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 inspiring episode of Investing in Accessibility, hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher sit down with Chris Soukup, CEO ofCommunication Service for the Deaf (CSD), for a powerful conversation about advocacy, innovation, and the future of accessibility.
Chris shares his family’s remarkable legacy—from his grandfather’s struggles with discrimination as a deaf farmer in South Dakota to his father founding CSD with a $15,000 grant and a vision for equal rights and access. Over the past 50 years, that grassroots effort has grown into a pioneering organization transforming life for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Listeners will hear how CSD evolved from early telecommunication services to nationwide video relay technology, its role in shaping access before and after the ADA, and the exciting innovations on the horizon—including AI and emerging communication tools designed to create greater independence and inclusion.
This episode is both a journey through history and a look ahead at how technology, advocacy, and entrepreneurship are shaping a more accessible world for all.
Links & Resources:
Chris Soukup: LinkedIn
Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): Website
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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