In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher sit down with Angela Lean, Senior Accessibility Program Lead at Microsoft, for a powerful conversation about turning disability into a true competitive advantage. Angela shares her lived experience of having a stroke at age 12, how her perspective shifted from “succeeding despite disability” to “succeeding because of it,” and why she now sees disability as a core asset in her life and work.

Angela walks us through her unconventional career path—from answering phones in Senator Tom Harkin’s office just after the ADA passed, to shaping accessibility and AI initiatives inside one of the world’s largest tech companies. She explains how Microsoft is using AI to support employees with disabilities, improve tools like screen readers and captioning, and build services such as the Enterprise Disability Answer Desk. The conversation digs into why accessibility is not a cost center but a massive market opportunity touching 1.5 billion people, how entrepreneurs can plug into Microsoft’s ecosystem, and how AI can personalize work so that disabled and non-disabled people can use the same tools on an equal footing. If you care about inclusive innovation, the future of work, or investing in accessibility as good business—not just good intentions—this episode is for you.

Links & Resources:

Angela Lean: LinkedIn

Microsoft Accessibility Support for Customers: Website

Microsoft Marketplace: Website (trusted source for cloud solutions, AI app, and agents)

The Huddle for Families: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher kick off the holiday season with something special: a recorded panel from the RALLY Innovation Conference in Indianapolis.

Moderated by Jennison Asuncion (Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn and co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day), this conversation brings together four leaders shaping the future of disability tech and digital accessibility:

• Chris Maher – Founder & General Partner at Samaritan Partners
• Molly Lazarus – Director of the Remarkable US Accelerator
• Kate Kalcevich – Head of Accessibility Innovation at Fable
• Michael Bervell – Co-founder & CEO of TestParty

Together, they explore why disability is not a niche market but a massive, underserved opportunity; how accelerators and impact VCs are backing founders building assistive and disability-focused tech; and why accessibility is both a moral imperative and a powerful business strategy. You’ll hear how human insight and lived experience combine with AI and automation to scale accessibility, what founders in this space commonly struggle with, and why “nothing about us without us” needs to be a non-negotiable design principle.

The panel also digs into:

• The growing legal and regulatory landscape, including lawsuits and global accessibility laws
• How accessibility features like captions and curb cuts become mainstream advantages
• The travel industry and other sectors waking up to the economic power of disabled consumers and their families
• The promise and risks of AI in accessibility, and why inclusive leadership at the top matters

If you’re an investor, founder, product leader, or just curious about how innovation and inclusion intersect, this episode will challenge how you think about accessibility and show why now is the time to invest in change, not wait for it.

Links & Resources:

RALLY Innovation: Website

Jennison Asuncion: LinkedIn / GAAD: Website

Molly Lazarus: LinkedIn / Remarkable Accelerator: Website

Kate Kalcevich: LinkedIn / Fable: Website

Michael Bervell: LinkedIn / TestParty: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher welcome a very special guest: Chris’s oldest daughter, Charlotte Maher—an EMT-turned-emergency management professional whose life with spastic hemiplegia has forged extraordinary resilience. Charlotte shares early memories (and family stories) of therapies, leg and back braces, and the infamous “constraint camp,” then traces how those experiences shaped her confidence, leadership, and service mindset.

Charlotte takes us inside life on an EMS crew, the power of teamwork-based accommodations, and why inclusive planning isn’t a nice-to-have in crises—it’s table stakes. Fresh from FEMA’s Emergency Management Basic Academy, Charlotte demystifies tactical project management, whole-community planning, and accessible communications—closed captions, ASL, multilingual alerts, and more. This warm, funny father–daughter conversation delivers practical insights on designing for everyone, building resilient systems, and picking yourself up and dusting yourself off to keep moving forward.

Links & Resources:

Charlotte Maher: LinkedIn

GWU Campus Safety: Website

FEMA: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

Join hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher for an inspiring conversation with Cara Yar Khan, founder & CEO of The Purple Practice, former UNICEF humanitarian, filmmaker, and fierce disability advocate. Cara traces her multicultural roots and early activism, the winding journey to a rare diagnosis of hereditary inclusion body myopathy, and how she learned to lead, pitch, and live with radical authenticity.

This episode dives into Cara’s multicultural upbringing and early passion for service, her transition from denial to embracing disability with pride, and her practical framework for storytelling and fundraising through the “Issue, Action, Impact” model. She discusses navigating ableism with grace, managing entrepreneurial burnout through confidence and community, distinguishing between healthy struggle and harmful suffering, and finding joy in small “Everest moments” of progress. Along the way, Kelvin, Chris, and Cara unpack lessons on authenticity, preparation, confidence, and the sustaining power of community in entrepreneurship and advocacy.

Links & Resources:

Cara Yar Khan: LinkedIn

Cara's Film: Facing the Falls

Cara's Website: Here

Cara's TED Talk: Here

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher explore how The Accessibility Lab at The Schoolhouse Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia is transforming the travel and hospitality industry for people with disabilities.

Chris shares how this innovative partnership between Samaritan Partners, The Schoolhouse Hotel, and TravelAbility is turning a boutique hotel into a living lab for testing cutting-edge accessibility solutions. From smart wayfinding tools like RightHear to cost-effective door openers by We Hear You, and comprehensive accessibility assessments from Wheel the World, The Accessibility Lab is creating a model for universal design that could shape the future of hotels everywhere.

The conversation dives deep into the challenges travelers with disabilities face, the exciting technologies being piloted, and how this project fosters not only accessible travel but also entrepreneurship, inclusive employment, and adaptive outdoor experiences.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, hospitality leader, or accessibility advocate, this episode will open your eyes to the opportunities in building a truly inclusive travel experience.

Links & Resources:

The Accessibility Lab: Web Page

The Schoolhouse Hotel: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this inspiring episode of Investing in Accessibility, hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher sit down with Chris Soukup, CEO of Communication 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.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher welcome Mike May—entrepreneur, Paralympic athlete, navigation technology pioneer, and, as Chris calls him, “the most interesting man in the world.”

Mike shares his remarkable journey, from losing his sight at age three to regaining partial vision decades later, working for the CIA, competing on the world stage in skiing, and founding companies like Sendero Group, which developed the first GPS products for blind travelers. He reflects on the lessons learned from both entrepreneurial wins and setbacks, the mottos that guide his life, and the resilience and adaptability that fuel innovation.

The conversation also explores the future of assistive technology—from smart glasses to AI-powered navigation—and how products that serve both disability and mainstream markets can drive lasting impact. Mike also offers candid advice to early-stage founders about balancing passion with business viability, staying adaptable, and always looking for alternative solutions.

This inspiring discussion highlights not only Mike’s extraordinary path but also broader insights on problem-solving, resilience, and building a more accessible world.

Links & Resources:

Mike May: LinkedIn

Crashing Through Book: Website

The People Make The Places: Podcast

American Printing House: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher dive into the evolution of accessibility tech with Josh Miller, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of 3Play Media—a leading media accessibility company that started at MIT and grew into an industry trailblazer.

Together, they unpack how 3Play Media emerged from a real-world need to caption complex academic videos into a scalable tech-driven company that combines AI innovation with human precision. Josh shares his entrepreneurial journey—from an early startup that didn’t succeed, to building a company with strong co-founder dynamics, to navigating growth, acquisitions, and private equity investment—all while staying mission-focused.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The story behind the founding of 3Play Media and how it identified a niche before the market even existed.
• Why accessibility must be built for both the buyer and the end user—and how balancing compliance with value is key.
• How AI has revolutionized speech recognition, captioning, and media accessibility—and where it's going next.
• The importance of customer workflow, scalability, and being AI engine agnostic.
• What it takes to grow a successful company in a mission-driven market, including how to say no to misaligned opportunities.

Josh also offers powerful insights for early-stage founders on execution, differentiation, and staying true to the mission in the face of rapid tech evolution and market shifts.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor or accessibility advocate, this episode is packed with lessons on how to scale with impact.

Links & Resources:

Josh Miller: LinkedIn

3Play Media: Website

2025 State of ASR: Report

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.