About Us

Meet our Team

Lauren Torres (she/her)

My work as a reading interventionist, supporting students as young as kindergarteners through high school, stems from my love of reading. I have always been amazed at how reading can take you to faraway places, cultures, and fantastical, whimsical worlds that only exist within the pages of a book. As a child, I would spend hours upon hours reading, so much so that my mother would actually yell at me for reading too much! That magic and wonder that I found in reading has continued through my adult life, and has inspired me as an educator to teach foundational reading skills to students who are struggling with the mechanics of reading. My goal is not only to give students the tools they read successfully, but to also cultivate their love of reading. I find joy in integrating students’ interests into our sessions, whether it be puppies, ballet, or Minecraft! 


I attended St. John’s University, where I studied Communication Sciences and Disorders, before working at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes for over 9 years. I ascended to the role of Associate Center Director of the Lindamood-Bell Manhattan, NY location and remained in that role for 3 years, before moving on to co-found Synergize Learning. Co-founding Synergize Learning has allowed me to lean into different learning strategies and concepts beyond what I previously learned at Lindamood-Bell. I hope to continue creating safe spaces, for students of all ages and abilities, on their reading journey!

Education & Experience

  • Center Director, Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
  • Master’s Degree, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages K-12, Hunter College ‘16

Alyssa Talamo (she/her)

As an educator, I find joy in creating a judgement-free space for my students to feel seen and understood holistically. In an education system that just isn’t designed to fully consider the vast diversity of its students, neurodivergent kids and young adults are often misunderstood in the classroom. They might even be mislabeled as “not trying hard enough” or purposely engaging in defiance when that genuinely isn’t the case! I believe that all children have the desire to learn and, at their core, they are all trying their best with their current emotional and cognitive capacity. Sometimes, big feelings or situational challenges do get in the way, and that’s okay, too! In my virtual classroom, we dig into those feelings as they arise and honor the human experience. When students feel safe, they are more secure in taking learning risks and expressing the full range of their emotions. Together, we explore a combination of different learning strategies and emotional awareness skills to develop a toolbox that sets them on a path for continued success, confidence, and independence.

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