Meet the Team

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.” - Amy Poehler

Vybrence speech-language pathologists sitting on yellow couch

We at Vybrence are excited to introduce ourselves to you. We are a team of certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with +50 years of experience combined. All team members have worked in pediatrics and with adults with various articulation, language, voice, fluency, pragmatic, and feeding/swallowing disorders, as well as worked in the SLP corporate world. We believe that all individuals have a voice and celebrate all forms of individuality, cultures, & races.

Kate Taheny

MS, CCC-SLP/L

Co-Owner

Kate Taheny, M.S., CCC-SLP has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 25 years, bringing extensive experience across both medical and educational models of speech pathology. She earned her undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and her Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Throughout her career, Kate has worked in a wide range of settings, including educational environments and outpatient rehabilitation. Most recently, she is a founding partner of Vybrence Communication and Consulting Innovations, where she continues to provide high-quality, evidence-based speech and language services.

Kate’s areas of expertise include Childhood Apraxia of Speech, articulation disorders, oral motor and feeding disorders, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and accent training. Her clinical approach is grounded in the use of effective, research-based techniques, while ensuring therapy remains engaging, meaningful, and individualized.

Kate is deeply committed to collaborating with families, educators, and clients to achieve meaningful communication goals. She believes that communication is essential and a fundamental human right, and that everyone deserves the opportunity to connect, express themselves, and participate fully in their world. Her work is guided by a dedication to empowering individuals of all abilities to communicate with confidence and dignity.

In her free time, Kate enjoys reading, boating, gardening, yoga, walking and exploring with Charlie the Labradoodle, and spending time with family and friends.

Jennifer Brandt
MA, CCC-SLP/L

Co-Owner

Jennifer Brandt, M.A., CCC-SLP/L is a highly experienced Speech-Language Pathologist with over 25 years of clinical practice across the lifespan. She earned her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Cincinnati.

Jennifer has worked with individuals from newborns through geriatrics in a wide range of settings, including acute care and inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, day rehabilitation, neonatal intensive care units, outpatient pediatrics, and educational environments. This breadth of experience allows her to provide thoughtful, individualized care grounded in both medical and educational perspectives.

Her clinical expertise includes articulation, receptive language, expressive language, pragmatic (social) language, fluency, oral-motor and sensory feeding, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), accent management, and professional communication services. Jennifer is known for her ability to tailor services to each individual’s strengths, needs, and goals, while collaborating closely with families, educators, and other professionals.

Jennifer is deeply passionate about the uniqueness of each person’s communication style and is committed to helping individuals of all ages communicate with confidence and purpose. She believes effective communication is essential to connection, independence, and success, and she strives to empower every client to reach their fullest communicative potential.

Marina Peri
MA, CCC-SLP/L

Co-Owner

Marina earned her undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Elmhurst University and her graduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Northwestern University, with a specialization in the birth-to-three population. With over 20 years of experience, Marina has worked across a wide range of settings, serving both pediatric and adult populations. Her background includes outpatient and inpatient pediatric and geriatric rehabilitation, NICU and PICU care, early intervention, private practice, and public schools. In addition to her clinical work, Marina has guest lectured at universities and spent eight years mentoring and supervising graduate-level speech-language pathology students.

Marina’s clinical expertise includes evaluation and treatment of childhood apraxia of speech, motor-based and sensory feeding disorders, dysphagia, dysarthria, articulation and phonological disorders, pragmatic language (social communication) challenges, central auditory processing disorder, and expressive and receptive language disorders. She also provides services in American English pronunciation training, professional communication, and public speaking.

Marina is deeply committed to providing compassionate, individualized care. She believes that effective communication is fundamental to connection, confidence, and quality of life, and she is passionate about helping each client reach their fullest potential. She takes a collaborative, family-centered approach, working closely with clients and their families to understand their unique strengths, challenges, and goals.

Marina strives to create a supportive and engaging environment where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered. She emphasizes functional, meaningful outcomes that carry over into everyday life, ensuring that progress extends beyond the therapy room. By partnering with families, caregivers, schools, and other healthcare professionals, she develops thoughtful, personalized treatment plans that support long-term success.

Our Philosophy

We believe that every individual deserves to be heard, understood, and confident in their ability to communicate. Communication is essential to connection, learning, and overall quality of life, and challenges in speech, language, feeding, or social interaction can impact daily experiences in meaningful ways.

Our mission is to provide compassionate, evidence-based speech therapy that is tailored to each individual’s unique strengths and needs. We are committed to creating a supportive, collaborative environment where clients and families feel empowered, respected, and involved in the therapy process.

Through individualized care and functional, goal-oriented treatment, we strive to help each client build confidence, develop meaningful skills, and achieve success across all areas of life.

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