Meet Our Team

Frida is a medically trained pediatric speech-language pathologist, Head of School and the Director of Curriculum and Learning Support Services at The Indy Lab, which she founded in 2019. Frida earned her Masters degree from Northwestern University and her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing and Psychology from The George Washington University. She was awarded the Hall of Heroes in Fall of 2024 by the Child Care Council of Westchester and began serving on their board in December of 2024. She has had a speech practice called Indy Speech Services since 2014 and is a Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business alum. Frida loves to play tennis competitively and any excuse to be near the ocean!

Lara is a bilingual Speech Language Pathologist with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minor in Linguistics from the University of Delaware as well as a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from New York Medical College. Lara received her Master’s degree in Neurologopedia (Neuroscience of Speech Pathology) at the Universitat Autonoma in Barcelona. Lara spent 5 years working at New York Health and Hospitals-Metropolitan, and most recently was a part of the team at Blythedale Children’s Hospital. Lara began at Indy Speech Services in 2018 and was excited to launch The Indy Lab in 2019 to encourage every parent to learn the strategies that promote child development in a wide range of skills. 

Caroline Paterno is a dedicated early childhood professional with over 15 years of experience in the field. She has served as both a lead teacher and a director, honing her leadership skills and expertise in designing and implementing developmentally appropriate curricula. Caroline places great emphasis on creating enriching, positive learning environments that foster the growth and well-being of every child. Caroline believes that experiences at this young age affect the development of the brain, which provides the foundation for future learning.

Specializations

Master in Early Childhood and Elementary Education

Bachelor in History

Extended Professional Development Training Certificates

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI)

Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL)

WestEd Literacy and Reading Comprehension Training

Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) Preschool-Kindergarten Curriculum

Claudia graduated with honors from New York University with a History major and Art History minor, and went on to earn her Master’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Education on full scholarship through the New York Teaching Fellows Program. For more than two decades, Claudia has had the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and experience as an educator in high performing public, private, and charter schools in the United States, as well as in bilingual international schools in Central America. Having taught for many of those years in early childhood, Claudia is particularly interested in the progression of learning and development as students advance from year to year. Claudia has also worked as a Literacy Specialist and Coach, providing professional development for her colleagues and creating a culture of literacy among students and staff. After an extended maternity leave, Claudia is very excited to rejoin the Indy Lab team and overjoyed that her daughter, Ruby, will be joining the Green Frogs class this year.

Paula Paredes is our lead Playful Literacy Educator and Purple Cats Educator. Paula has more than 15 years as a Preschool Educator with a Bilingual Proficiency in Spanish. Paula has been in the early childhood education field for over 10 years, teaching children as young as 2 years of age up through second grade. Paula has taught in different schools around NYC and CT. She is fluent in Spanish, and loves to bake in her free time. Working with children has always come naturally to Paula, and it is her passion to continue to nurture and teach children of all ages.

Kaylyn Peters is our Lead STEM Specialist and Red Birds Educator. She comes to us with more than 8 years of experience in the early education industry with a range of skills. She is currently earning her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and has her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida in Social Work. Kaylyn also obtained her Child Development Associates in 2023. We were so excited to have her on our team! 

Arelis Matute is our Spanish Immersion Specialist as well as a Teaching Assistant at The Indy Lab. She has earned her Child Development Associates with a Bachelor’s in Human Resources. She began her career to become a daycare center supervisor when she moved from Venezuela to the United States to raise her children. Arelis, or Ms. Ani, to the kids, believes that children thrive in clean, organized spaces with whole-hearted loving educators. She is the backbone of The Indy Lab!

Daniela Paucay is the Head Teaching Assistant at The Indy Lab. She has a  Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and 3+ years of experience as an Assistant Teacher. She is charged with safety, supervision and curating the interest areas in all of The Indy Lab classrooms.

is the new Head Educator and Spanish Immersion Specialist of our Goldfish cohort.
She graduated from the University of Rhode Island and is currently pursuing her masters in Early
Childhood Education. She has been working professionally in childcare for 5+ years, and loves watching
children grow and learn over the months and years she spends with them. She is very excited to accept
this new role as an educator at Indy Lab and cant wait to meet everyone!

Liseth Lorena Matos holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University Manuela Beltran in Colombia. She first gained experience with young children during a six-month internship and then in 2021, participated in a cultural exchange program as an Aupair for two years. She currently studies English as a second language at Westchester Community College and began working as a substitute Assistant Teacher at The Indy Lab in January 2025.