There’s No Asterisk in Success: Meet Stefan Bauer of Marker Learning

We talk with Stefan Bauer, the Co-Founder and CEO of Marker Learning, an AI support for psychologists and educators designed to help more students to receive an evaluation. Stefan discusses his own difficulty in getting an evaluation growing up, how his diagnosis of dyslexia provided him with a roadmap to success, and the highlights of being able to pay it forward by creating Marker Learning.

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Lauren Clouser:

Welcome to the LDA Podcast, a series by the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Our podcast is dedicated to exploring topics of interest to educators, individuals with learning disabilities, parents and professionals to work towards our goal of creating a more equitable world. Hi everyone. Welcome to the LDA Podcast. I'm here today with Stefan Bauer, the co-founder and CEO of Marker Learning, an AI support for psychologists and educators. Stefan has dyslexia and struggled to get a diagnosis before going on to Yale, and credits his success to his mother. Stefan, thank you so much for joining us.

Stefan Bauer:

Thank you. I'm excited to be here.

Lauren Clouser:

So for some context, would you be able to tell us about Marker Learning?

Stefan Bauer:

Sure. So what Marker Learning is is really an AI powered platform that helps school districts and psychologists manage student caseloads and write reports more efficiently and at a higher clinical quality. So really our goal is to help psychologists complete nearly twice as many evals in the same time and use the highest clinical standards. So really, you know, taking a step back, we believe psychologists and evaluators move mountains for students, but are stuck completing a lot of tasks that can be done with technology. So really, in a way, we're a co-pilot for psychologists to see more students and help them integrate clinical best practices.

Lauren Clouser:

That's fantastic because we know how key it is for students to get evaluated and to get this diagnosis. And we'll dive into your experience here next. Could you tell us about yourself?

Stefan Bauer:

Sure, yeah. So as you mentioned, I have dyslexia, and kind of take you back 30 years almost, at this point I was in second grade and I really had trouble reading, and teachers told my mom I'd be lucky to graduate high school. And I was on a multi year backlog to get an evaluation and she said, you know, this kid's brilliant. I don't think I'm brilliant. She's just a good mom. She went out and paid $8,000 for a private market learning disability evaluation and I was diagnosed with dyslexia. And from that moment on she really made it her mission to get me through school.

And she actually quit her job as a lawyer, got her master's in learning disability education and Orton Gillingham based phonics instruction. She really pushed me through school and pummeled me with flashcards. And I was fortunate enough to get the support of the school district and great educators along the way. So I was able to get to grade level reading and go on to to Yale and work in the business world at McKinsey and Morgan Stanley before starting Marker. But you know, really it's always just been with me how lucky I am to have the support of my mother and so many phenomenal people along the way. And really, you know, my personal mission is to pay that forward and hopefully make an impact on the lives of students and educators and psychologists.

Lauren Clouser:

Absolutely. That is amazing. She really went above and beyond.

Stefan Bauer:

Yes, I am forever grateful for everything she's done for me.

Lauren Clouser:

Well, and just a little bit of contrast too. Could you tell us what was your experience with dyslexia? In second grade, before the diagnosis, what was it like for you in the classroom?

Stefan Bauer:

Yeah, you know, my heart goes out to everyone who is in this situation where you're not progressing in school and your parents and family, something's off and they're doing everything, and you're starting to doubt yourself as a learner and you're clearly falling behind, and your self esteem is impacted. So it was certainly challenging. And once we were able to get that evaluation and understand what was going on, that was really the beginning of the journey. And you could see the light at the end of the tunnel from there. It wasn't easy, but at least there was a roadmap versus before, having that certainty. It was just more opaque, and just a little discouraging.

Lauren Clouser:

So you talked about having a roadmap. What was that like? I mean, how did that impact you educationally but also mentally?

Stefan Bauer:

Yeah, I think one thing that my mom and others really leaned into is not only the actual tools for success, so the structured way of learning to read and then also just getting the right support system in school, but really the inspirational confidence builder that is just so important. And I think that came through in spades with my mom, really being taught to be my own advocate and to not apologize. One of her sayings was there's no asterisk in success. So you know, if you have to take a little bit longer or take a different route, but you get to the same endpoint, that's just the same and perhaps even better. So I think there is an element not only of the tactical ways to learn with dyslexia, but also it's really, really important to support and inspire students and say, hey, you learn a little bit differently, but don't worry, you're still brilliant or you're still smart and, and you can certainly do that. And I think that was what won the day for me, or was hugely impactful.

Lauren Clouser:

I love that saying, I haven't heard that yet. That's fantastic. So your teachers were originally unsure if you would even graduate high school. What was it like, especially mindset-wise, to transition into such a prestigious university? You ended up going to Yale.

Stefan Bauer:

Yeah, I think it was...what was that like? I mean, I think over time I was able to understand, to be my own advocate and set myself up for success, and then I was able to chart my own path, and then on the path really adopt some things that I know would enable me to do well. So I would avoid classes with heavy reading. Like, you know, I knew I wasn't going to be an English major or something like that, versus maybe before if I didn't really didn't have the toolkit to understand my learning style, I think I could potentially fall in a few pitfalls and get really hammered with a class or something that doesn't suit my skill set. So I think over time I was able to just learn what worked and what didn't work and lean into what worked and really hold those boundaries and be unapologetic on that approach. Because there is a tendency just to go with the flow and say, okay, yeah, well I got it, like, no, I'm not taking that class. I have to take that class and really hold the ground because that time and that effort up front really, really goes a long way.

Lauren Clouser:

Absolutely. Well, and there's a common myth that learning disabilities are something that you can outgrow. But as we know, learning disabilities are lifelong. So I wanted to talk to you about how you accommodate your dyslexia in your day to day life. Now as an adult post-college.

Stefan Bauer:

Yeah, I definitely have a lot of things that I have done to make sure that I am able to keep up and excel in some areas. So really at McKinsey, I learned a lot of tips and tricks in the business world just because that's a relatively fast moving environment. My biggest thing I would say is I'm a little bit of a slower processor. So I tend to always have an agenda for the meetings and usually my teams know I like to pre-read beforehand so I could show up ready to go. And I don't like the...I don't excel in conversations where new information is arising and then someone's coming in with a bigger bulk of information and things are moving. I kind of like to be able to process before, or if that happens, take a day or two to process. So that's probably the biggest element. But really, at our company, you know, one of the biggest things we do in our interview process is really ensure everyone has a tie to the mission.

So, you know, from our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Sam Ortiz, down to, you know, our newest intern, we want to make sure everyone understands the problem and has either lived through it or seen it firsthand through a family member or been an educator themselves, so that when we start and everyone kind of has a different way they like to work. It's a very accepting environment, and we try to set those structures as well.

Lauren Clouser:

That's fantastic. So how did your own personal experience getting a diagnosis influence the way that you built Marker?

Stefan Bauer:

Yeah, I think going through it and seeing firsthand, even with all the support I had, how tough the process was, and looking back, it's just clear how broken the system is in some instances. So building Marker, not only do I think it's such a great opportunity and something that we could solve as a business with technology, but just personally, it's so easy to go the extra mile and really do whatever it takes for our clients because we know, hey, that marginal effort is going to make an impact or could make an impact, and that really inspires us. So it's a problem that I love solving. I would do this job for free.

It's just something that gets all of us out of bed every single day. And we have such a passion for our clients and for the ultimate students we serve. So it really just drives us and is the core to everything we do.

Lauren Clouser:

So fantastic. And then to wrap up, I just wanted to ask, what are some of the highlights that you've experienced since creating Marker?

Stefan Bauer:

Sure, there's been a ton and I've really loved working here for the last...I would say four years or so. I think there's a few things. One, on the client side, I've really underestimated how much we truly love our clients. They've been with us for four years.

In some instances and early days, they took a shot on us when we weren't really proven and we weren't widely used as we are now. So that I'm just forever grateful for them. And I try to tell them that every time I see them at the district level. And then on the team side, the cohesiveness and the diversity of the team is, it's just something I'm proud of. Whereas I mentioned, everyone has a tie to this problem but has a very different background.

So as I mentioned, Sam Ortiz, our chief clinical officer, but we have people like Lee, our head of product who is one of the first employees at Warby Parker, Eleanor, our COO, who's led teams at so many great startups in the past. We have Dot, our head of clinical who's really worked in school districts and has seen the eval process through very different school based lenses. So that's the type of group we have, all coming to the table with their own perspective but really in a joyful, fun way, that's been a highlight. And then on the third side is really the people we've met along the way outside of our clients, where we're fortunate enough to partner with the Virgin Group and Richard Branson. And when I've met with him, you know, we always talk about our mom and how influential our mothers were, specifically, and kind of what's going on in the learning disabled market. And people like him are just so inspirational on how they've had such success with a learning disability, and are trying to pay it forward and pave the way for others. So it's been just a phenomenal ride, and all along the way hopefully improving the lives of educators, psychologists and students.

Lauren Clouser:

Absolutely. When I have a feeling we'll be hearing from Marker in the future. We're really excited about what's going to come next. So Stefan, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today. It was great to hear your story.

Stefan Bauer:

Awesome. Well, thanks so much for having me. And I just have to say too, from the earliest days, the LDA has been not only just a beacon for the learning disabled community that I've been part of, but has been a tremendous supporter for us. So thank you for all that you've been doing and for really the work you do day in and day out.

Lauren Clouser:

Thank you for listening to the LDA podcast. To learn more about LDA and to get valuable resources and support, visit ldaamerica.org.