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Category: Advocate

Living and Learning with Rachelle Vartanian

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Rachelle Vartanian is the Founder and President of Living and Learning Enrichment Center, a nonprofit organization providing a broad range of resources and support services to individuals with disabilities and their families across 12 southeast Michigan counties. Since 2015, the agency has partnered with more than a hundred businesses and organizations to provide access to inclusive employment skill-building opportunities and meaningful job placement support. Rachelle is an active member of dozens of regional business and service organizations bringing with her a mission of empathy, education, and advocacy. Rachelle is also the parent of an adult son with autism and is committed to forging pathways to a higher quality of life for Michigan residents with autism and other disabilities.

Path-Now and Finding the Right Provider with Wendy Forkas

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Wendy is the CEO of Adjoin, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism across California, and eventually other states as well. With over 30 years in the disabilities field and two decades of executive leadership, she is a passionate advocate, with a commitment to build inclusive, transformative opportunities for the community she serves. Wendy was the visionary for Path-Now, a unique online app that custom matches individuals with disabilities and autism to tailored service connections.

Finding Your Authentic Self w/ Dr. Norma Hollis

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Dr. Norma Hollis is a transformational strategist who writes, develops and implements programs for human development. She is an international speaker and coach specializing in transforming the lives of people who want to live the authentic life they were born for. She is a leading authority on authenticity and is affectionately known as the Godmother of Authenticity.

Racers for Autism with Jordan Modiano

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Jordan is a race car driver, business owner, motivational speaker, and proud Autism Super Dad. He is the founder of Racers 4 Autism, a nonprofit using motorsports to drive awareness, inclusion, and acceptance for individuals on the spectrum. He also leads two Express Employment Professionals offices in Upstate NY, where he brings his passion for leadership and purpose-driven work to life. He speaks across the country about resilience, leadership, and the lessons learned from raising a daughter with autism, running a business, and racing full throttle—both on the track and in life.

Toastmasters, Public Speaking and Making Connections with Judi Uttal and Dr. Sasha Zeedyk

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Judi Uttal is president of the Orange County Asperger’s Support Group, a nonprofit organization improving the quality of life for individuals and families dealing with high-functioning autism. She is a member of several organizations, all working to support the neurodiverse community. In 2022, Judi founded the Autism in Entertainment Workgroup to help support inclusion in the entertainment industry. She is the mother of a 33-year-old son who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three.

Dr. Sasha Zeedyk is an Associate Professor at California State University in Fullerton. Her research is mainly focused on the social and behavior skills of youth with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities across the course of development. She is interested in understanding how behavior problems and social skills relate to social, mental health, and academic outcomes for these youth, as well as how these skills impact their parents’ psychological well-being. Recently, she has begun to study postsecondary outcomes for youth with ASD who attend college.

Utilizing Self-Direction with Molly Morris

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As a leader in self-directed services policy and implementation, Molly brings over a decade of experience working with states, participants, and provider organizations to enhance and expand self-direction programs nationwide. Through her work, she has shaped policy initiatives, developed critical resources, and built partnerships that advance self-determination for individuals with disabilities and serious mental illness. Molly is a co-founder at The Self-Direction Center.

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Special Needs Trusts with Michelle Wolf

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Michelle Wolf is a parent disability advocate and non-profit social services innovator. She is the Founding Executive Director of the Jewish Los Angeles Special Needs Trust, the first pooled nonprofit trust based in LA County for persons with a range of disabilities. Her professional career has been devoted to ensuring that people with chronic health conditions and disabilities are able to access government benefits and enjoy a higher quality of life.

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The Business of Voice Overs with Cathy McAuley

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With a career spanning over three decades, Cathy has established herself as a versatile and comedic powerhouse in the entertainment industry seamlessly navigating various mediums, and earning a variety of accolades and awards. Cathy’s passion for the arts extends to mentoring young adults on the autism spectrum through Spectrum Laboratory, with her commitment to diversity and inclusion shining through in every project. 

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