Our Story

SuperD!ville was created by Academy-Award winning filmmaker/producer, and dyslexic, Peggy Stern to help kids with learning differences thrive.

Our Vision

Kids in every classroom, after school program and other learning environments throughout the country are empowered and confident because of, not in-spite of their learning differences after interacting with SuperD!ville.

Our Philosophy

SuperD!ville embraces the “whole child” approach where each child, no matter how they learn, is respected, heard and provided the emotional and academic tools to develop strategies that will make them successful in school and in life.

Our Promise to You

We promise to produce research-based content that highlights real kids and real life problems to encourage and empower every student to embrace his or her own learning differences and life challenges with confidence and resilience.

Our Labor of Love

SuperD!ville is a mission-driven company, with a decade-long history of research, filming, testing and outreach to create SEL-based content for classroom, after school activities programs, one-on-one tutoring and home-schoolers. SuperD!ville is committed to empowering students of all learning stripes through social and emotional learning and to reach and have meaningful impact on educators, parents and kids alike.

Our Team

Peggy Stern

Founder and CEO

Peggy Stern, Founder and CEO

Peggy Stern is an Academy Award-winning film Producer/Director with more than 30 years experience. Her dyslexia led her to filmmaking and animation at a young age, and in March 2006 Stern won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. Stern has produced for PBS, HBO, Teachers College at Columbia University, The National PTA, and National YWCA among others. She received her BA from Harvard University and her senior thesis film STEPHANIE, was turned into a PBS documentary special and broadcasted nationally. SuperD!ville is a family affair, as her dyslexic daughter Emma has been a key advisor!

Diana Correa-Cintron

Chief Operating Officer

Diana Correa-Cintron, Chief Operating Officer

Diana is an attorney by training, educator and Latino rights activist. She has worked as a public interest lawyer, policy analyst, development officer and consultant for a range of non-profit and educational institutions such as FIU, Columbia University School of Law, Hispanics in Philanthropy, the Bronx Children’s Museum and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and was also awarded a Fulbright Fellowship. As the COO for SuperD!ville, Diana works in partnership with Peggy Stern on strategic planning, outreach and cultural competency. She is the proud mother of two sons with dyslexia.

Mara Waldhorn

Marketing Strategist

Mara Waldhorn, Marketing Strategist

Mara is a marketing strategist, visual storyteller and writer. She started her career teaching English as a Second Language as a Teach For America Corps Member in New York City. After receiving an MS in Teaching, she pursued an MA in Social Documentation where she produced her first documentary film, Bienvenido, which looks at gender and education. She helps create and implement marketing strategy and produces written content for SuperD!ville.

Patricia Nolan

Lead Strategic Advisor

Patricia Nolan, Lead Strategic Advisor

Patricia Nolan has broad experience in strategic planning and management having worked at renowned institutions including McKinsey and LISC and serving as President of two small companies. A graduate of Harvard College and Yale School of Management, she has served for ten years on the Cambridge School Committee, where she is active in local and state educational initiatives.

Rebecca Brand

Curriculum Development

Rebecca Brand, Curriculum Development

Rebecca is a reading specialist and instructional coach in a school district north of Boston. A graduate of Skidmore College and Harvard Graduate School of Education, Rebecca has also collaborated with Melissa Orkin on a summer reading program that addresses social and emotional learning for struggling readers. Rebecca is interested in early identification of dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

Elyssa Brand

Curriculum Development

Elyssa Brand, Curriculum Development

Elyssa is a special education teacher and administrator in Massachusetts. She attended Skidmore College and Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she received her license as a reading specialist. Elyssa has co-directed and taught in summer reading programs at Tufts and Northeastern Universities. Elyssa is interested in creating the best possible school experiences for children with dyslexia and other learning differences.

Michael Hart

Curriculum Development

Michael Hart, Curriculum Development

Michael Hart, Ph.D. trained as a psychologist and served in a clinical capacity for many years. Currently, he is the founder/owner of www.drmichaelhart.com and www.trueliteracy.in. He provides webinars, online courses and onsite presentations/training for parents, educators and specialists regarding the proper educational care of our dyslexic students. Michael was recently the co-chair of the UNESCO MGIEP (Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development) advisory committee for a large-scale literacy development project in India. In addition, Dr. Hart also serves as a subject matter expert for Understood.org, one of the largest repositories of information about learning disabilities in the world. Michael also has an MBA from The Wharton School.

Max Strebel

Director, Animator & Editor, Super D! Show

Max Strebel, Director, Animator & Editor, Super D! Show

Max Strebel has been making films since he was 12 when he convinced his teachers to let him make animations rather than write essays (a true dyslexic)! Since then, he has made over a dozen award-winning short films and animations. Currently, he works in commercial directing, editing and motion graphics. Two of Max's short films focus on dyslexia, and he is passionate about empowering young people who struggle with learning differences.

David Bailen

Screenwriter, Super D! Show

David Bailen, Screenwriter, Super D! Show

David Bailen, another dyslexic member of our team, is both an accomplished filmmaker and musician. He worked with Peggy Stern on the Academy Award winning film Moon and the Son and is now writing the Super D! Show for SuperD!ville. David attended the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU for film and has written and directed short films and music videos including behind the scenes videos and commercials for brands like Victoria Secret’s PINK and Aeropostale. He also writes songs, and tours with the band BAILEN.

Vinnie Angel

Brand Identity/Designer

Vinnie Angel, Brand Identity/Designer

Vinnie Angel is an artist and filmmaker. He is inspired by the determination and resilience of his dyslexic eight-year-old niece, Eleni. He looks forward to the day when she asks him (for the millionth time!) "Is SuperD!ville ready yet?" and he can say, "Yes!"

Advisory Board

John Canemaker

John Canemaker

John Canemaker has won an Academy Award, an Emmy and a Peabody Award for his animation and is an internationally-renowned animation historian and teacher. He has collaborated with Peggy Stern on numerous projects, and is a noted author of nine books on animation, as well as numerous essays and articles for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Canemaker has taught at several colleges and universities, including a guest residency at Yale, but he is most closely associated with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Topher Collier

Topher Collier

Topher Collier, PSYD is a Psychologist primarily located in New York, NY. His specialties include Health Service, Clinical Neuropsychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent, Cognitive and Behavioral and Psychology.

Jennifer DiGiacomo

Jennifer DiGiacomo

Jennifer DiGiacomo is an award-winning pioneer in the digital space with over 20 years of storytelling, content strategy and tactics experience. After launching AOL Small Business during her decade-long tenure at AOL, she created the first online reality series, The Startup. Since then, she's created and executive produced digital content for CBS, Townsquare Media, and AMC, including for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Christina Giammalva

Christina Giammalva

Christina Giammalva, is a distinguished educator, child advocate, and founder of the Columbia-Harlem Tutorial Program, which provides students with one-on-one tutoring at Columbia Law School. Ms. Giammalva also established a highly successful, alternative public school in central Harlem, where the reading comprehension curriculum, ReadWorks, was first developed. Ms. Giammalva recently completed her master’s degree as a reading specialist at Columbia University.

Kristi Helgeson, Co-Producer Super D! Show Season One

Kristi Helgeson, Co-Producer Super D! Show Season One

Kristi Helgeson, Co-Producer Super D! Show Season One, is a business consultant, non-profit advisor, dyslexia life coach, and mother of two wonderful dyslexic children. From 2013 to 2016, Kristi served SuperD!ville as CEO and Co-Producer of Season One of the Super D! Show. Previously, Kristi drove high-profile deals with large media companies as deal lawyer to Adobe's Digital Media Strategic Alliances & Business Development team. Her leadership experience with startups and education related nonprofits spans over 20 years, and she currently serves as advisor to Dyslexic Advantage.

Robert J. Landy, PhD

Robert J. Landy, PhD

Robert J. Landy, Ph.D., Super D! Show Content Consultant, is the Founder and Director Emeritus of NYU’s Drama Therapy Program, a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT), a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT) and Board Certified Trainer (BCT). A pioneer in the profession of Drama Therapy, he lectures and trains professionals internationally. As a drama therapist, Landy has more than 35 years of clinical experience, having treated children and adults with a wide range of psychiatric, cognitive and adjustment challenges.

Miriam Lewis Racchah

Miriam Lewis Racchah

Miriam Lewis Racchah is Executive Director at Bronx Charter School for the Arts. Previously, Ms. Racchah was Director of Business Affairs and Development for Harlem Day Charter School, and she founded the Girls Preparatory Charter School and Public Prep, which now manages a number of schools.

Deborah Lynam

Deborah Lynam

Deborah Lynam is currently the Director of Partnerships and Engagement at the AIM Institute for Learning & Research and a well-regarded parent advocate and frequent speaker on dyslexia nationwide. She is an active participant in the growing network of statewide parent-led grassroots movements called Decoding Dyslexia. She is a former Family Resource Specialist for the NJ Parent Training and Information Center, SPAN, as well as a volunteer tutor for the Reading Assist Institute. Deborah was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2013 by the NJ Branch of the International Dyslexia Association. Two of her three children are dyslexic.

Ian Myers

Ian Myers

Ian Myers is Chief Executive Officer of Newspicks, a mobile-first media platform created as a joint venture between American publishing group Dow Jones and Uzabase, a Japanese business intelligence and media company. There, he is tasked with managing growth, partnerships, and strategy. Prior to becoming CEO at Newspicks, Ian was a venture capitalist with White Star Capital, where he focused on sourcing early stage technology investments. Early in his career, Ian was a para educator at the Wilder Regional Alternative Program--a day school dedicated to helping Vermont students who struggle with LD.

Melissa Orkin, PhD, Super D! Show Content Consultant

Melissa Orkin, PhD, Super D! Show Content Consultant

Melissa Orkin, Ph.D., Super D! Show Content Consultant, is a Developmental Psychologist who has specialized in learning disabilities and achievement motivation. and trained in the assessment and remediation of reading and learning disabilities with Dr. Maryanne Wolf, at the Tufts; University Center for Reading and Language Research where she received her doctorate and served as Program Director. She has worked as a reading teacher in the classroom, and in clinical settings. Dr. Orkin instructs on learning disabilities at Tufts University, and has also lectured on reading disabilities at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has also contributed to publications on a variety of educational topics including literacy development and executive function skills, and regularly provides professional development workshops and consults with public and private schools on best literacy practices. Dr. Orkin is also currently the Director of Crafting Minds.

Henry Sinclair Sherrill

Henry Sinclair Sherrill

Henry Sinclair Sherrill is a longstanding grant maker who has worked extensively in both philanthropy and fundraising to support a variety of charitable missions, and is currently leading up Boon Philanthropy which is dedicated to providing innovative funding and stewardship solutions to support young children and professional learning in literacy. Mr. Sherrill has served on the boards of Partnership for Children, a special philanthropic board for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Good Samaritan, Inc; Sherrill House, and the National Board of International Dyslexia Association.

Marcus Soutra

Marcus Soutra

Marcus Soutra, is Co-Founder and President of Eye to Eye, the only national LD/ADHD movement dedicated to mentoring. Marcus helped to create Eye to Eye's summer program, Camp Vision, and speaks out throughout the country sharing Eye to Eye's vision of a world in which people with LD/ADHD are fully accepted, valued and respected.

Sylvia Stein, Strategic Consultant

Sylvia Stein, Strategic Consultant

Sylvia Stein, Strategic Consultant and New Product Development, was the Founder and President of Consumer Eyes, Inc. and co-Founder of Buzzback.com. She is currently working on projects in healthcare, education, as well as other entrepreneurial ventures.

Heidi R. Steinberg

Heidi R. Steinberg

Heidi R. Steinberg is an entrepreneurial advisor, investor and Wall Street veteran. Heidi has been an active angel investor with Golden Seeds and New York Angels, as well as a liaison between the two angel groups to syndicate deals and partner in supporting entrepreneurs. Heidi is a seasoned Equity Analyst in the Consumer and Specialty Retail Industries, and a former Wall Street Journal All-Star Analyst. Her current investments include Localytics and Crimson Hexagon.

Tom Stern, Co-Creator, The d-Squad

Tom Stern, Co-Creator, The d-Squad

Tom Stern, Co-Creator, The d-Squad (in development) is the creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip CEO DAD, and the book "CEO DAD - How To Avoid Getting Fired By Your Family." As a Dyslexic with ADHD and the father of a thirteen-year-old daughter with dyslexia, he has been contributing ideas to SuperD!ville since its inception.

Maryanne Wolf, PhD

Maryanne Wolf, PhD

Maryanne Wolf, P.hD. is a scholar, a teacher, and an advocate for children and literacy around the world. She is the Director of the newly created Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Previously she was the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service and Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. She is the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (2007, HarperCollins), Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain (Edited; York, 2001), Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century (2016, Oxford University Press), and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (August, 2018, HarperCollins). Dr. Wolf is currently the Director for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice at UCLA.

Our Cast

Jordan Berke

Jordan Berke

Hi my name is Jordan and I'm 14 and I’m a 9th grader at the Holy Child school in Rye. I’ve been singing, dancing and acting since I was a toddler! I perform in many community theater and school productions, cabarets and dance recitals with my musical troupe. I've appeared in a Microsoft commercial empowering girls to go into STEM. My favorite Super d! episode is "Out of the Icebox Cooking Show." I want to thank my family and 2 dogs. Hope you enjoy the screening!

Tegan Castellucios

Tegan Castellucios

My name is Tegan and I’m 17 years old and a senior at Babylon High School. I love acting and have performed in 2 Shakespearean plays - Midnight Summer Dream and Romeo & Juliette. I loved acting in the Super d! Show. I am also a dancer, play Varsity soccer and an honor student. Also totally into shark research and marine biology!! I would like to send a shout out to my wonderful family, teachers and friends who have supported me every step of the way.

Andres Cintron

Andres Cintron

Hola my name is Andres, I’m 15 years old and a 10th grader at the Churchill School. I’ve been part of the Super d! Show from the start, let’s just say I can watch myself grow-up on film. I loved playing the Pinky character the best, as only confident men wear pink! I’m a competitive swimmer, Netflix enthusiast and just started boxing! I want to send a shout out to my younger brother Diego – another sweet dyslexic genius!

Jace Howhannesian

Jace Howhannesian

Hi I’m Jace. I am 15 years old and I am a freshman at Saddle River Day School. I enjoyed filming the Super d! episode entitled the “Confidence Hat” because I got to play a cello. I have loved acting with this group but my real enjoyment is computer gaming and competing with my horse. So here is a special shout out to my horse John.

Dylan Joseph

Dylan Joseph

Hi! My name is Dylan. I’m 12 years old and I’m a 7th grader at the Windward School. I love to act and sing, and I perform around the New York tri-state area as part of the “Star Kidz -All Starz!” troupe. I also love to ski and play lacrosse. My favorite Super d! episode is “Shake” and I’d like to send a special shout out to Peggy and the cast and crew of Super d! I love being a part of the series and can’t wait to do more!

Ari Kass-Amsterdam

Ari Kass-Amsterdam

Hi, I'm Ari and I'm 14 years old. I’m also a 9th grader at Mamaroneck High School. I love acting and have been in many plays, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I also enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons. My favorite Super d! episode is "Lost in the Park," especially when Jordan scares the “bejesus” out of me in her old-man getup.

Hudson Lewer

Hudson Lewer

Hi my name is Hudson! I'm 14 years old and in the 9th grade at the Haddon Heights High School in south-west NJ. I enjoy sports (football is my favorite) and practice MMA. My favorite Super d! episode is "Pig Pen" and I would like to send a "shout out" to everyone reading this (you’re the real MVP)!!

Charlie Faith Miller

Charlie Faith Miller

Hi my name is Charlie, I am 15 years old and attend the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City. I'm an actress and fashion designer. I recently won the 2018 Most Creative Designer in the “For Sake of Art” competition in Houston, Texas. My favorite Super d! episode is the “Resource Room” and I would like to send a shout out to my family!

Ayanna Perry

Ayanna Perry

Hi my name is Ayanna Perry and I am 14 years old. I am in the 9th grade at the Lowell High School in Queens, New York. I like acting and watching T.V. I was involved in two of my middle school plays, Annie the Musical, and Shrek. My favorite Super d! episode is the “Resource Room”. I’d like to give a shout out to Beyonce for just being Beyonce!

Kaia Seldman

Kaia Seldman

Hi I’m Kaia and I’m 14 years old and I’m a freshman at York Preparatory School. I’ve loved acting and dance since I was 5, I always take part in school productions, and go to Frenchwoods Festival for the Performing Arts sleep-away camp. My fave episode of Super d! is “Anxiety”, and I wanna thank my Dad for always pushing me to do my best, and my mom for always supporting me in all that I do.

Brooke Lyn Sicignano

Brooke Lyn Sicignano

Hi my name is Brooke Lyn, I'm 15 years old and a 10th grader at the Churchill School. I’m a thespian and comic book enthusiast/collector. I have appeared on stage with Dan Zanes & Friends at Lincoln Center, at the Waldorf Astoria for President Obama and recently filmed a PSA advocating for children with Dyslexia. My favorite Super d! episode is "Procrastination". I would like to send a special “shout out" to my parents – you are simply the best!

Ellie Waye

Ellie Waye

Hi my name is Ellie and I am 12 years old. I go to the Windward School in NYC. I love swimming and I’m on a competitive swim team. My favorite Super d! episode is "Professor Boom and the Dyslexic Brain.” I would like to send a shout out to my nonexistent dog, Ruby, that I HOPE to get one day . . . SOOOOON!

Kieran “KJ” Smith

Kieran “KJ” Smith

Hey everybody, my name is Kieran "KJ" Smith. I am 14 years old, attend the Churchill School in NYC and joined the Super D! Show when I was 10 years old. I am an actor, dancer, and I’ve been in almost all of my school’s plays, including You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I want to send a shout out to my brother Lorenzo, and all my cousins. And thank you to Peggy for letting me be a part of Super D! Show.