Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & Martyn Sibley

Mai Ling and Martyn bring us up to date with all that is going in with their respective efforts in the disability space, including the release of the new book, Becoming an Exceptional AAC Leader. Then Mai Ling chats with guests Jackson and Ken Robol about how Jackson is building his skills as a broadcaster in spite of his autism. In the middle of the pandemic, Jackson, a high school student, launched a live-streamed interview show and has had celebrity guests from a variety of arenas. Don’t miss this inspiring personal story!

Writer, poet, and podcaster Lateef McLeod joins the show for this episode to talk about communicating with the written word as a person with a disability. As an AAC user, Lateef has a unique life experience and perspective to share with our community. In addition to his own writing projects, he is also a contributor to the upcoming Xceptional Leaders book and he discusses what that process was like with Mai Ling Chan as well.

Our hosts, Mai Ling and Martyn, decide to give the guests a break and just share some valuable information with you from their personal entrepreneurial experiences. So in this episode they talk all about exit strategies. You’ll learn about some of the various types of exits, tips on how to navigate the process of selling your business, and why it’s important to set yourself up for a successful exit from the outset.

We are happy to be joined on the show today by Kyndra LoCoco. She is the Accessibility Partner Programs Manager at Google and she chats with Martyn about her work in the disability community. Kyndra shares her background, her journey to becoming a googler, and her personal connection to the disability community. They also touch on topics such as how Google addresses accessibility in their products, verbiage changes in the community and much more.

Deborah Jaffe is our guest today and she joins the program to talk about the two disability focused Facebook groups of which she is the creator and admin. She talks with Mai Ling about how the groups got started and the steps required to manage them and keep engagement alive. Deborah also shares how she filters through news stories, helpful info, tips, etc. to find what is applicable to the members of the groups. This information is valuable to anyone looking to build a community in the disability space.

We’re joined today by entrepreneur, Josh Wintersgill. He is the founder of Able Move and creator of the easyTravelseat, an amazing product which makes it easier for wheelchair users to move from their chair to airline seats. Josh shares with Martyn about some of the highs and lows since launching his business, he talks about pivoting and diversification in product offerings, and how the pandemic has pushed his team to innovate.

In our first episode of 2021, we start off with a fantastic conversation with entrepreneur Harout Markarian. Harout is an author as well as the founder and CEO of Markarian Robotics. Mai Ling chats with him about his vision for creating efficient and affordable products for the mobility challenged using robotics. Harout’s goal is to make life accessible for all through this new company and he’s sharing this message via his book and podcast too.

In this final episode of 2020, Mai Ling and Martyn take a few minutes to share some thoughts on the past year. They also also share a few thoughts on networking and then chat a bit about holiday plans. We hope you enjoy this fun, short, wrap-up episode of the show.

Today’s featured interview is an insightful conversation with Alan Brightman. Alan is a former executive of both Apple and Yahoo where he was a pioneer in the field of assistive technology. He talks with Mai Ling about the early days of developing accessible technology, the hurdles and challenges they had to overcome, and laying the foundation for the tools available today. This is a fascinating interview packed with information and insights.

Today we’re sharing an important discussion about hidden disabilities with our guest Victoria Jenkins. She is a designer, garment technologist, and the creative director and founder of Unhidden Clothing. Martyn talks with her about the challenges of living with a disability that is not visually obvious as well as her work designing and altering clothing to make them suitable and comfortable for people with disabilities.

Today’s guest is prolific storyteller Mathew Klickstein. Mathew is a writer, speaker, and filmmaker; just to name a few. He talks with Mai Ling about his work with the Kids of Widney High, a group of young adults with developmental disabilities who formed a touring rock band. These experiences inspired Mathew to write the YA book titled, The Kids of Widney Junior High Take Over the World!, which imagines what the real-life kids might have experienced in Junior High.

Today Mai Ling sits down for a chat with Lydia Dawley, CEO of AAC consultation agency Click. Speak. Connect. Lydia has Mixed Cerebral Palsy, is a wheelchair user, and an AAC user so she brings her unique experiences and perspectives to the table. Listen in as she shares her journey and her passion for helping others with AAC devices reach their fullest potential in communication.

In this episode, Mai Ling and Martyn share a few updates with you and then Martyn sits down with occupational therapy student and disability blogger, Georgia Vine, for a conversation. Georgia shares some experiences with living with cerebral palsy, why she chose to enter the field of occupational therapy, and about her blog, NotSoTerriblePalsy.com. Becoming an Exceptional Leader book: ​https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578736845/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_86QEFbT27QNKK

Communication consultant, Rebecca Okamoto, the self-described “20 word person”, is our guest today. Rebecca works with clients to confidently and clearly market their businesses in as few as 20 words. She worked with both Martyn and Mai Ling to upgrade their LinkedIn profiles and she walks through her process in this interview and explains how vital it is that your profile educates your audience. This is a great conversation that is full of valuable information for every professional regardless of industry.

Today Mai Ling and Martyn share some updates on what has been keeping them busy lately and then they follow that with a wonderful interview with Swathi Chettipally. Mai Ling talks with Swathi about her experiences as a mother of an adult daughter with autism. Swathi shares some very heartfelt stories of the struggles and triumphs their family has faced. She also gives encouragement to other parents of children with challenges. This inspirational conversation is one that you don’t want to miss.

In the featured guest chair on the show this week is disability equality advocate, Shani Dhanda. Shani is the founder of the Diversability Card, a LinkedIn Changemaker, and a #WorkWithMe Ambassador at Virgin Media. Shani chats with Martyn about the spending power in the disability community that some businesses fail to appreciate. She also talks about the value of inclusion and diversity in the workplace and having a level playing field for all job applicants. Don’t miss this energizing and inspiring conversation with this exceptional leader.

This is an exciting episode of the show today! Mai Ling and Martyn announce that the new book, Becoming An Exceptional Leader, is now available on Kindle! Additionally, Mai Ling shares a great conversation with educational specialist Kate Ahern. Kate talks about her personal experience with designing and sharing academically-focused group augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) online classes. You don’t want to miss this information-packed interview.

Ed Warner is our featured Xceptional Leader today. Ed is the CEO and cofounder of Motionspot, a UK-based company offering products for people with disabilities that are designed with both form and function in mind. Martyn talks with Ed about how Motionspot began and how the company got to where it is since the founding in 2012. Ed’s passion for designing equipment that has all the necessary features to make them usable but are also stylish and aesthetically pleasing comes through in this in-depth conversation.

Today’s featured guest is Zakiya Mabery, Founder and CEO of B. Global Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Planning. Mai Ling chats with Zakiya about the issues that are precisely what her organization specializes in; diversity and inclusion. She also talks about how vital networking has been to her career and the challenges she faces living with multiple disabilities herself. Listen in for this story of perseverance from this inspiring businesswoman and author.

In this jam-packed episode of the show, Mai Ling and Martyn share a conversation between Martyn and co-founder and CEO of the Kaleidoscope Group (Kg), Hardeep Rai. Through the various organizations that make up Kg, Hardeep and his teams offer a variety of services, tools, and resources for entrepreneurs with disabilities or someone who has a startup in the disability sector. Listen in as Hardeep shares some highlights from his story and how Kg can potentially support your business venture.