Imani Barbarin is a prominent disability rights and inclusion activist, speaker, and writer dedicated to amplifying the voices of the disabled community. Born with cerebral palsy, she passionately advocates from her unique perspective as a disabled Black woman. Over the years, Imani has created numerous influential hashtags such as #PatientsAreNotFaking and #ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow, which have sparked important conversations and fostered community among disabled individuals. Hailing from the Philadelphia area, she holds a Master’s degree in Global Communications from the American University of Paris. Imani's impactful writing has been featured in well-known publications like Forbes, Healthline, and BitchMedia. She also runs the blog CrutchesAndSpice.com and hosts a podcast of the same name, furthering her mission to promote awareness, inclusion, and understanding of the disabled experience. Through her work, Imani continues to challenge societal perceptions and champion for a more inclusive world.

Danté Allen is a visionary senior executive with a distinguished career that spans government, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors. As a staunch advocate for disability rights, financial inclusion, and health equity, he has led transformative initiatives aimed at enhancing accessibility and quality of life for marginalized communities. Allen is recognized as a national leader in disability inclusion, owing to his expertise in public policy and strategic communications. 

Most recently, he served as the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), appointed by President Joe Biden. In this role, he managed a $4 billion budget, supporting vocational rehabilitation and workforce integration for individuals with disabilities. Allen also launched CalABLE, California’s ABLE savings program, which has become the nation's fastest-growing of its kind. 

Born with spina bifida, Allen’s personal journey fuels his commitment to advocacy, inspiring others to challenge both self-imposed limitations and systemic barriers. His work continues to create lasting impact in disability rights and workforce integration across the nation.

Orlando Williams is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Equity Officer of Motus, a leading Pacific Northwest recruiting firm recognized for its excellence in staffing, executive search, and DEIB organizational development. With over 25 years of experience, Orlando has transformed Motus into an award-winning organization, earning accolades such as Oregon’s Most Admired, Best of Staffing, and Forbes “Top Recruiting Firms.”

A former All-Conference basketball player at the University of Oregon and Community Outreach Ambassador for the Harlem Globetrotters, Orlando began his recruiting career at Nike’s World Headquarters. In 2016, he founded The Harvest Academy for Talent, advancing strategies for inclusive leadership hiring.

Orlando also spent 12 years as an NBA game analyst for the Portland Trail Blazers. He holds a BA in Economics from the University of Oregon, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and an Executive DEI Certification from Cornell University. In his free time, Orlando enjoys Bible study, traveling, history, and time with his family.

Joe Grasso, PhD, is the Vice President of Workforce Transformation at Lyra Health and a clinical psychologist by training. At Lyra, he oversees Lyra's product suite for supporting workplace mental health and he leads a team of experts who consult with employers on their management practices, corporate policies, and learning and development programs. Dr. Grasso has been interviewed by national media outlets including CNN, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, and Washington Post for his perspective on workforce mental health topics. Prior to joining Lyra, Dr. Grasso managed the implementation of a national training program for the US Department of Veterans Affairs, where he also led quality improvement initiatives and conducted health services research. His peer-reviewed research spans topics including integrated health care, psychotherapy outcomes, and the intersection of social identities and mental health.

Ludmila N. Praslova, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, is the author of “The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2024), listed as one of the top new management books for 2024 by Thinkers50 and among the top 5 management and culture books by Porchlight.  

She is a Professor of Graduate Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California. With over 25 years of experience in developing talent-rich organizations, her current consulting is focused on creating organizational systems for inclusion and wellbeing and providing neuroinclusion training and support to organizations such as Amazon, Bank of America, and MIT. Dr.

Praslova regularly writes for Fast Company, Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today, and is the first person to have published in Harvard Business Review from an autistic perspective. She is a member of the Thinkers50 Radar 2024 cohort of global management thinkers most likely to impact workplaces.

Dr. Pavan Somusetty is a board-certified general psychiatrist working within Kaiser Permanente’s Northwest market for almost 15 years.

He is the chief of the Mental Health department for the last 5 years, overseeing the outpatient therapists and psychiatrists as well as the hospital, residential, and interventional based programs.

As the National Leader for Kaiser Permanente's Suicide Prevention Initiative, he coordinates closely with all KP’s markets across the country to raise the national standard for suicide care.

Dr. Somusetty has been named Top Doctor in his field by Portland Monthly in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.

Larysa Kautz is the President & CEO of Melwood, bringing over 20 years of expertise in law, nonprofit management, and disability advocacy. A fierce champion for inclusion, she focuses on expanding opportunities for people with disabilities.

Larysa holds a Juris Doctor (JD) from Yale Law School and an Masters of Law (LLM) from Georgetown University Law Center. Her experience includes affordable housing development and venture philanthropy, having previously served as a partner at Schaner & Lubitz and as counsel at Bingham McCutchen. 

As a first-generation American with disabilities, a daughter of parents with disabilities, and a mother to a child with disabilities, she is deeply committed to Melwood’s mission. Larysa founded the Advocacy Department, enhancing the organization’s influence on policies benefiting the community.

She actively supports the abolition of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act and holds positions on several boards, including the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the CEO Commission for Disability Employment.

Larysa’s contributions have earned her multiple industry awards.

Julie J. Christensen, MSW, PhD, is the Executive Director and Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE). She also currently serves as the Senior Disability Policy Advisor for the Harkin Institute at Drake University. Prior to joining APSE, Dr. Christensen was the Director of Iowa’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the University of Iowa, where she held a research faculty appointment in the Carver College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Christensen received her undergraduate degrees in advertising and music from Syracuse University, and a Masters in Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College and her Ph.D. in Health Practice Research at the University of Rochester.

Bob Speltz is the senior director of Community and Public Relations for Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) in Portland, Ore.  He is responsible for all aspects of corporate community involvement including The Standard’s corporate giving program, the Standard Charitable Foundation, employee volunteerism, environmental sustainability and public and media relations. Bob joined The Standard in July 2008.

Prior to joining The Standard, Bob held senior roles in corporate community engagement at Nike, Nau and MCI Communications Corp. He has also held positions in marketing and development at the Council on Foundations and American Association of Museums in Washington, D.C.

Bob currently serves on the board of Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Portland Art Museum. He co-chairs the capital campaign for Dougy Center. He is a former board member and chair of Literary Arts, Oregon Cultural Trust and Our House of Portland. He’s also served on the boards of Grantmakers of Oregon and SW Washington, Philanthropy Northwest and Equity Foundation. 

A Minnesota native, Speltz earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN. He and husband, Dwight Adkins, live in Portland.

Aarti Sahgal is the founder of Synergies Work, the largest startup hub for entrepreneurs with disabilities, and Synergies Seed Fund, a rising CDFI bridging financial gaps for disabled founders.

As the parent of a son with Down syndrome, she has spent over 20 years challenging low expectations and fostering inclusive entrepreneurship. Previously, she worked in advertising and marketing for 14 years and holds a master’s in business management from a top Mumbai school.

Aarti collaborates with corporations, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to advance economic inclusion and create one world where people with disabilities 

Andrea Matta is a dedicated mental health professional with a strong academic foundation, holding a Bachelor of Science degree with a focus on criminology from Purdue University, and a Master of Arts in Applied Psychological Science from Pacific University.

Her career has been centered on providing support to individuals facing complex mental health challenges, particularly those experiencing trauma and severe mental illness. She has been involved in research relating to discrimination in sentencing and showing Remorse, and the Intersection of Race and Gender, as well as exploring biases in social media and views on law enforcement. 

Andrea’s experience includes working with high-risk youth in adolescent day treatment programs, providing crucial support during adolescence. She has also worked in private practice, focusing on trauma work throughout the lifespan and contributed significantly to community mental health, specifically working with children in foster and adoptive care.

Currently, Andrea works in an Intensive Outpatient Program with Charlie Health, where she assists individuals in stabilization and providing high-level care to allow them to return to a lower level of care and reintegration into their day to day lives. Her professional focus highlights the profound impact of severe mental illness on overall life functioning, and she is committed to providing compassionate and effective care to vulnerable populations.