founded STEP, a global online dysphagia education platform now serving over 50,000 clinicians and supporting over 150 universities worldwide. I built apps, founded a digital health consulting practice, mentored and trained hundreds of clinicians, and became a researcher and educator at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Every step forward began with a question: How else can I scale my impact as an SLP?
My Core Belief:
Everything I do is grounded in real-world clinical experience. With 15+ years practicing as a medical SLP, I've sat with patients and families in their most vulnerable moments and understood what providing care means, while they navigate the challenges of systems that don’t always priortize patient outcomes. That same depth and empathy is what I bring to consulting, education, and mentorship. I don't separate the clinician from the innovator. My approach works precisely because those two identities stay connected — and because I've spent years learning how to build and serve at the intersection of both.
Clinical expertise is not just for the clinic. It belongs in boardrooms, classrooms, anywhere and everywhere healthcare and education is being reimagined.
Awards & Recognitions
A career shaped by curiosity, clinical rigor, and a deep commitment to moving the field forward.
ASHA HEALTHCARE MEDIA CHAMPION
Recognized twice by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association — in 2022 and 2023 — for outstanding contributions to healthcare media and public communication in the field of speech-language pathology.
ASHA LEADERSHIP & FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
Selected for both the ASHA Leadership Development Program and the ASHA Faculty Development Award — two nationally competitive programs supporting the next generation of leaders and educators in communication sciences and disorders.
ASHA Innovator
Recognized as an ASHA Innovator
SLP BOARD AND COMMITTEE SERVICE
Served in multiple national leadership roles including ASHA's Scientific and Professional Education Board, Peer Review Training Committee, and as a Career Transitions Mentor — while also co-chairing an international COVID-19 task force for the Dysphagia Research Society.
ADVANCED TRAINING
Completed advanced training in business management and digital health from Harvard Business School and Stanford University — bridging deep clinical expertise with healthtech innovation.
SPEECH THERAPIST OF THE YEAR
Awarded SLP of the Year at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for exceptional clinical service and leadership during COVID-19
CONTINUING EDUCATION RECIPIENT OF 10 ASHA ACE AWARDS
For ongoing commitment to continuing education and professional development.
BOARD CERTIFIED SPECIALIST IN SWALLOWING
Recognized of one of the few hundred board-certified specialists in swallowing and swallowing disorders around the world.
trusted by
favorite drink
Chai
favorite CUISINE
Indian food
favorite book
Designing Your Life
Originally from
Mumbai
Favorite DESTINATION
Hawaii
Here are some of my fondest career memories…
2009 - Packed my bags in Mumbai and moved to the United States to pursue a career in speech-language pathology
2011 - Graduated from UT Dallas and stepped into my first role as a medical SLP in acute care and adult rehabilitation
2012 - Created the Medical SLP Forum, which has grown into the largest online community for medical SLPs worldwide
2015 - Took the stage at my first national ASHA Convention talk — and realized that sharing knowledge could be its own form of clinical service.
2016 - Co-created my first mobile app, Dysphagia Therapy, and discovered how we can scale our impact when we combine clinical insight with tech innovation.
2018 - Co-founded STEP, a global dysphagia education platform, and stepped fully into entrepreneurship
2022 - Founded Theratactix to bring real clinical perspective into digital health innovation, consulting for startups building the future of healthcare.
2023 - Became a mom to a beautiful baby boy — and began redesigning my career around what I now knew mattered most.
2024-Present
Earned my Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology. Spending my time at home with my son while building a portfolio career that holds space for clinical care, education, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and family — all at once, and on my own terms.
And now,
here I am…
Designing a portfolio career that holds space for clinical care, education, research, entrepreneurship, and family — all at once, and on my own terms.
If you’d like to work with me, let’s get in touch.
