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. And I built this space for every SLP who suspects there's more — and just needs someone who's already 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 clinicians across the country, 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 in their most vulnerable moments and understood what care actually demands. That same depth 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 things stay connected — and because I've spent years learning how to build at the intersection of both.
Clinical expertise is not just for the clinic. It belongs in boardrooms, startups, classrooms, and anywhere 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.
BOARD CERTIFIED DYSPHAGIA SPECIALIST
One of the few hundred people in the world who holds the BCS-S certification from American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders
ASHA INNOVATOR & BOARD SERVICE
Recognized as an ASHA Innovator and 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.
BUSINESS AND DIGITAL HEALTH 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
trusted by
favourite drink
Chai - Always
favourite food
Home-cooked Indian food, made with love.
favourite book
Design Your Life
it changed how I think about everything.
Originally from
Mumbai
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
2012 - Created the Medical SLP Forum, which has grown into the largest online community for medical SLPs worldwide
2011 - Graduated from UT Dallas and stepped into my first role as a medical SLP in acute care and adult rehabilitation
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
2015 - Took the stage at my first national ASHA Convention talk — and realized that sharing knowledge could be its own form of clinical service.
2022 - Founded Theratactix to bring real clinical perspective into digital health innovation, consulting for startups building the future of healthcare.
2024-Present - Building a portfolio career that holds space for life, clinical care, education, research, entrepreneurship, and family — all at once, and on my own terms.
2023 - Became a mom to a beautiful baby boy — and began redesigning my career around what I now knew mattered most.
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.
