Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & James Berges
Learn from global disability-focused leaders about high profile topics and how they are truly making a difference. Mai Ling and James give you front row access to intimate conversations that are shaping the way the world is supporting people with disabilities. They share their intimate experiences— so you can start, grow, and expand your impact.
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A Digital Accessibility Deep Dive with Tanner Gers
09/25/2023
A Digital Accessibility Deep Dive with Tanner Gers
Today Mai Ling has a chat with the founder of AccessAbility Officer, Tanner Gers. AccessAbility Officer’s aim is to make work and the web better through the services they offer, including digital accessibility training and certification, as well as staffing and recruiting. Tanner shares with us his journey to founding this organization, starting with how life changed when he became blind, what true ADA-compliant digital/online accessibility means for companies, and how the certification program works and the benefits it provides. Join us for this deep dive into the important topic of online accessibility.
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Observing Without Eyesight with Dr. Mona Minkara
09/11/2023
Observing Without Eyesight with Dr. Mona Minkara
Dr. Mona Minkara chats with James in today’s episode about how to use other senses beyond eyesight to observe scientifically. Mona is a blind assistant professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern University and a travel vlogger who lives by the maxim that vision is more than sight. In this fascinating conversation with James, she talks about her interest in science at an early age, how she uses other senses in her scientific work, and how curiosity is an integral part of her personality. She also shares her passion for traveling the world and thoughts on overcoming the doubts that so many of us face.
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Creative Marketing & Careers for the Neurodivergent with Merlee Jayme
08/28/2023
Creative Marketing & Careers for the Neurodivergent with Merlee Jayme
In today’s packed interview, James chats with Merlee Jayme, Chairmom® and Founder of the Misfits Camp. Merlee shares some of her backstory, including some experiences in her early, formative years which had a profound impact on her life and her approach to marketing and creativity. She also talks about her passion for creating careers for the neurodivergent which led to the formation of the Misfits Camp and why she’s not averse to the term “misfit”.
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Becoming an Exceptional Leader with Michael Zalle
08/14/2023
Becoming an Exceptional Leader with Michael Zalle
Mai Ling sits down with founder and CEO of YellowBird, Michael Zalle, to talk about being a successful leader as a person with a disability. As a veteran tech entrepreneur, Michael pulls from his extensive experience in the business world to share about when it might be advantageous to disclose a disability to potential investors. He also talks about embracing your own story and using it to your advantage and he also shares some thoughts on the role of authenticity in business. This is a value-packed episode!
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Making Sports Events More Accessible with Victor Ocando Finol
07/31/2023
Making Sports Events More Accessible with Victor Ocando Finol
In our opening segment, Mai Ling and James talk about the importance of networking in your local area, in addition to building a national or international network. This valuable discussion is followed by Mai Ling’s interview with founder and CEO of Adapt the Game, Victor Ocando Finol. Victor talks about his experience as a sports fan with limited mobility due to cerebral palsy and the challenges of attending live sporting events. He created the Adapt the Game mobile app to help sports fans who were in a similar situation to himself by addressing accessibility issues with the sports venues and tailoring the experience to the individual user’s needs, from ticketing to game time.
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AI and AAC Technology with Alan Vu
07/17/2023
AI and AAC Technology with Alan Vu
Today we’re featuring an informative conversation between James and fellow speech-language pathologist, Alan Vu. As an SLP and an AAC specialist, Alan was able to leverage his professional background and his personal experience as a person who stutters to help create a new app that combines AI with AAC, called Flexspeak. James and Alan talk about what Flexspeak does and what Alan and his team are working on, as well as why many other AAC systems are being abandoned users.
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DEI in Film Production & Scaling Your Business with Koura Linda
07/03/2023
DEI in Film Production & Scaling Your Business with Koura Linda
Mai Ling starts off this solo-hosted episode with an update about our new episode collections that make it easy to do a deep dive into a specific topic. Then she brings founder and CEO of Space Dream Productions, Koura Linda, onto the show to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in film production and how her company is working in that arena. Koura talks about being a facilitator of communication and how her job is “to assist other artists, activists, and educators with connecting with audiences and communicating with them.” And she also dives into some important things to consider when scaling your business, regardless of the industry.
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Living with ADHD in Adulthood with Chris Wang
06/19/2023
Living with ADHD in Adulthood with Chris Wang
The topic of today’s episode is personal for Mai Ling. Before our guest joins the show to talk about ADHD, Mai Ling shares her own personal experience with her diagnosis. James then sits down with startup founder and expert ADHD/neurodiversity advocate/speaker, Chris Wang to talk all about ADHD and its effects on adults. Chris is the co-founder and CEO of Shimmer, a comprehensive behavioral tech platform for adults with ADHD. In addition to explaining the Shimmer app, Chris also shares some different approaches to managing ADHD, advice for newly diagnosed adults, and some of the biggest challenges that they face.
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Understanding Selective Mutism with Elisa Shipon-Blum
06/05/2023
Understanding Selective Mutism with Elisa Shipon-Blum
Our guest today is Elisa Shipon-Blum, or Dr. E, as her patients call her. She is the President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety and Related Disorders Treatment Center (SMart Center). Dr E is an expert on Selective Mutism (SM) and has helped to treat thousands of patients over the past three decades. She speaks with Mai Ling about how she started her work in the area of SM, the genesis of the Selective Mutism Association and the SMart Center, as well as various treatment methods. She also answers the question, Is alternative communication an option for individuals with Selective Mutism?
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Cultural Diversity in the Speech-Language Pathology Space with Dr. Li-Rong Cheng
05/22/2023
Cultural Diversity in the Speech-Language Pathology Space with Dr. Li-Rong Cheng
In the introduction to this episode’s interview, Mai Ling shares an exciting announcement about an upcoming project that she’ll be working on. Then we jump into a conversation between Mai Ling and Dr. Li-Rong “Lilly” Cheng, who is the Director of the Chinese Cultural Center at San Diego State University. Dr. Cheng was the founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of ASHA and she talks about her early days as a diversity advocate and the unique perspectives of Asian culture on discussing diversity, inclusion, and sensitive matters. They also discuss the progress that has been made on these issues and what still needs to be accomplished.
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Comedy, Disability, and Self-deprecating Humor with Greg Roque
04/24/2023
Comedy, Disability, and Self-deprecating Humor with Greg Roque
Comedian and screenwriter Greg Roque joins the show today for an insightful conversation with James. As a teen, Greg had a spinal injury which paralyzed him and he brings his unique perspective on life as a disabled person to his comedy. He shares with us a little about his approach to comedy, where the line is for comedy about disability, and the accessibility challenges he’s faced as a comic in a wheelchair.
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Artificial Intelligence in the Disability Space with Yonah Welker
04/10/2023
Artificial Intelligence in the Disability Space with Yonah Welker
Before we introduce our guest in this episode, Mai Ling shares a major update about a new venture that she is embarking on that has a connection to our guest. And that guest is technology explorer, evaluator, and reviewer, Yonah Welker, who has a mission to reshape how nations, cities and ecosystems embrace human-centered algorithms, environments, policy and emerging technology – specifically addressing human capability, wellbeing, experiences and beyond. Yonah and Mai Ling chat about the role of technology in the disability space with an emphasis on artificial intelligence.
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Disability Language Awareness and Inclusivity with Michael Grimmett
03/27/2023
Disability Language Awareness and Inclusivity with Michael Grimmett
Our guest today is UK-based, Disability Inclusion Specialist Michael Grimmett. Michael talks with James about an inaccessibility incident at his local pizza restaurant that he was able to use to shine light on accessibility issues. As a wheelchair user and disability advocate, Michael’s personal experiences have given him a platform to talk about the terminology and language around disability and those who have disabilities and he shares those perspectives in this conversation. In addition, he shares his thoughts on the difference between accessibility and inclusion.
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Disability in the Entertainment Business with Sawsan Zakaria
03/13/2023
Disability in the Entertainment Business with Sawsan Zakaria
Our hosts, Mai Ling and James, share some important updates on what is going on in their respective careers before we dive into a discussion with our guest. Sawsan Zakaria chats with Mai Ling about her participation in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge on multiple occasions. As an actress and model with a neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy, Sawsan talks about her experiences as an actress with a disability in LA, recounting some of the highs and lows. She also shares her thoughts on how the collective preconceptions about disability are slowly shifting in the industry.
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Social Entrepreneurship and Neurodiversity with Vanessa Castañeda Gill
02/27/2023
Social Entrepreneurship and Neurodiversity with Vanessa Castañeda Gill
Today, we welcome to the show Vanessa Castañeda Gill, the Co-Founder and CEO of Social Cipher, a game-based, social-emotional learning platform for neurodiverse youth. Social Cipher launched their first game called Ava, and Vanessa shares the story of its development and the impact it’s made on the target audience. She also talks about growing up with ADHD and Autism, how that has affected who she is today, and exactly why she chose a video game as the vehicle to make a difference in the lives of neurodiverse young people.
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The Intersection of Midlife, Disability, and Fashion with Sandie Roberts
02/13/2023
The Intersection of Midlife, Disability, and Fashion with Sandie Roberts
Just a few years ago, our guest Sandie Roberts, suddenly found herself at the intersection of being a middle-aged woman and a full-time wheelchair user. Unable to find adequate fashion options to suit both her new situation and her personal tastes, Sandie decided to do something about it. Sandie sits down with Mai Ling to talk about these unique experiences that led her to launch Roll With Style, a new venture that aims to assist wheelchair users with stylish and fashionable clothing options. They also discuss Sandie’s biggest growing pains during the process and how important clothing is for one’s perception of self worth, especially those in midlife.
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Disability Education in Developing Countries with Sandy Dorsey
01/30/2023
Disability Education in Developing Countries with Sandy Dorsey
Speech-language pathologist and educator, Sandy Dorsey, is our guest this week on the show. As a global advocate for children with special needs, Sandy talks with James about how disability is viewed in developing countries and what she’s doing to overcome stigmas about disability and educate the public. She’s also the founder of the non-profit organization, Smiles for Speech, which provides access to developmentally appropriate resources to support children with disabilities. So she also shares how the organization got started, the impetus for it, and some of the services she and her team provide.
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Operating a Disability-Focused Health Care Center with Chanda Hinton
01/16/2023
Operating a Disability-Focused Health Care Center with Chanda Hinton
As we kick off the first episode of the new year, Mai Ling and James share their thoughts on new year’s resolutions. Then Mai Ling sits down with Chanda Hinton, Executive Director of the Chanda Center for Health and Chanda Plan Foundation, to talk about her journey of founding and running the health care center. They also discuss proactive and preventive health care options, the stigma around not-for-profit organizations, how the Chanda Center for Health differs from traditional health care offerings, and a lot more.
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2022 Spotlight on Disability-Focused Businesses and Online Accessibility
12/12/2022
2022 Spotlight on Disability-Focused Businesses and Online Accessibility
For our Xceptional Leaders 2022 finale episode, Mai Ling and James share some thoughts and observations on the new National Disability Institute report, Small Business Ownership by People with Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities. They also share some highlights from past podcast guests that pertain to some of the points addressed in the NDI report. We think you’ll enjoy this part retrospective, part state-of-the-industry discussion as we cap off the year and look forward to 2023.
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Breakthrough Mental Health Treatments with Carlene MacMillan
11/28/2022
Breakthrough Mental Health Treatments with Carlene MacMillan
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Carlene MacMillan, an expert in mental health and VP of Clinical Innovation at Osmind. Carlene’s area of focus is exploring innovative mental health treatments for anxiety and depression, among other conditions. She talks with James about some of these treatments such as psychedelic assisted therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy. Over the course of the conversation, Carlene helps us to define some of these newer therapies and addresses some of the misconceptions around them.
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Building a Brand and Community on TikTok with August Rocha
11/07/2022
Building a Brand and Community on TikTok with August Rocha
Today, James and Mai Ling share some updates on their journeys and then Mai Ling brings us an insightful conversation with speaker, writer, and social media influencer, August Rocha. August talks about the value of participating in and even building your own online communities in today’s culture. Intersectionality, advice for starting a TikTok account to build a brand, and life with Behçet’s disease are just a few of the other topics covered in this upbeat interview.
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AAC and Speech Therapy Perspectives with Rachel Madel
10/24/2022
AAC and Speech Therapy Perspectives with Rachel Madel
We’re excited to bring this week’s guest to you today. Rachel Madel joins James for an insightful discussion from her wealth of experience. Rachel is a speech-language pathologist, AAC specialist, podcast host, and international presenter who shares about the value of networking and building relationships, her mantra “inspire don’t require”, some of her approaches to speech therapy, thoughts on Gestalt Language Processing, and her experiences as an entrepreneur in this engaging conversation. Tune in and get your notepad ready!
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Metaverse with Giselle Mota
10/10/2022
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Metaverse with Giselle Mota
Our guest this week is futurist and thought leader, Giselle Mota, who focuses on enabling inclusion as it relates to product design, the future of work, and all things emerging tech including web3 and metaverse. She joins Mai Ling to talk about her work as the creator of NFTY Collective, which aims to ensure that people of diverse representation are included, represented, and able to access web3 and metaverse by creating avatars that represent people with both seen and unseen disabilities for use in games, websites, and other applications. Giselle shares her vision behind NFTY Collective, her perspectives on building a team around a vision, and more.
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Bespoke Clothing for Short Stature People with Chamiah Dewey
09/26/2022
Bespoke Clothing for Short Stature People with Chamiah Dewey
Clothing designer Chamiah Dewey joins the show today to talk with Mai Ling about her work. She created Chamiah Dewey Fashion, the UK’s first clothing brand for people with Dwarfism/short stature. Chamiah tells about the beginnings of her fashion design career, the impetus for launching her company, and her system for breaking up business-related tasks throughout a week. This conversation not only dives into the creation of a business but also some great time management tips that anyone can implement.
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Empowering Teens with ADHD Through Digital Tools with Bryan Dinner
09/12/2022
Empowering Teens with ADHD Through Digital Tools with Bryan Dinner
Bryan Dinner is our guest for this episode of Xceptional Leaders. He is the CEO and founder of Clarifi, the desktop app that assists teens with ADHD and attention challenges with completing online homework. Bryan talks with James about his personal experience with ADHD, what led him to found the company, and his process for developing a minimum viable product (MVP). This discussion is a great case study on building a business around a digital product and doing it the right way.
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New Uses and Innovation in Voice Technology with Sara Smolley
08/29/2022
New Uses and Innovation in Voice Technology with Sara Smolley
We’re so happy to bring you this insightful and informative episode today about breakthrough voice technology. James chats with co-founder and VP of Strategy at Voiceitt, Sara Smolley. Voiceitt is a speech recognition app for people with speech disabilities, but to fully understand the capabilities and potential, Sara talks about various use cases and how users benefit. She also shares tips for entrepreneurship in the disability space and even a bit about personal experience with a family member with a speech disability.
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Understanding Ableism and Redefining the Human Body with Carson Tueller
08/15/2022
Understanding Ableism and Redefining the Human Body with Carson Tueller
Mai Ling and James kick off this episode sharing what they are up to lately. Mai Ling talks about her new approach to Tiktok and James reports on his recent work change. After these updates, Mai Ling shares a conversation she had with speaker and personal development coach, Carson Tueller. Carson talks with Mai Ling about the meaning of ableism, his personal journey of coming to grips with a life-changing spinal cord injury, the intersection of sexuality and disability, and his perspectives on what it truly means to be human.
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Accessible Online Marketplace & Purple Tuesday with Mike Adams
08/01/2022
Accessible Online Marketplace & Purple Tuesday with Mike Adams
Today Mai Ling chats with Mike Adams, the CEO of Purple, a disability organization working to bring disabled people and businesses together. Mike talks about his work building a fully accessible online marketplace, why he and his team took the build-from-scratch approach, and what brought him to start a career in the disability sector to begin with. He also shares about the success of the Purple Tuesday initiative and how it’s become a global movement. But before this fantastic conversation, Mai Ling and James bring you up to date with what’s been going on in their lives. This is a packed episode with lots of great information that you don’t want to miss!
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Rehab Tech and Networking with Raheema Hemraj
07/18/2022
Rehab Tech and Networking with Raheema Hemraj
Our guest for this episode is Occupational Therapist and Gerontologist, Raheema Hemraj. Mai Ling speaks with her about her work as the co-creator of the Rehab Tech Summit and they dive into how the event started, who it is for, and some of the spin-off events. Rahemma also tackles the question of whether or not one needs to have clinical experience to move into the health tech/product development field. She shares some great insights from her years of experience as a company founder and passionate voice in the health tech space.
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How Tech Will Transform Aging with Keren Etkin
07/04/2022
How Tech Will Transform Aging with Keren Etkin
Our spotlighted guest for this episode is The Gerontechnologist, Keren Etkin! She is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and self-described age tech evangelist. Keren is the founder/director of AgeLabIL and she also runs the AgeTech Academy. She sat down with James to discuss some of the technological advances in the very specialized arena of tech for the aging, how this tech fits into the user’s daily life, and where she’d like to see things go in the future. From robotics to voice assistants, they cover it all!
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