About StepAhead
Built for the children who can't wait, and the families who never stopped looking.
StepAhead helps parents and clinicians observe, track, and document movement patterns in infants and young children. It supports clinical conversations — it doesn't replace them.
StepAhead is an observational tool, not a diagnostic one. It does not diagnose any medical condition.
Our Story
StepAhead was founded by Dalina Delfing and Sagar Patel. Dalina, a kinesiology PhD from Columbia's Center for Cerebral Palsy Research, has lived experience with cerebral palsy that went undetected in her own early childhood. After years of research at the intersection of computer vision and pediatric rehabilitation, she recognized a gap no tool had filled: families needed a way to document what they were observing, and clinicians lacked the objective movement data needed to make informed recommendations and treatment decisions. Together with Sagar, whose expertise spans AI, computer vision, and production software systems, they built StepAhead — a smartphone-based tool that turns everyday video into structured, shareable movement observations.
Our Mission
StepAhead exists to help families and clinicians notice more, earlier. Our tool is designed to support — not replace — clinical judgment. By giving parents a way to capture and track movement patterns over time, and giving clinicians structured observations to inform their assessments, we help ensure no red flag goes unshared and no referral comes too late.
Our Values
Every child deserves early support. We're here to make sure nothing gets in the way of that. StepAhead is an observational tool grounded in peer-reviewed movement science. Every feature we build is designed with one principle in mind: get the right information to the right clinician at the right time, so families can access the care their child may need.
The Team
Our Founders
Dalina Delfing
CEO & Co-Founder
Kinesiology PhD, Columbia's Center for Cerebral Palsy Research. Lived experience with cerebral palsy that went undetected in early childhood. Spent years researching computer vision and pediatric rehabilitation.
Sagar Patel
CTO & Co-Founder
AI, computer vision, and production software systems expert. Builds the technology that turns everyday video into structured, shareable movement observations.
Nicole Metelski, PhD, OT
Clinical Consultant
PhD in Biobehavioral Sciences, Columbia. Postdoctoral researcher at Burke Neurological examining motor function in children with disabilities. 6 years OT at NewYork-Presbyterian neuro.
Every child deserves early support. We're here to make sure nothing gets in the way of that.
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