I recently sat down with Hillary Summerbell, one of several powerhouse dyslexic entrepreneurs. Hillary built a thriving career long before she could comfortably read a single business contract. It’s easy to feel like the clock is ticking for your dyslexic learner, especially in the high-pressure years of middle and high school, but Hillary’s story proves that there are multiple paths to the top. She shares how she navigated decades of “faking it” until she discovered a revolutionary visual hack (the Reading Arc) that unlocked her ability to process text at age 55.
Hillary grew up in the 1970s, an era where schools often used a Whole Language approach. Essentially hoping that if you put a book in a child’s hands, they’d learn to read through osmosis. For many dyslexic learners, that is a recipe for disaster.
Hillary remembers being pulled out of the “normal” classrooms and placed in the “slow learner” tracks as early as second grade. She described a childhood of fumbling through in the back of the class, barely passing, and constantly guessing at words.
"I literally thought until I was 55 years old that I was stupid... I always felt like I was the dumb one in the group."
That’s just heartbreaking. But here is the pivot point: while school was failing her, her brain was busy building a solution. Something incredibly artistic and visual.
Many dyslexic learners possess a high level of creativity and “outside the box” thinking. Hillary used this to build a successful interior design firm. However, she spent decades hiding her reading struggles. She hired assistants to read her contracts, fill out work orders, and manage the parts of the business because a simple form could take her 30 minutes to navigate.
Then at age 55, she hit a wall. She realized she needed to take control of her business. But she needed a different way.
Hillary discovered that linear text (straight rows of black and white letters) caused her brain to “freak out” and skip words, a different shape changed everything.She realized that when she wrote or read text in a gentle rainbow arc, her brain relaxed. She explains it like driving a car:
This discovery led her to create the Summerbell Tool that reshapes how text is presented on screens. It doesn’t teach a new curriculum or phonics; it simply accommodates the visual way some brains process information. Seizing this opportunity is what so many dyslexic entrepreneurs do!
As an Orton-Gillingham Practitioner, I always look for ways to engage the senses. Hillary’s Reading Arc is a fascinating example of how dyslexic entrepreneurs leverage the visual strengths of dyslexic learners.
Here’s the down-to-earth truth – the brain is plastic. Hillary found that after using her curved reading tool for five years, her ability to read linear text actually improved. She was creating new neural pathways simply by changing the presentation of the information.
You don’t need a PhD or a million-dollar budget to start helping your child. Here are three things you can try:
The next time your child is having a meltdown over homework, remind them (and yourself) that dyslexic entrepreneurs and innovators often start with being different learners. We aren’t just teaching them to read; we are helping them find their own path to success.
"You're not stupid. You just need to feel confident in the gifts you have."
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