Hillary Summerbell

Hillary Summerbell is the founder and CEO of Summerbell, a literacy technology company redefining how visual dyslexics engage with text. A fourth-generation Washingtonian and lifelong creative, Hillary brings a designer’s eye and an inventor’s persistence to the world of EdTech.
Everything changed when Hillary discovered she could read more easily when text was in a soft curve, mirroring the circular form she tools notes in. For the first time, she could read fluidly, comprehend deeply, and truly enjoy what she was seeing on the page. That moment sparked a calling: to make the same experience accessible to others.
A visual dyslexic, Hillary sees the world through pattern, form, and movement rather than text alone. That creative wiring, once misunderstood as a barrier, became the foundation of her innovation. Like other dyslexics, such as Richard Branson and Steven Spielberg, she views dyslexia not as a limitation but as a lens that sharpens imagination and problem-solving.
After a career in interior design and entrepreneurship, Hillary built on the academic research of positional arc reading and elevated it through technology, creating Summerbell. Her work has delivered measurable gains in reading fluency and comprehension, transforming an academic idea into a tool used by students, parents, and educators nationwide. Her leadership philosophy mirrors her product vision: accessible, human, and beautifully affirming.
Hillary is a lifelong advocate for women and children; her work is guided by a deep belief that resilience and reinvention are the hallmarks of progress. When she’s not leading Summerbell, Hillary can be found sailing in Delaware or tending to her garden. She is a proud mother of four, a dedicated traveler, and a steadfast believer that it is never too late to build something that changes lives.