Human Potential At Work

Mindy Scheier, fashion designer and founder of Runway of Dreams, shares her story. Mindy's son Oliver, was born with Rigid Spine Muscular Dystrophy, causing clothing challenges due to muscle weakness and his inability to dress himself. After spending years in the fashion industry, Mindy decided there was an opportunity to meld her worlds together. Runway of Dreams aims to be the authority on incorporating modifications to mainstream clothing for the differently-abled community, changing the landscape of fashion as being ALL-INCLUSIVE.  

Kannan Srinivasan, Director of Human Resources at Flextronics Technologies, discusses the work that they are doing to include persons of all abilities in their workforce. Kannan discusses what has worked best for them, and how they were able to make inclusive hiring a mainstream practice in their organization.   

Megan Morrone, Producer & Host at TWiT.tv, discusses women's voices in technology, and the importance of considering multiple perspectives. She also shares the ways in which social media and technology can be used to increase accessibility and be a platform for diverse voices. 

Yves Veulliet, Global Disability & Inclusion Program Manager at IBM discusses why IBM is leading The Global Conversation on Disability Inclusion via the ILO GBDN. (ILO Global Business and Disability Network)

Byron Reese, CEO and publisher of the technology research company Gigaom and author of The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity, joins the program to discuss how technological advancements will impact everyone, including persons with disabilities. Byron looks at the historical impact of technology and reveals why he is bullish on technological advancement as a force for good. 

Betty Siegel, The Kennedy Center's Director of VSA and Accessibility, joins the program to discuss the importance of equity in the arts and  arts based careers. Discover how The Kennedy Center is ensuring that every voice is lifted up and heard and learn more about their innovative internship programs. 

Gary Sheinbaum, Chief Executive Officer, Tommy Hilfiger Americas, joins the program to discuss the Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive line.  The line includes the essential fashion pieces like shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, and jackets — but Tommy Adaptive clothes are easier to put on. Modifications such as adjustable hems, one-handed zippers, side-seam openings, bungee cord closure systems, adjustable waists, and magnetic buttons and velcro make the fashionable designs much more disability friendly. Some shirts are even made with easy-open necklines and expanded back openings.

LaMondré Pough joins the program to discuss the disruption that is occurring when it comes to disability inclusion. Discover some of the trends and technological shifts that are occurring and the impact that they will have on people of all abilities. 

What is inclusion branding and why is it important for corporations? In this special episode, Debra is joined by her producer Doug Foresta as she discusses takeaways from her new book "Inclusion Branding" and how corporations can create inclusive marketing that creates a high return on investment. Discover how to create communities, engage influencers and maximize your social media and marketing efforts.  To support our program, visit https://www.patreon.com/HPAW  To get the book "Inclusion Branding" visit https://amzn.to/2GKV0sj

How do we fully value the social good that people do in the world? Debra is joined by her producer, Doug Foresta, in a conversation about being paid well for social good and why we should invest in work that empowers and uplifts others and the payoff for making those investments. They explore how to get past fear and dysfunctional narratives in order to keep the focus on doing the right thing for your brand and stakeholders.  To support our program, visit https://www.patreon.com/HPAW 

Stephen J Wampler joins the program to discuss the creation of "Camp Wamp", which encourages teamwork, empowers kids with physical disabilities to experience the great outdoors, and creates memories that last a lifetime. 

Jeff Mayerson joins the program to discuss his Wolves Basketball Academy, which provides a friendly and fun environment for children with special needs to learn the fundamentals of basketball as well as play on a team. Discover the benefits and importance of ensuring that sports are truly accessible to all. 

Digital transformation consultant Christopher Joynson and Rob Price,  COO for Worldline UK&I, join the program to discuss the importance of inclusion in a digital society. They share their thoughts about the "digital divide", the cost of that divide, and how technology can be used to add value to companies and people. 

Ian Kremer, Executive Director of Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer's Disease, joins the program to discuss some of the potential causes, progression and treatment options for those affected by Alzheimer's. He also shares the some of the most exciting investments in research that are currently underway.   

John Little has been a business builder, entrepreneur, mentor, facilitator and motivator for the last 30 years. On today's episode, he shares his conviction about ensuring equal access to opportunities for persons with disabilities. John also reveals that he is was able to achieve success not in spite of his disability, but because of it, and how having a disability can make you a better entrepreneur and creative problem solver. 

Suzanne Colbert from the Australian Network on Disability joins the program to discuss the efforts that they are engaging in to increase disability and inclusion access in Australia. Suzanne also shares her thoughts about what needs to happen in order to ensure the inclusion and retention of persons with disabilities in all businesses.   

Steven AJ Cox, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador at Fujitsu, joins the program to discuss how he has been able to help embed a more inclusive culture and how technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence impact the modern workforce. 

Vint Cerf, Internet Pioneer, and Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, joins the program for this special 100th edition of Human Potential at Work. Vint discusses how he came to co-create the architecture of the internet and shares his thoughts about the current state of technology and the internet including machine learning, how technology enables him to work, and the interplay between the internet and smartphones. Discover the work that Vint is doing to help make the internet more useful and accessible. 

In this episode, Debra is joined by Doug Foresta, producer of Human Potential at Work, and Christina Block, who does prison ministry work. Discover the need for prison reform, why persons with disabilities can end up in the prison system, and what needs to happen in order to help bring out the full human potential of ex-offenders. 

Lou Orslene, Co-Director of the Job Accommodation Network, joins the program to discuss some of the various myths about accommodations, and the power of reasonable accommodations to help unleash the human potential of all people, including those with disabilities.