WASHINGTON (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ello, developer of the world’s most advanced AI reading app, will be donating iPads, hundreds of early-age children’s books, and free access to the Ello app at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Children’s National Hospital to help support children hospitalized during their long-term care. In addition to books, this initiative includes literacy activities to help children’s learning journey and bring joy to their lives during their hospital stay.
Learning loss for chronically ill children while they are hospitalized is a topic that often doesn’t get a lot of attention. According to a report from the American Association of Pediatrics, “Many chronic disorders require frequent hospitalizations, resulting in loss of school days and poor academic achievement. The average time students with multiple disabilities are absent from school is 28.9 days each time they are hospitalized.”
“Our young patients in long-term care need a lot of support, including literacy support, so they don’t fall behind while they’re not in the classroom. Ello’s donation will give them the chance to read fun, engaging stories to lift their spirits while working on their literacy skills during their hospital stay,” said Katie Wallace, child life coordinator, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.
Ello’s co-founder Dr. Elizabeth Adams, a Licensed Clinical Child Psychologist who supported families through therapy and clinical work before starting Ello, will be meeting with families and representatives from the hospital’s Child Life Services team to donate iPads and books along with unlimited access to the Ello app.
“Early in my career working at hospitals, I noticed this loss of learning among young patients, especially in oncology and other specialties where the children are absent for long periods from their peers and school environment,” said Dr. Adams, co-founder and CXO of Ello. “I’m thrilled that Ello can be part of a solution for these patients and their families, to help with the literacy support they need while they are hospitalized while also giving them fun, engaging books and activities to do to break up very long days.”
Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Ello and the company is making significant strides in the field of education technology. She has dedicated her professional life to assessing, diagnosing, and treating children with developmental differences. Her research has included a focus on parent stress and support, cognitive and academic development, and language and literacy acquisition, particularly for children with hearing loss. During her clinical internship at Children’s National Hospital, she witnessed firsthand the impact of frequent chronic and long-term hospitalizations on children’s learning loss. This experience profoundly influenced her career path and commitment to child development which led to her creating edtech startup, Ello. Since founding Ello, Elizabeth was included on the Inc. 2024 Female Founders 250 List for growing revenue 265 percent and Ello’s subscriber base 146 percent to address childhood illiteracy with an AI powered coaching platform.
Elizabeth met her co-founders Tom Sayer and Catalin Moreno Voss through their shared passion for child development and learning. Together, they embarked on an unusual journey for a Silicon Valley outsider, merging Elizabeth’s extensive experience in traditional settings with Tom and Catalin’s tech expertise. Their collaborative vision led to the creation of the Public Benefits Corporation, Ello, and an AI-powered reading tutor designed to support children’s literacy development.
Since its inception in 2020, Ello has grown exponentially, serving tens of thousands of children and earned a spot as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024. Last summer, the company successfully raised a Series A round of funding and expanded its team to 40 members globally, with offices in Brazil, New York, and San Francisco.
About Ello
Ello is helping to solve childhood illiteracy by scaling 1:1 instruction to maximize the learning potential of all children, regardless of resources. Its first product is the world’s most advanced reading companion, powered by proprietary speech recognition and generative AI. It listens, understands, and engages with children to teach them critical reading skills as they read out loud. Ello is founded by a team of experts in education, childhood development and artificial intelligence, and backed by investors including Y Combinator, Goodwater, Project A and Homebrew. Learn more at https://ello.com.
