Elizabeth Adams

Founder, Mom, Child Psychologist. Building the best AI tutor for kids

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

When I went through YC, I was 6 months pregnant with my second kid.

I didn’t have the option of “not mentioning it.”

I walked in as a 40-year-old child psychologist in a sea of young engineers. A mom with a 5-year-old at home, flying DC to SF every week.

I looked (and initially felt) exactly as out of place as I was.

My clearest memory of interview day isn’t the YC partners. It’s the Halloween makeup instructions I left my husband.

For a long time I introduced myself like an apology: the Silicon Valley outsider, the clinician, the mom.

I don’t anymore. I wasn’t there in spite of being a mom and a psychologist. I was there because of it.

I had just spent twenty years with the actual user while everyone else was still trying to figure theirs out.

My daughter’s struggle learning to read is the reason Ello exists.
We didn’t start by asking what AI could do. We started by asking what kids actually needed.

Yes, the time math is brutal. But kids also answered the only question that matters: what is the time for?

Six years in, being parents is a win for the company. A lot of us at Ello have kids. We also work insanely hard.

It brings a purpose you can’t fake.

I wanted to share this for anyone reading from an unconventional background who looks at the norm, and quietly decides startups aren’t for them.

They are exactly for you.

[Nicholas Charriere @nichochar]

https://t.co/3SBVH0QwgS

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

@CatalinVoss An amazing write-up on what you and the team have been building for us!

[Catalin Voss @CatalinVoss]

We got a lot of people asking about how we built Ello’s tutor to achieve sub second latency. The architecture behind this was a real technical challenge.

Our tutor steers the UX in real time and makes complex decisions on the fly, so it operates more like a coding agent. However, the standard tool-use loop doesn’t work here.

"Generate a call, execute it, feed the result back, generate again" stacks up to 3-4 seconds of dead air between turns. Fine for a coding agent. Fatal for a conversation with a first grader.

Here's a deeper look at how we actually built it.

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

@CatalinVoss So proud of our team and the incredible opportunity we have to make an impact and bring access to high quality education to kids around the world.

[Catalin Voss @CatalinVoss]

We're a Public Benefit Corp. Everything we build will have a free tier, and will be completely free in emerging markets, beginning in Africa.

If this is a mission that resonates, come join us: https://t.co/YdrqWjtH0I

[Catalin Voss @CatalinVoss]

Everyone's asking what AI can do for their job.

We asked if it could teach a 6-year-old.

Introducing Ello 2.0: reading, math & more for ages 4-9. Free tier for all.

If we want AI to force-multiply humanity, let's start with teaching our youngest.

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

@CatalinVoss One of the most important parts of our mission: maximizing the potential of every child. This is how we democratize access to education for all kids.

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

I strongly advocate for the purposeful praising of children as an effective strategy for teaching and improving regulation. See the response to the anti-praise movement from UC Davis, which includes some of my insights and perspectives: https://t.co/9QodMjwf6E

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

SERVICE has always been close to my heart. Now well into my professional career, I am excited to SERVE as a board member for @FLYEOrg! Check out what we have been up to.
https://t.co/RkBXuDqoJ8

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

New on the blog! https://t.co/CGlsaYLt24

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

"New" on the blog - an updated version of a blog previously published on All The Moms: https://t.co/SBAyr5KYZB

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

New on the blog! https://t.co/3yqgq1eRvX

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

New on the blog: 3 questions you should ask your child's teacher! https://t.co/T4PX5uIZRo

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

Check out our video from the live Q&A on sharing, separation, and other timely topics for social-emotional development in children! https://t.co/7pNXOIklyx

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

Giving away some sanity-saving secrets on the blog! https://t.co/VQmTJhHaJD

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

Loving this smart, positive book for young girls!

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

https://t.co/glVlb1qzbp

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

Personalized Parenting is excited to be a sponsor for the National Capital Mom Conference. See the link below for details on this event! https://t.co/1yFw9JFT1n

[Elizabeth Adams @ElizAdamsPhD]

New on the blog - Helping to Ease a Child's Fear and Anxiety. https://t.co/84fuh8qIN2