Technology Partnership Helps Children With Disfluencies
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a former NBA star who played for the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets and Dallas Mavericks throughout his nine-year NBA career, has had difficulties speaking for as long as he can remember.
For years, he was afraid to talk in class and got teased by other children. It wasn’t until middle school that Kidd-Gilchrist was diagnosed with stuttering and not until college that he started getting speech therapy.
Fear of having to speak publicly overshadowed otherwise joyous moments for Kidd-Gilchrist, such as winning the NCAA men’s basketball championship with the University of Kentucky in 2012 and being selected as the second pick in the 2012 NBA draft. But over time, “speech therapy helped me understand myself better and gain a lot of confidence and not care how other people view me,” he says.
In the summer of 2025, Kidd-Gilchrist and his startup, GreenLight Enterprises, Inc., kicked off a partnership with New York Institute of Technology’s Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) to develop a prototype of a technology platform that he hopes will help millions of children with stuttering get help faster than he did.
This article originally appeared in the fall 2025/winter 2026 issue of New York Institute of Technology Magazine.
By Carina Storrs
More News
Bear Bytes Initiative Supports Students’ Holistic Health
At New York Tech, leaders recognize that access to healthy food is one of the most fundamental drivers of success.
Supporting Children with Autism
For Autism Acceptance Month, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Alexander Lopez, J.D., OT/L, shares practical guidance to help parents better understand how to support children on the spectrum.
2026 Honorary Degree Recipients
Kevin S. Law, executive vice president and partner at TRITEC Development Group, and Krishan Kumar, M.D., an NYITCOM clinical professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine, will receive honorary degrees at New York Tech’s 65th commencement.
SOLI Scholarship Helps Transfer Students Thrive
As recipients of the 2024 Stay on Long Island (SOLI) Scholarship, Sidra Ali and Nicole McCormack are building toward careers that combine creativity, technology, and problem-solving.
Alumni Support Startup Tech Central
Whether with time or money, alumni are offering their support to budding entrepreneurs.
Bridging Generations, Building Great Doctors
Medical students partnered with a local assisted living community to host a meaningful intergenerational event that fostered connection, empathy, and real-world communication skills.