Our Approach

Created by musicians and therapists, our songs and stories support your child’s early language and literacy development.

Emily Cadiz

Founder, and CEO Inclusive Music and Autism Specialist Columbia University

Emily is an accomplished musician, educator, and inclusive music specialist who believes children can and will meet their full potential when they have the right set of tools and resources available to them. She created Finnegan the Dragon with this in mind, leveraging her experience teaching music and working with special needs children to develop this distinctive character and one-of-a-kind learning game. A graduate of Columbia University in the City of New York, Emily holds graduate degrees in Education, Special Education, and Inclusive Music. After 15 years of direct classroom experience, Emily shifted to the world of virtual education which makes her well-suited to understand distance and virtual learning needs.

  • Jessica L. Bullock

    SLP Blue Jay Speech & Language Therapy Services, PLLCPortland State University

    -

    Jessica Bullock, M.A., CCC-SLP is a certified speech-language pathologist and the owner of Blue Jay Speech & Language Therapy Services, PLLC in Vancouver, WA. She serves the Finnegan the Dragon team as a speech consultant, helping to determine the most effective approach to introducing and teaching various elements of speech to the game’s young players. Jessica holds a Master of Science in Speech & Hearing Sciences from Portland State University and specializes in Augmentative/Alternative Communication, speech sound disorders, and language disorders. Jessica is also an accomplished pianist and spent several years teaching music prior to transitioning to the field of speech-language pathology. Her expertise in speech and language, combined with her musical knowledge are remarkable assets to the Finnegan the Dragon team.

  • Sharon Peddie

    OT Therapy2Grow, OTCUniversity of Washington

    -

    Sharon Peddie is a pediatric occupational therapist who loves to play! As the owner and lead occupational therapist for Therapy2Grow, Sharon is an essential consultant for the Finnegan the Dragon team. With advanced training in Sensory Integration, Neurodevelopmental Treatment, and DIR Floortime, Sharon helps create music and products that support necessary skillsets for children to fully participate in everyday life. Working with children from premature infancy through late adolescence, Sharon has dedicated over 20 years in the field of occupational therapy to help children thrive.

  • Kelly Hoff

    MT-BC Willow Tree Music TherapyUniversity of Oregon and Marylhurst University

    -

    Kelly Hoff is a professional musician, instructor, and board-certified music therapist who loves using music as a vehicle for learning and recovery. From children working to develop new skills to elders seeking connection, Kelly is committed to music therapy practices that are rooted in compassion and respect. With dual Bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Music Therapy, Kelly also serves as a board member for the Oregon Music Therapy Association.