What if the biggest barrier to employment for people with disabilities isn't a lack of talent or skills, but a lack of opportunity?

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher welcome Mike Hess, Founder and Executive Director of the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT), an organization dedicated to breaking down barriers to meaningful employment for people with disabilities.

After nearly two decades working in technology for Fortune 500 companies, Mike left his successful corporate career to tackle one of the disability community's most persistent challenges: unemployment and underemployment. Today, BIT is helping people with disabilities build careers in technology through industry-recognized certifications, accessible training, and paid apprenticeships with leading companies like Salesforce and Dell.

Mike shares his personal journey, the innovative business model behind BIT, and why he believes the disability community represents one of the world's greatest untapped sources of talent. The conversation also explores the transformative potential of AI to level the playing field for people with disabilities, the importance of corporate partnerships, and a new film produced in partnership with BBC StoryWorks that highlights BIT's impact around the world.

Along the way, Chris, Kelvin, and Mike share a few personal stories, some laughs, and important lessons about advocacy, accessibility, and the power of creating opportunity.

Join us for an engaging conversation about technology, employment, and why investing in the talents and capabilities of people with disabilities isn't just the right thing to do—it's good business.

Links & Resources:

Mike Hess: LinkedIn

Blind Institute of Technology: Website

BBC StoryWorks Film: Here

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American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher welcome back Steve Ewell, Executive Director of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation, for a conversation about the growing presence of accessibility, disability inclusion, and age tech at CES 2027.

Steve, who was the podcast's very first guest, returns to share how the CTA Foundation continues to expand its efforts to bring accessibility and inclusive innovation to one of the world's largest technology events.

The conversation explores what's new at CES 2027, including the launch of a dedicated Accessibility Hub in Eureka Park, featuring five innovative startups selected by the CTA Foundation; the return of the award-winning Accessibility Stage; and two startup pitch competitions focused on caregiving and technologies supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Steve also shares several new initiatives designed to make CES itself more accessible, including accessible information kiosks and the introduction of a sensory room, along with the continued growth of the Accessibility Roundtable and networking opportunities that bring together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and the disability community.

Throughout the conversation, Chris, Kelvin, and Steve discuss the importance of bringing accessibility innovation into the mainstream technology industry, reaching audiences beyond those already engaged in the disability community, and creating opportunities for collaboration that can drive meaningful change.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, technology leader, or advocate for accessibility, this episode offers a preview of why CES 2027 is shaping up to be an exciting event for inclusive innovation.

Links & Resources:

Steve Ewell: LinkedIn

CTA Foundation: Website

CTA Pitch Competition at CES: Application Link

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American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher wrap up “Tales from the Innovation Showcase,” a special series of conversations recorded at the Accessible Innovation Showcase at The Schoolhouse Hotel, home of The Accessibility Lab.

For the fifth and final episode of the series, Chris and Kelvin sit down with Idan Meir, co-founder and CEO of RightHear, a company transforming traditional signage into an accessible audio experience that helps people understand and navigate the world around them.

Idan shares the story behind RightHear and how the company is reimagining the way people experience public spaces, from hotels and airports to hospitals, restaurants, and parks. The conversation explores the important distinction between navigation and orientation, the limitations of traditional Braille signage, and how technology designed with the blind and low-vision community can create a better experience for everyone.

We also explore how RightHear is incorporating artificial intelligence through Rita, its new AI-powered concierge, allowing guests to ask questions and receive information about their surroundings.

We then take you to the stage at the Accessible Innovation Showcase where Idan demonstrates RightHear's talking signage technology and shares his vision for a future where accessible information is available to everyone, everywhere.

It's a conversation about independence, dignity, and how disability-driven innovation can transform the way we all experience the world around us.

Links & Resources:

Idan Meir: LinkedIn

RightHear: Website

Rita: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher continue “Tales from the Innovation Showcase,” a special series of conversations recorded at the Accessible Innovation Showcase at The Schoolhouse Hotel, home of The Accessibility Lab.

For the fourth episode in the series, Kelvin and Chris sit down with Lee-Anne Reuber, founder and CEO of Sekond Skin Society, an inclusive fitness and wellness platform designed to make movement more accessible for people of all abilities.

Lee-Anne shares her journey from a 22-year career supporting people with disabilities to opening a yoga studio and ultimately founding Sekond Skin Society. She explains how the platform was designed to move beyond traditional adaptive fitness by offering multiple versions of the same class so people with different abilities can exercise together. She also discusses how the company is creating new opportunities for people with disabilities to become fitness instructors and leaders in the industry.

The episode then moves to the stage, where Lee-Anne demonstrates Sekond Skin Society at the Accessible Innovation Showcase and shares her vision for bringing more accessible and inclusive wellness experiences into hotels and the broader hospitality industry.

At the heart of our conversation is a simple idea: when we design fitness and wellness to include every body, we create a better experience for everyone.

Links & Resources:

Lee-Anne Reuber: LinkedIn

Sekond Skin Society: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher continue “Tales from the Innovation Showcase,” a special series of conversations recorded at the Accessible Innovation Showcase at The Schoolhouse Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

For the third episode in the series, Kelvin and Chris sit down with Pierre Paul, founder and CEO of We Hear You, the company behind the Hero Door Opener—a lightweight, affordable technology that can make virtually any door accessible in minutes.

Pierre shares his journey as an entrepreneur and how We Hear You evolved from its original work in sign language translation to tackling another everyday accessibility challenge: opening doors. He explains how the Hero Door Opener was designed to address a significant gap in the market by making interior doors more accessible without the cost, wiring, and complex installation required by traditional automatic door systems.

The episode then moves from the studio to the stage, where Pierre demonstrates the Hero Door Opener at the Accessible Innovation Showcase and shares his vision for expanding the technology into new markets around the world.

At the heart of our conversation is a simple message: the best innovation happens when we build with the disability community, not for them.

Links & Resources:

Pierre Paul: LinkedIn

We Hear You: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher continue “Tales from the Innovation Showcase,” a special series of conversations recorded at the Accessible Innovation Showcase at The Schoolhouse Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

For the second episode in the series, Kelvin and Chris welcome back Bob Ludke, co-founder of Value Inclusion and author of Case Studies in Disability Driven Innovation and Transformative Markets. Bob has spent his career advising policymakers, global companies, and nonprofit organizations on sustainability, corporate governance, accessibility, disability employment, and the role of markets in driving positive change.

Bob reflects on his experience at The Schoolhouse Hotel and why accessible design goes far beyond compliance. When environments are designed for everyone, he explains, they create something much more powerful: a sense of welcome, dignity, and belonging.

The episode then moves from the studio to the stage, where Chris and Bob continue their conversation during a fireside chat at the Accessible Innovation Showcase. They explore how disability-driven innovation can move from niche markets to mainstream adoption, the enormous economic opportunity created by an aging population, and why the current moment presents an important opportunity to bring more private capital into accessibility and disability innovation.

At the heart of our conversation is a simple message: when we design for accessibility, we aren't simply removing barriers. We're creating more welcoming experiences, protecting human dignity, unlocking innovation, and building better products, services, and communities for everyone.

Links & Resources:

Bob Ludke: LinkedIn

Value Inclusion: Website

Case Studies in Disability-Driven Innovation: Bob's Book

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher kick off “Tales from the Innovation Showcase,” a special series of conversations recorded at the Accessible Innovation Showcase at The Schoolhouse Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

The Showcase brought together entrepreneurs, investors, advocates, hospitality leaders, and members of the disability community to explore how innovation can make travel and hospitality more accessible and inclusive. It also highlighted the work of The Accessibility Lab at The Schoolhouse Hotel, a living lab created to test early-stage assistive technology and accessibility products and services in a real-world hospitality environment.

For the first episode in the series, Kelvin and Chris sit down with Kristy Durso, an internationally recognized accessibility advocate, speaker, travel industry consultant, Army veteran, and owner of Incredible Memories Travel. Kristy is also a full-time wheelchair user and the mother of three children with disabilities, giving her a unique combination of lived experience and professional expertise.

Kristy shares her remarkable journey from military life to becoming a travel advisor and, ultimately, unexpectedly becoming a full-time wheelchair user herself. Rather than viewing her wheelchair as a limitation, Kristy describes discovering it as a source of freedom and how her own experiences navigating inaccessible airports, hotels, transportation, and destinations ultimately turned accessible travel into her life’s work.

The episode then moves from the studio to the stage, where Chris and Kristy continue their conversation during a fireside chat at the Accessible Innovation Showcase.

At the heart of our conversation is a simple message: accessibility shouldn’t be viewed as compliance. It should be viewed as exceptional hospitality and smart business.

Links & Resources:

Kristy Durso: LinkedIn

Incredible Memories Travel: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher sit down with Bevon Joseph, founder and CEO of Grant Logic AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way nonprofits, startups, and mission-driven organizations discover and secure grant funding.

Drawing on his experience in financial services and as the founder of the nationally recognized nonprofit Greenwood Project, Bevon shares how years of frustration navigating the grant process inspired him to build Grant Logic AI—a platform that helps organizations identify the right funding opportunities, evaluate grant fit in seconds, and dramatically reduce the time required to prepare competitive applications.

The conversation explores why non-dilutive capital is becoming increasingly important for early-stage companies, particularly founders building accessibility and disability-focused businesses. Chris and Bevon discuss how AI can level the playing field by giving entrepreneurs access to funding opportunities that were once difficult to find and even harder to pursue, while Kelvin shares his own experiences navigating inaccessible grant systems as a blind entrepreneur.

Whether you're a startup founder, nonprofit leader, grant writer, investor, or simply interested in how AI can expand access to capital, this episode offers a practical look at one of the most overlooked funding opportunities available today—and how technology is making it more accessible for everyone.

Links & Resources:

Bevon Joseph: LinkedIn

Grant Logic AI: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.