ABOUT

OperationREAD is an innovative tech startup dedicated to revolutionizing the way people interact with written content. Our team of passionate individuals is committed to providing solutions that make reading more accessible, engaging, and enjoyable. We pride ourselves on our ability to think outside the box and deliver cutting-edge services that set us apart from the competition. Our journey began with a vision to transform the reading experience, and we continue to push the boundaries to redefine the future of reading, all while adhering to the science of reading best-practices.

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Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

This is our Team. These are the people that make us special. We're excited for you to get to know us, and even more excited to get to know you.

Founder & CEO

Phillip Chipping

Phillip's two greatest passions in life are story and kids. When his three oldest children were diagnosed with reading disabilities, he decided to do something about it. OperationREAD and DIVI are the results.

Phillip is a serial entrepreneur. He is the inventor of the invisibleSHIELD and founder of ZAGG.

Board of Advisors

Rick Stambaugh

Rick has 38+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, technologist, and marketing and operations executive with West Bend Company, Herbalife International, Fionda, TekVation, USANA, and the Stambaugh Group. Rick has also filled fractional C-suite roles for companies in their growth, transitional, and turnaround stages. He has served on several boards of directors in an active and advisory capacity.

Co-Founder, Lead Dev Architect

Nicholaus Chipping

Nicholaus is a self-taught coder with 15 years experience. He's awesome.

From Choice Hotels to Adobe, Nicholaus' deep knowledge and skill are heavily relied on wherever he goes.

Board of Advisors

Shane Westra

In addition to advising tech startups, Shane Westra is also the Chief Product Officer at Canopy. Previously, he partnered with the majority of the Fortune 100 while working at SimpleNexus (nCino), Shutterstock (Webdam/Bynder), Workfront (Adobe), LexisNexis, and Pearson. Shane earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration from Brigham Young University.

Co-Founder, Director of Education

Sherry Evans

Sherry has been tutoring dyslexic children for over a decade. She owns and operates a tutoring business that has tutored hundreds of children with a 100% success rate. She also worked for years as a psychometrist for a neuropsychologist for many years.

Sherry is pursuing a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

"Until Everyone Can Read."

Board of Advisors

Paul Black, Ed.S., NCSP

Paul earned his undergraduate degree from the U of U and holds advanced degrees in Human Exceptionality and School Psychology from Idaho State University. He has practiced as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist for the past 20 years.

Paul is finishing his doctoral studies in May of 2025 at Loyola University Chicago where he has focused his studies on better understanding how dyslexia impact students' mental health.

Director of Events

Joni Kartchner

Joni Kartchner served on the North Logan Library Committee and North Logan City Council, as well as committees focused on economic development and housing. As a homeschooling parent and co-founder of Northstar Academy, Joni has firsthand experience with the challenges families face in supporting children with reading difficulties. Her leadership and community involvement fuel her passion for leveraging innovative technology to create effective educational solutions that drive meaningful change.

Lead Developer

Derek Olson

Derek's bio

Lead UX/UI Developer

Darrin Nielson

A graduate of Utah State University, Darrin leverages his education and experience to excel in digital marketing, web design, and branding. His professional experience includes developing websites, managing marketing campaigns, and leading branding initiatives for organizations of all sizes. In addition to his professional work, Darrin is an instructor of web and mobile app development at a local technical college, where he enjoys mentoring the next generation of digital creators.

Marketing Manager

April Strong

April is an accomplished Senior Lifecycle Marketing Manager at BowFlex, Inc., with over 10 years of experience in driving customer engagement and revenue growth through strategic, data-driven marketing initiatives. Specializing in CRM, marketing automation, and product strategy, April played a pivotal role in the successful launch of BowFlex's JRNY app, which significantly boosted customer retention, engagement, and revenue.

QA/QC Lead

Steve Nolte

Steve is an experienced Software Quality Assurance consultant and User Experience professional, focused on delivering intuitive and easy-to-use end-to-end solutions with usability as a key requirement. He strives to deliver practical, user-friendly applications to increase user productivity.

Marketing Intern

Kylie Nepstad

Kylie is currently studying marketing at Oregon State University. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connect with their audience. She is excited to bring her skills to this organization and learn along the way. She is thrilled to contribute to this organization by helping children develop strong reading skills through engaging and effective learning experiences.