Episodes
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In this episode, guest Mariah Barber, Founder and CEO of Invisible Strengths, is interviewed by host Caroline Bolas, Small Business Specialist at NDI. Drawing on her own experiences, Mariah provides insights into the challenges that individuals with disabilities, especially those with intersecting identities, can face when trying to find employment. Listeners will learn why it benefits employers to be more inclusive, the steps that both employers and job seekers can take and where to find resources and support.
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In this episode, guests Lilian Aluri of The Nerdware Store and J Li of Prototype Thinking Labs are interviewed by host Lydia X.Z. Brown, Director of Public Policy at NDI. his episode features a conversation with two neurodivergent small business owners. Lilian Aluri started her art business, The Nerdware Store, at the beginning of 2021 to share whimsical and fandom-inspired designs with fellow nerds. Her anxiety and depression have shaped much of her adult life and inform her artistic and professional pursuits. J Li is the creator and Senior Partner of Prototype Thinking Labs, a specialized innovation consultancy based in the San Francisco Bay Area. J draws from her experience as a disabled business leader to reinvent the design and innovation process and make work itself more user-friendly for the people doing it.
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In this episode, guests Elayne Otstot of Singing River Consulting and Dr. Karissa Burnett of Divergent Pathways are interviewed by host Lydia X.Z. Brown, Director of Public Policy at NDI. The conversation delves into the experiences of two neurodivergent small business owners. Elayne shares insights from her accessibility and communications consultancy, which focuses on disability inclusion and project management for nonprofits and creatives. Dr. Burnett discusses her journey as a psychologist and entrepreneur, highlighting the establishment of her neurodiversity-affirming private practice in 2021. Together, they explore the challenges and triumphs of running businesses as neurodivergent individuals, offering valuable perspectives on inclusion and entrepreneurship in their respective fields.
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Dr. Kirk Adams Consultant, Inspiration Foundation, is interviewed by host Nikki Powis, Director, Small Business Programs, NDI. Dr. Adams has been a Blind job seeker, an employee in corporate America facing challenges around accommodation and discrimination and an employer of people who are Blind and DeafBlind. He has a PhD in Leadership and Change and wants to make it easier for the next Blind person to gain early work experience, build skills and find meaningful employment. He shares the things that helped him along the way and the work he is currently doing to help the next generation.
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Evan Delahanty, Founder and CEO, Peaceful Fruits joins host Nikki Powis, Director, Small Business Programs, NDI, as he shares how he started the company Peaceful Fruits while intentionally hiring staff with disabilities and paying them competitive wages. He explains how he started from a mission to build a company that he was proud of and ended up structuring training and support for staff to ensure that everyone had what they need to do their best work. He discusses the benefits he has found in employing people with disabilities, the importance of nutritious food and the work of the Peaceful Fruits Foundation.
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In this episode, guest Wendy Strobel Gower, Project Director, NE ADA Center, is interviewed by host Nikki Powis, Director, Small Business Programs, NDI. Listeners will learn about accessing an underutilized labor pool during the “great resignation” and recent challenges to find talent. The discussion will include how companies can address fears, assumptions and unconscious bias around hiring people with disabilities, so companies can access this untapped pool of talent. The benefits of hiring people with disabilities and resources for providing accommodations will be highlighted.
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This episode was recorded in Spanish: Es un poderoso podcast donde exploramos las inspiradoras historias de dos madres emprendedoras, cada una enfrentando desafíos únicos relacionados con discapacidades y brindando apoyo a sus hijos con descapacidades. (Tune in as we dive into the inspiring stories of two mothers in entrepreneurship, each facing the unique challenges of both disabilities and supporting their children with disabilities.
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Listeners will learn about the importance of digital accessibility. Kim Alfonso of Results One will share her expertise on how to be fully inclusive with digital services and content. Results One strives to create a world that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible. Their training programs are tailored to each work environment and workforce, delivered in person and on remote platforms.
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This podcast, featuring Jonathan Martinis, Esq. of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, will share legal vehicles for parents and guardians of adults with disabilities to optimize their ability to be small business owners. The podcast will address guardianship, self-determination, and power of attorney.
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Listeners will learn how LifeAsset helps Latino entrepreneurs who currently can’t qualify for a loan at a bank or other financial institutions using their unique “social collateral” lending model. This podcast will share the story of Rosalia Fajardo, consultant of Life Asset and entrepreneur with disabilities, of how she overcame her illness and injuries to becoming a successful entrepreneur and advocate for the disability community. This segment will also cover the cultural disconnect of Latino/Hispanic families when seeking support and help for themselves or family members with disabilities.
This podcast will be in Spanish.
LifeAsset ofrece pequeños préstamos para grandes ideas
Los oyentes aprenderán cómo LifeAsset ayuda a los empresarios latinos que actualmente no pueden calificar para un préstamo en un banco u otras instituciones financieras utilizando su modelo único de préstamos de "garantía social". Este podcast compartirá la historia de Rosalía Fajardo, consultora de Life Asset y empresaria con discapacidades, de cómo superó sus enfermedades y lesiones para convertirse en una exitosa empresaria, y defensora de la comunidad de discapacitados. Este segmento también cubrirá la desconexión cultural de las familias latinas / hispanas cuando buscan apoyo y ayuda para ellos mismos o para los miembros de su familia con discapacidades.
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Charles D. Hammerman, President and CEO of the Disability Opportunity Fund, joins the program to explain the types of loans and investments that his organization makes. Discover how the Disability Opportunity Fund's services can be valuable to individuals with disabilities who are looking to start or grow a business.
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Ruth Chavez, Small Business Community Navigator for NDI, joins the program to discuss the work that she does supporting small business owners with disabilities to access free resources and networking opportunities.
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Molly Sullivan, Operations Director with Griffin Hamis Associates, joins the program to discuss the work that her organization does to help people with disabilities find work that is meaningful and life-affirming. Molly reveals details about providing customized employment opportunities and self-employment.
