Penny Forward copertina

Penny Forward

Penny Forward

Di: Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner
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 The Penny Forward podcast is about blind people building bright futures one penny at a time. We’re blind people learning to be successful in our personal, professional, and financial lives.© 2023 Penny Forward INC Economia Finanza personale Gestione e leadership Leadership Ricerca del lavoro Successo personale
Episodi
  • Your Secretary in Your Pocket: Lumen’s Promise for Blind Professionals

    Your Secretary in Your Pocket: Lumen’s Promise for Blind Professionals
    Jan 20 2026
    1) Episode Summary Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner welcome Sri Ram, an engineer and serial entrepreneur based in San Francisco, who shares his connection to the blind and low vision community through his own diagnosis of cone rod dystrophy in his 30s. Sri Ram describes adapting largely through self-directed learning, community input, and partnerships (including Lighthouse for the Blind), and explains how his lived experience helped spark his new company, LuminAid. The conversation explores entrepreneurship lessons learned from Sri Ram’s first company (including raising capital and learning “by doing”), and how LuminAid differs—driven by a stronger mission to increase agency and independence, supported by his experience scaling products and building sustainable businesses. Sri Ram then demos Lumen, an iPhone app that lets users manage Gmail through natural voice conversation—summarizing inbox threads, replying, starring emails, and composing new messages hands-free. The hosts dig into AI and privacy considerations (including use of multiple AI providers), roadmap plans to expand beyond email into calendars and documents, and longer-term ambitions to unify communication and productivity tools into a curated, voice-first “single thread.” Additional accessibility features discussed include upcoming options for multiple voices and adjustable speaking speed. The episode closes with practical encouragement for people navigating later-in-life vision loss and for aspiring entrepreneurs: seek help, engage community, share what you learn, and take small, concrete steps that build confidence and contribute to others. 2) Contact Info Guest / Product Sriram — Founder (LuminAid); creator of Lumen (voice-controlled AI assistant for managing email via iPhone). Direct contact info / website for LuminAid or Lumen: not stated in the provided transcript. Penny Forward Guest submission form (blind/low-vision entrepreneurs): pennyforward.com/podcast/guest Monthly newsletter + updates: pennyforward.com/connect Organization + programs: pennyforward.com 3) Show Credits Produced by: Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner Audio editing & post-production: Jonathan Price Music composed and performed by: Andre Louis Distributed in partnership with: AfterSight Penny Forward mission note: a nonprofit providing accessible financial education programs by and for people who are blind. 4) Chapter Markers 00:00 — Introduction to Sri Ram, LuminAid, and “Lumen” (voice email assistant) 02:11 — Sri Ram’s diagnosis timeline and adapting to vision loss 04:32 — Why LuminAid started: underserved community + builder mindset 06:55 — Starting a first company: learning venture capital by doing 09:16 — How LuminAid is different: mission-driven motivation + experience 11:40 — Biggest advice: get help, share learnings, stay connected to community 14:06 — A hard season: workplace visibility challenges and confidence hits 16:26 — Why start with email: voice-first productivity for work independence 18:45 — Demo begins: Lumen voice workflow on iPhone 19:26 — Inbox summary: hearing the latest threads 20:00 — Voice actions: reply, star, and send a new email hands-free 22:31 — AI + privacy: multiple AI providers and on-device ambitions 24:53 — Roadmap: unify Slack/Teams/docs into a curated “single thread” 27:15 — Pricing & accessibility: affordability concerns and future models 29:41 — Closing remarks + Penny Forward connect info and full credits
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    31 min
  • Treading the Waters of Life: Sylvia Stinson Perez on Self-Reflection, Action, and Impact

    Treading the Waters of Life: Sylvia Stinson Perez on Self-Reflection, Action, and Impact
    Jan 15 2026
    Episode Summary Chris Peterson hosts solo (Liz Bottner is out for this episode) and interviews Sylvia Stinson Perez, a lifelong member of the blind community who was born legally blind and later learned she has retinitis pigmentosa, with vision declining over time to mostly light perception. Sylvia shares how she “discovered” the blindness field through training at a lighthouse agency, how that led to decades of leadership (including serving as a CEO), and why she believes the field can be both impactful and rewarding for blind and low-vision professionals. The conversation centers on defining impact (as meaningful difference aligned with what you care about), building self-advocacy and comfort with accommodations, and the role of lifelong learning—Sylvia describes earning an MSW, later a degree in vision rehab therapy (as a certified vision rehab therapist), and then an MBA to better lead organizations. Sylvia also introduces her book Treading the Waters of Life: A Guide to Self-Reflection and Action, explaining its reflection + action framework, and where to find the free download and companion resources. The episode closes with practical encouragement on self-acceptance, interdependence, persistence, and hope (“sometimes hope is the only plan you have left”). Contact Info Guest / Total Impact Partners Website (free book download + contact form): totalimpactpartners.com LinkedIn: Sylvia Stinson Perez Podcast: Treading the Waters of Life Book: Treading the Waters of Life: A Guide to Self-Reflection and Action (free via website; also on Kindle for $0.99) Penny Forward Website: pennyforward.com Programs mentioned: self-paced financial education courses, weekly workshops, and one-on-one financial counseling Aftersight (distribution partner) Website: aftersight.org Producer credit Audio editing & post-production: Jonathan Price Show Credits Produced by: Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner Audio editing and post-production: Jonathan Price Music: composed and performed by Andre Louis Distributed in partnership with: Aftersight Penny Forward: a nonprofit providing accessible financial education programs by and for people who are blind Chapter Markers 00:00 — Show intro; Liz is out; Sylvia introduced 02:18 — Sylvia’s entry into the blindness field and agency leadership 04:40 — Education path: MSW, vision rehab therapy, MBA; lifelong learning 07:01 — Early school years; not knowing about accommodations; night blindness story 09:27 — College/work accommodations and self-advocacy growth 13:48 — Defining “impact” and success beyond titles 16:12 — Book origin: self-reflection + action; writing with vulnerability 18:34 — TotalImpactPartners.com resources; workbook; blog; services 20:50 — Advice: self-belief, pride, interdependence, lifelong learning, hope 23:11 — Message to students: difference, bullying, confidence, social development 25:33 — Why social skills come up in the blind community; self-acceptance 27:58 — Real-world example: volunteering, cane use, learning spaces, educating others 30:21 — Leadership approach: championing people; willingness to do the work 32:40 — Persistence, optimism, and “hope as the plan” 35:03 — Where to find Sylvia; Penny Forward courses and closing credits
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    37 min
  • Dancing Dots and Braille Music with Bill McCann

    Dancing Dots and Braille Music with Bill McCann
    Dec 9 2025
    Episode Summary
    This episode continues the conversation with Bill McCann, founder of Dancing Dots, exploring the pivotal moments that shaped his success as a blind entrepreneur. Bill recounts the nerve-wracking scramble of submitting a major grant during a snowstorm—an event that ultimately became a turning point for the company.
    He shares the organic evolution of forming Dancing Dots, from learning business skills out of necessity to building a small but powerful team of collaborators, including his longtime colleague Albert and talented musicians like Matthew Whitaker. Bill explains how humility, resourcefulness, and knowing when to ask for help have been essential parts of entrepreneurship—especially as a blind business owner.
    Bill also speaks candidly about balancing artistry with practicality: how blind musicians can fit music into their lives, why passion must be paired with a plan for sustainability, and the importance of keeping creativity alive even if music isn’t a primary income source.
    The episode closes with a full overview of Dancing Dots’ products, training services, and Braille music resources—plus where listeners can go to learn more or get hands-on support.

    Contact Info
    Guest / Organization
    Bill McCann — Founder, Dancing Dots
    Website: https://www.dancingdots.com
    Services: Braille music production, accessible notation software, Reaper/Logic/Pro Tools training, 30-minute consultation for audio accessibility, Braille music courses, temporary software trials.
    Aftersight & Penny Forward
    Penny Forward
    Website: https://www.pennyforward.com
    Phone: 888-332-5558
    Services: Accessible financial education, business plan consulting, workshops, online courses, 1:1 financial counseling.
    Aftersight (distribution partner)
    Website: https://www.aftersight.org
    Producer Credits
    Produced by Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner
    Audio editing & post-production by Jonathan Price
    Music composed/performed by Andre Louis
    Distributed in partnership with Aftersight

    Chapter Markers
    00:00 – Opening & Episode Setup
    00:30 – Bill’s biggest early business scare
    02:20 – The FedEx snowstorm story
    04:15 – Relief, success, and key turning points
    05:00 – How Dancing Dots organically formed
    06:30 – Learning business skills without business school
    07:55 – Finding collaborators & unexpected help
    10:30 – Running a micro-business as a blind founder
    13:00 – Humility, asking for help, and resourcefulness
    15:20 – Creativity vs. structure: the balance of entrepreneurship
    17:00 – Advice for blind musicians
    19:45 – Fitting music into a sustainable life plan
    22:20 – The state of the music industry
    23:55 – Keeping creativity alive
    24:50 – Dancing Dots services & training
    25:40 – How to contact Bill
    26:10 – Penny Forward services
    27:00 – Closing credits
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    27 min
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