Investing In Accessibility
Investing In Accessibility
Podcast Description
We aren't waiting for change, we are investing in it. Investing in Accessibility is dedicated to exploring the intersection of accessibility, entrepreneurship, and impact investing. Join hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher as they speak with entrepreneurs and thought leaders who are focused on empowering people with disabilities and creating a more accessible world.Kelvin Crosby is CEO of Smart Guider Inc., which develops navigation technology enabling deafblind individuals to travel independently. Known as The DeafBlind Potter, he funded his first invention, the See Me Cane, through pottery sales. Kelvin lives with Usher Syndrome type 2 and is a staunch advocate for accessibility.Chris Maher is the Founder & General Partner at Samaritan Partners, a public benefit venture fund that invests in the disability sector. Chris founded Samaritan after spending 25 years as an operator and multi-time CEO at a variety of venture capital backed companies, and 20 years raising two daughters with disabilities.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various topics such as accessibility innovations, entrepreneurship in the disability sector, and impact investing strategies. Episode examples include discussions on the evolution of technology in accessibility with Steve Ewell from the CTA Foundation and personal stories from Kelvin Crosby about his journey and advocacy work. The show emphasizes the importance of empowering individuals with disabilities and highlights future possibilities for accessibility initiatives.
We aren’t waiting for change, we are investing in it. Investing in Accessibility is dedicated to exploring the intersection of accessibility, entrepreneurship, and impact investing. Join hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher as they speak with entrepreneurs and thought leaders who are focused on empowering people with disabilities and creating a more accessible world.
Kelvin Crosby is CEO of Smart Guider Inc., which develops navigation technology enabling deafblind individuals to travel independently. Known as The DeafBlind Potter, he funded his first invention, the See Me Cane, through pottery sales. Kelvin lives with Usher Syndrome type 2 and is a staunch advocate for accessibility.
Chris Maher is the Founder & General Partner at Samaritan Partners, a public benefit venture fund that invests in the disability sector. Chris founded Samaritan after spending 25 years as an operator and multi-time CEO at a variety of venture capital-backed companies, and 20 years raising two daughters with disabilities.
In this “CES All-Stars” episode, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher team up as they track down the most exciting accessibility innovations on the CES Expo floor. From the company that helped spark this very podcast, to products that could redefine mobility, gaming, shopping, indoor navigation, and even how Deaf individuals experience music—this episode is a rapid-fire tour of the people and companies pushing accessibility into the mainstream conversation. In addition, Kelvin shares his perspectives throughout on what it's like to navigate CES as a Dear/Blind individual.
You’ll hear highlights from:
- Aira (Troy Otillio) expanding access with on-demand ASL interpreting and a hybrid AI + human agent future for the blind / low vision community
- Disabled Life Alliance (Paul Kent) connecting innovators with capital via the Disabled Life Innovation Gateway (“Zillow for disability innovation”)
- Good Maps (Theresa Reno-Weber) high-accuracy indoor navigation & wayfinding without beacons—and why transportation hubs, campuses, and venues are jumping in
- NewHaptics (Alex Russamanno) a multi-line refreshable Braille display built for real, tactile productivity
- Good Trouble (Arman Nobari) serving 600M+ gamers with disabilities by helping studios build games accessible for every player
- Glidance (Amos Miller) an autonomous mobility aid that guides the way—hands-on, ground-connected independence
- Remarkable (Molly Lazarus) a leading accelerator supporting startups in the disability sector
- ReviMo (Alek Malashchenko) a robotic transfer device designed to bring dignity and independence at home
- PathAble AI (Burt Brooks) scaling supports so workers with disabilities don’t fall off the services cliff
- InnoSearch (Parick Long) making shopping and customer service accessible-first with voice and AI
- Tactus (Jeremy Chow) a wearable that translates music into vibration allowing Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to truly enjoy music
Along the way, Kelvin and Chris discover CES is evolving into a true accessibility hub, and prove that sometimes the best way to cover a conference is to hold onto a backpack for your dear Deaf/Blind life.
COMING SOON!
American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.
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