About Samantha
Samantha Taylor, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist, entrepreneur, advocate, podcast host, and founder of Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC and the Empowered Parent Network.
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For more than 17 years, Samantha has dedicated her career to helping children with unique needs thrive while empowering parents to become confident, informed advocates. Through her work across schools, private practice, nonprofit leadership, and community advocacy, she has helped hundreds of families navigate special education, communication, accessibility, and the complex decisions that come with raising a child who learns and experiences the world differently.
Her passion is deeply personal. As the mother of a deaf son who uses ASL and a son with ADHD, Samantha understands firsthand the fear, uncertainty, guilt, and overwhelm many parents experience. She also knows the incredible growth, joy, and possibility that can happen when families have the right support, information, and community behind them.
A recognized leader in the disability and advocacy space, Samantha serves in multiple leadership roles, including Hands & Voices, Partners in Deaf Education, and the Rochester School for the Deaf community. She is also a Pro-ASL Provider through Language First. In 2025, she was honored with the NXT Level Collective Trailblazer Award for her innovative work creating sustainable systems of support for families and , in 2026, was recognized as a Re Rising change maker for her leadership and impact throughout the Greater Rochester community.
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Samantha's expertise has been featured in published articles, podcasts, and media outlets, and she is the host of the Parenthood Unscripted podcast, where she has honest conversations about parenting, advocacy, marriage, ambition, neurodivergence, and raising children with unique needs. Through her growing online community of more than 26,000 parents and professionals, she shares practical strategies, encouragement, and real-life insights that help families move from overwhelm to empowerment.
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Her mission is simple: to ensure that no parent has to navigate this journey alone. Through education, advocacy, and authentic connection, Samantha helps parents replace fear with confidence, isolation with community, and uncertainty with action.