2025 AGENDA
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12:00pm: Grab-N-Go Lunch
12:10pm: Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Tom Dawson, President, Strada Collaborative
12:30pm-1:00pm: Keynote Presentation
This presentation will center on the role of HR leaders in establishing cultures that support the hiring, advancement, and leadership of individuals with disabilities to fill urgent talent gaps across industries.
Featured Speaker: Johnny C. Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, SHRM
1:10pm-1:55pm: Panel 1 – “AI and the Future of Accessible Education and Workplaces”
This panel will bring together those working to harness AI's power to serve individuals with disabilities and create tools that can support them in the workplace. Panelists will discuss the most successful use cases for AI in disability tech, the solutions that their teams are building, and what innovations they see on the horizon, and what ethical and governance frameworks are appropriate to gauge the appropriate use of AI and impact.
2:05pm-2:35pm: “Worth the Risk”
Join Charlie Hammerman, President & Chief Executive Officer of Disability Opportunity Fund (DOF) as he interviews Peter Kant, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Enabled Intelligence. What started in 2021 as an equity investment by DOF in an early-stage company, which sought to increase employment opportunities for the neurodiverse workforce, Kant and his team has developed Enabled Intelligence into a leader in data labelling and AI models. Hammerman and Kant will discuss the benefits of providing employment to neurodiverse employees in a competitive and demanding industry.
2:45pm-3:30pm: Panel 2 – Investing in Disability Tech: Perspective from Investors and Philanthropies”
This panel will convene funders to provide their rationale for investing in workforce inclusion tools and technologies. They will offer insight into the successes that their teams have been a part of, their theories of change, and perspectives that entrepreneurs can keep in mind as they look to drive innovation in the space and bring new solutions to market.
3:40pm-4:25pm: Panel 3 – “Building Solutions, Building Businesses: Lessons from Founders”
This panel will showcase best-in-class examples of technology designed to promote workforce opportunity for disabled workers. Founders will discuss their experiences identifying and meeting a need within the disabled community and their work with employers to scale solutions.
4:35pm-5:20pm: Panel 4 – “Driving Change & Unlocking Talent: Lessons from Leading Employers”
This panel will convene accessibility leaders from some of the most innovative and recognizable global companies, all committed to advancing disabled talent. Panelists will share insights into their team’s efforts to partner with tech companies that have pioneered cutting-edge solutions to support the full participation of disabled colleagues. They will also discuss why more forward-thinking organizations should follow suit and the tangible benefits their teams have experienced as a result of these initiatives.
5:20pm-5:30pm: Closing Remarks
Regina “Gina” Kline, Founder and Managing Partner of Enable Ventures & Founder and Chair of SmartJob
Reception to follow