AIS celebrated its 19th Annual Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala on June 10, 2025. With over 320 people in attendance, we honored AIS’s role in the stuttering community, spread awareness about how stuttering impacts people’s lives, and raised over $1 million for AIS’s groundbreaking work in stuttering speech therapy, public education about stuttering, and related programming.
Emily Blunt, an AIS board member as well as an award-winning actor and producer, hosted the evening’s program. She welcomed guests and introduced the theme for the evening: “Just Listen.” She explained that for people who stutter, these words take on a most poignant meaning.
“When you are struggling to say your name, or order a coffee, or just participate in a conversation, and you are stuck in a stuttering cycle, ‘Just Listen’ becomes a key message. Rather than have listeners say “Just breathe” or “Relax” or even “Spit it out,” the world would be a far better place for stutterers if their friends and families and colleagues could just stop and wait and listen. What we have to say is important, but it may just take us a little time to get it out.”
Emily also explained that “Just Listen” is the tagline for a public service announcement created by AIS designed to educate the public about stuttering and how to talk to people who stutter. She described how the PSA has been seen by over a million people through streaming services and on television.
Eric Dinallo, Board Chair of AIS, thanked the staff and board of AIS for their tremendous contributions to the stuttering community. He explained that the widespread dissemination of the PSA has led to people all over the world calling him and AIS to talk about stuttering, and he hears from many young professionals and college students. One student that Eric and Executive Director Heather Grossman spoke to about stuttering was so profoundly affected by their conversations that he wrote to Eric after delivering a well-received thesis presentation that “I gave my graduate presentation today… I have been reflecting a lot on the things you said, and it’s given me a sense that there are no limits, something that people who stutter can and should convince themselves of.”
Dr. Heather Grossman, AIS’s Executive Director, presented a look at the “stuttering iceberg.” She explained that the behaviors that you see and hear when people stutter, such as repetitions of sounds or blocks or pauses or physical movements, are just the tip of the iceberg. For people who stutter, “beneath the surface lies the much bigger, hidden part of the experience, including the fear of speaking or being judged; shame or embarrassment; anxiety in everyday situations like ordering food or answering the phone; and frustration from being misunderstood or interrupted.” She encouraged attendees to “warm up the water” around the iceberg for those who stutter by creating allies, educating others, fostering a safe and inclusive environment, and spreading understanding about stuttering in our communities. She concluded with, “I encourage all of us - whether we stutter or not- to help build a world where empathy and awareness melt the weight of what people who stutter carry beneath the surface. It starts with the suggestion, ‘Just listen.’”
Client speaker Chaim spoke about his experiences as a child who stuttered. He explained that he was taught to be fluent and that “stuttering was a bad thing to be avoided at all costs.” His daughter Beth’s experience at AIS is completely different, “AIS has introduced her to a pathway to the stuttering experience that is not characterized by fear, hiding, or shame; rather, the AIS approach encourages empowerment, courage, and honesty.”
12 year-old client Beth explained that she is a covert stutterer, and described the many ways in which her stutter impacts her speech. She said that AIS taught her that she does not have to hide her stuttering. “Stuttering is a little like riding a horse. Sometimes it is smooth, and sometimes it is a little bumpy and you never really know how it is going to go, and that’s OK.” She also said that AIS taught her that she can be brave, and so she joined her school’s debate team and auditioned for and played a large part in her school play. For her Bat Mitzvah, she gave a talk about stuttering to her family and friends to spread awareness and understanding. She thanked her AIS speech therapist, Kristel Kubart, for inspiring her through therapy.
8 year-old client Eden spoke about his experiences in school and how working with Dr. Heather Grossman changed his life. “Now, I know a lot about [stuttering] and that it is ok to stutter… Before I went to speech therapy, sometimes my teacher would call on me in my class and sometimes I felt embarrassed. Now when I’m in school and I’m talking, I don’t feel embarrassed. I feel good and I have fun talking.”
Honoree and winner of the 2025 Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Award, former NBA player and stuttering activist Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, spoke about his own experiences with stuttering as an NBA player. He said, “I was dealt cards, some were good, some were bad, but I did not know where to put stuttering. Over time, I learned that it is neither good nor bad, it is just a stutter.” After his time with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA, Michael formed a nonprofit to spread awareness about stuttering and to work to change state laws regarding insurance coverage for stuttering therapy. He has successfully lobbied for these changes in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. He is now also a proud member of the AIS Board.
Finally, Shawn Fagan, the Chief Legal Officer of Citadel, received the Catherine Montgomery Award for his and Citadel’s philanthropic impact on AIS. Through the support of Ken Griffin, Citadel, and Shawn over the last 15 years, AIS has been able to provide therapy to hundreds of children and adults who could not otherwise afford it. Shawn discussed that the impactful and life-transforming work that AIS does is directly aligned with the giving philosophy of Ken Griffin – that access to education and opportunity can make all the difference in someone’s life. Shawn saluted Eric Dinallo and Dr. Heather Grossman and all of the talented speakers and therapists involved with AIS and acknowledged the tremendous impact that AIS has had on the stuttering community and beyond – with its mission of broad education so beautifully encapsulated by its public service announcement. He concluded by saying that the evening had shown us the “power of patience, the importance of listening, and the courage it takes to speak in a world that doesn’t always wait.”
