Tiffany Crout

Tiffany Crout is the Founder of Imagiread, supporting children and their community with culturally responsive literacy development instruction. Birthed from a love of children’s literature and family learning engagement, Tiffany started Imagiread in 2010, shortly after the writing and self-publishing of her first title, It’s Water Time, Ma, a popular S.T.E.M. reference with school-aged children, parents and educators. It eventually caught the attention of the Executive Director at an educational organization who wanted to collaborate to create a S.T.R.E.A.M-based literacy development curriculum.

It was then that Tiffany started to learn more about the reading habits and needs of several contained communities. Her research uncovered the need for programs that empower, inspire and offer a progressive continuum. Ones that are representative and responsive to cultural diversity and inclusion while being facilitated ethically and with integrity.

Tulsa | OK

FOUNDER, IMAGIREAD

• Niraj Tiwari, IT Operation Manager at Accenture
• Carron M Gibbons, Managing Director/Technology Delivery Lead at Accenture

Tiffany's motivation stems from her experience that literacy, language and communication are the trifecta that establishes healthy actualization. For children, that triangle looks and feels very different -- especially if the child struggles to read or dislikes reading.

“As a community-based educator, it’s imperative that Imagiread, along with our allyship and educational community, continues to center those who are at risk of being behind. We can’t talk equity until we establish the playing field according to those it will benefit. For that, we must instill 21st Century power skills, and the way we do that ethically is to ask better questions about the need,” said Tiffany.

She felt fortunate to have had two amazing mentors through the Sky's the Limit platform: Niraj Tiwari, IT Operations Manager at Accenture Solution pvt Ltd in Hyderabad, Telangana, IN, and Carron M Gibbons, Managing Director/Technology Delivery Lead at Accenture in Austin, Texas.

Building off of Niraj's experience in technology, he and Tiffany worked together on Imagiread product offerings and engagement. Carron brought her 26 years in the consulting, outsourcing and technology arenas to explore ways to improve processes that Tiffany was using.

With the support of these two experienced business mentors, Tiffany was able to build up the proof of concept she'd previously had and pivot the business to help Imagiread reach even greater success.

Since working with Niraj and Carron and winning a Sky's the Limit Family and Friends grant, she has been able to build Imagiread's latest Adventure Kits and create an engaging wireframe for the web-based experience.

Currently, she's beta phasing for feedback on the newly created Imagiread Pop-Up Learning series, which is critical as Imagiread expands into child care services. She plans to open the first physical location by Summer of 2023, and aspires to open five more by 2025.

The business milestones she achieved on the Sky's the Limit platform helped give Tiffany  a clearer picture of Imagiread's future. And that was especially important for her at this time in her business journey.

“Clarity,….considering how much things have changed and are uncertain, is vital right now," said Tiffany.

After working with Sky's the Limit, and using the pathway to business success milestones to guide her way, Tiffany also reports that she has improved her workflow and methodologies as a result of the milestones, and, overall, she believes she’s a better entrepreneur from going through this process and accomplishing them.