Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & Martyn Sibley

Ifunanya Nweke is our guest today. She is the founder of Jazz Hands for Autism, an organization that works with musicians who are on the autism spectrum to help them hone their skills and find work doing what they love. Ifunanya talks about the origins of the idea for the nonprofit and really shares her heart for the students they’re working with. She also talks about the importance of surrounding yourself with people who share the same vision and the value of constructive feedback from your team and clients.

Our guest this week is outdoor accessibility advocate, Ian Mackay. He founded the nonprofit organization Ian’s Ride which helps bring awareness to the issue of outdoor accessibility and advocates for support services on behalf of those with mobility impairments who still want to experience nature. Ian shares the story of his spinal injury, what he’s done since, and how he lives independently day to day with the assistance of smart home technology.

Our guest this episode is Angela Mahoney, a Special Education teacher, author, and creator of the I Can Work educational curriculum and training program for children and young adults on the autism spectrum. Angela talks with Mai Ling about the importance of starting to build life skills early on and how to equip young people with special needs to choose a career path that is suited to their unique abilities.

Blogger, speaker, author, and world traveler, Martyn Sibley joins Mai Ling on the show today to discuss what it’s like to travel with a disability that requires a wheelchair. Sibley also talks about launching his blog, creating an online space called Disability Horizons for people with disabilities to share their stories, and how he started a company that he exited with a sale to Airbnb.

Children’s book author and motivational speaker, Simon Calcavecchia, is our guest on the show this episode. He tells about the challenges he’s faced as a quadriplegic and how he has turned his attention and energy toward encouraging and inspiring others through his speaking and books. This is a heartfelt and encouraging conversation that you don’t want to miss.

George Braddock joins Mai Ling on this episode to talk about his work designing homes for persons with disabilities in mind. George is the president of Creative Housing Solutions, LLC, an engineering company that uses person-centered planning principles to design and build homes that fit the specific needs of the people who live in them. His passion for the work and the people it benefits shines through in this informative conversation.

Our guest today is blogger and disability advocate, Heather Watkins, a woman of color who wants to remind the world that disabilities also affect minority groups. She is a co-founder of the Divas with Disabilities project and she joins us to share her personal story and give some tips for how you can raise awareness for an issue in your disability niche.

Our guest today is Mindy Scheier, a fashion designer and mother of a child with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. She is a TED speaker and the President and Founder of Runway of Dreams, a nonprofit organization which works with top clothing brands to develop clothing designs that are made specifically for people with disabilities that make dressing themselves a difficult task. Scheier talks about her journey and also shares her Top 3 tips for launching an organization.

Filmmaker and entrepreneur, Andrew Pilkington is our guest for this episode. Andrew was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as an infant and lives every day with the challenges that come with such a condition. He shares how he learned to use what strong motor skills he has to compensate for the ones that are lacking and other methods he uses to overcome obstacles that stand between him and his dreams.

Today’s guest, Karin York, shares about her journey as the mother of a son with Down syndrome and her work with special needs children in the Arizona school system. She also expounds on what led her to start a coffee shop designed for persons with special needs as both employees and customers. Karin invites you to participate in a menu taste test at the site of the soon-to-open coffee shop on April 13, 2019.

Actor and SLP student Andrew Manardo is our guest today. He talks with Mai Ling about the challenges he had growing up with TAR syndrome, his experiences in LA as an actor with a disability, and the story behind his drive to become an actor in the first place. Andrew also gives some insight into his relatively recent decision to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist. (Please Note: We had some audio issues in the beginning, but it clears up after just a few minutes so please stick with us.)

Our guest today is Ariel Sansom. She is the Director of Development and Programs for DSNetwork Arizona, an organization which offers resources, support, and advocacy to families touched by Down syndrome. Ariel shares her journey to stepping into a full-time role at the foundation years after it was launched by her parents. She also talks about her experiences of growing up as a sibling of an individual with Down syndrome and she explains what DSNetwork is and how they can be of service to those with Down syndrome and their families.

Today’s guest is Yudi Bennett, the Secretary of The Uniquely Abled Project, an organization which works to provide vocational opportunities for uniquely abled individuals. She is also the co-founder of Exceptional Minds, a Visual Effects and Animation Studio as well as vocational academy that trains individuals on the autism spectrum to hone their artistic and design skills and achieve the career of their dreams. Bennett talks with Mai Ling about the missions of these organizations and the impetuses for their creation.

Our host, Mai Ling, is joined by two guests on this episode. Kelly Ott and Dr. Lara Wakefield are the creators of the SMARTER Steps program and the company of the same name, both of which are designed to assist caregivers and professionals in creating more effective Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). They share the story of their beginnings, how they complement each other in their work together, and some tips on how you can be successful in your business partnership.

Celine Osukwu joins Mai Ling to share about the work she is doing in her native country of Nigeria as a leader for disability rights and women’s rights. She is the founder of Divine Foundation for Disabled Persons, an organization which offers, among other things, employment training for persons with disabilities. Celine also opens up about some of the struggles she’s personally faced as a woman with a disability and how she has overcome them.

In this final installment of our Hollywood series, our guest is actor and comedian, Nic Novicki. Nic chats with Mai Ling about the importance of not overlooking hard work, how comedy and drama are connected, and empowering people with disabilities who are working in the entertainment industry. He shares his passion behind the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, an annual competition focusing on promoting films using people with disabilities, both in front of and behind the camera.

Continuing our series of interviews with Hollywood actors, today’s guest is Paul Ford. Paul shares about his experiences with auditioning and landing on-screen roles in the entertainment industry, his early days as a guitarist in a band, and also why he feels it is so important for more persons with disabilities to be cast in TV and film. He also talks about his recent project, “Time to Start Booking PWD” which is working to assist actors with disabilities in their efforts.

As we continue our series of episodes spotlighting Hollywood actors, our guest this week is Eileen Grubba, who has had roles on the stage and the screen. She talks with Mai Ling about her extreme life experiences, the challenges that they posed for her, and how she didn’t let them deter her. Grubba explains why she’s in favor of getting rid of the labels society places on people and shares her story of overcoming cancer and a severe spinal cord injury. You don’t want to miss this inspiring conversation.

In this first episode of our Hollywood series, we are joined by actor Tobias Forrest. He shares some of his experiences being an actor in Hollywood with a disability, he talks about others who have helped to pave the way for him and future actors with disabilities, and he also gives us his 3 top tips for someone who might wish to follow the path that he has gone down in the film industry.

Our guest today is Pam Gaber, Founder and CEO of Gabriel’s Angels, a non-profit organization which pairs up loving pets with at-risk children to help better their lives. Pam shares about transitioning from a corporate job to starting a non-profit from the ground up, the importance of making sure your mission is greater than you, recognizing your skillsets and your limitations, developing systems and workflows, and much more.