Featured Keynote Speakers

Dave Dame (phonetic: DAYVE DAYME)
Director of Accessibility, Microsoft

In his role as Director of Accessibility, Dave is leading the accessibility portfolio for Surface Products aligning with Windows and product innovation roadmaps to empower users of all abilities.

Dave is a leadership coach, enterprise agile product leader and trainer with over 20 years of experience, which he leverages to drive large-scale transformation in complex organizations. Focusing on building high performing teams, he has trained over 600 professionals in product management, leadership and agile delivery practices. Dave has worked with technology companies such as OpenText, PTC, and MCAP; in many cases improving delivery times by over 150%.

Kristen Gallant
Co-Founder, Big Little Feelings

Before becoming the co-founder of Big Little Feelings, Kristin studied maternal and child education at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Her work took her all around the world, working with children in underserved regions in places like Thailand and with disabled communities here in the U.S. Her work with children spans more than a decade, and Big Little Feelings has given Kristin the opportunity to combine that experience with her passion of helping parents and families put strategies into practice at home. She focuses on sharing and celebrating an approach to parenting that is research-backed, accessible, simple, and practical enough for the messy, chaotic, beautiful reality that is raising small children.

Kristin is committed to promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity. Her honest, authentic approach often includes observations about the lack of representation in toys, books, TV, and culture in general. By bringing awareness to underrepresented groups, she champions a diverse, accepting, judgment-free community where all families feel seen, heard, and empowered. Kristin lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and their toddlers, Lulu and June.

Stakeholder Engagement in Disability Research- The Example of Mild HIE
Lina Chalak, M.D., M.S.C.S.

Keynote Panelists

Lily Collison
Program Director, Gillette Children’s Healthcare Press

Lily co-authored "Pure Grit: Stories of Remarkable People Living with Physical Disability" with Kara Buckley, Senior Advisor, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. "Pure Grit" tells the stories of nineteen people across the globe, who grew up with physical disability and are living and thriving in diverse fields. Published in 2021, this book is available on Amazon, and all proceeds go to research.

Lily’s adult son has spastic diplegia. In 2020, she wrote "Spastic Diplegia–Bilateral Cerebral Palsy" in conjunction with senior medical staff at Gillette Children’s. This book is also available on Amazon, and again, all proceeds go to research.

Lily previously completed a research master’s – a case study on SEMLS, rehabilitation and outcome evaluation. With a background in science, her 30+ year career included senior management positions in industry and education.

Ashley Harris Whaley, SLP
Project Manager of Engagement & Communities, Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Ashley has a lifetime of lived experience as a disabled woman with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a board-certified Speech-Language Pathologist. 

Ashley holds a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Western Carolina University. Ashley is a freelance writer, established public speaker, and online educator. She is the founder of Disability Reframed, a collaborative online learning community that works to dismantle antiquated attitudes towards disability and rebuild them by changing perspectives through education and conversation. 

Her debut children's book, I Am, You Are, with Penguin Random House UK is due out in spring 2023.

MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

Featured Workshop Speakers

More Workshop Speakers Coming Soon…