Starkloff Disability Employment Summit

Our vision is simple yet powerful:
a world where disabled people can thrive in every aspect of life.

The Starkloff Disability Employment Summit brings together thought leaders, industry experts, and change-makers to share actionable strategies for promoting disability inclusion in the workplace. We aim to empower employers with the knowledge and tools they need to remove barriers and create inclusive environments where disabled people can flourish.

Join us as we pave the way towards a future where disabled people not only participate but thrive, contributing their unique talents to create a more diverse and vibrant workforce.

Haley Moss is a lawyer, neurodiversity expert, and the author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges. She is a speaker and consultant to top corporations and organizations that seek her guidance in creating an inclusive workplace, and a sought-after commentator on disability rights issues. The first openly autistic lawyer in Florida, Haley’s books include “Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals'' (ABA Book Publishing; June 2021) and “The Young Autistic Adult’s Independence Handbook” (Jessica Kingsley Publishers; November 2021). Her articles have appeared in outlets including the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and Fast Company.

Presented by

Rob has more than a decade of federal executive and legislative branch experience including the House of Representatives, Department of Education, and ODEP. He is currently a Senior Advisor to Assistant Secretary Labor for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams. At Ed, Rob worked in the Budget Service, Office of Planning and Policy in OSERS, and the Office of Special Education Programs on disability policy. His work spanned IDEA, WIOA, the Rehab Act, and the Higher Education Act on budget issues, including formulating presidential budgets, regulatory development, and numerous competitive grant programs supporting families and individuals with disabilities from birth through career. At ODEP, in addition to supporting the Assistant Secretary, he has worked on supporting individuals experiencing Long COVID, transition aged youth with disabilities and ODEP’s Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth).

Dr. Amie Fornah-Sankoh’s life has been a story of perseverance. Growing up Deaf during the civil war in Sierra Leone, she had to overcome barriers to survival, education, and language acquisition. She carries these experiences with her, and instead of breaking her, they have helped her to thrive. Amie’s journey into scientific research began at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she earned degrees in laboratory sciences and biochemistry. She completed several internships and committed to continuing her scientific research by coming to UT in 2017 for her PhD. Amie has accomplished much during her time at UT. She won a National Institute of Health (NIH)-supported Fellowship for her first two years in graduate school, a three-year Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation, and another NIH predoctoral fellowship for the remainder of her time in graduate school. Amie is proud to graduate with a PhD from the University of Tennessee’s department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Morning (11:15 am to 12:15 pm)

Employee Resource Group Leadership Roundtable
Auditorium (1st floor)

Becky Darron – EEOC Compliance Specialist; Bayer
Eric Reyes – North America Diversity Equity and Inclusion Relationship and Program Manager; MilliporeSigma
Jessica Schoenfelder – Cyber Security Associate Consultant; World Wide Technology
Lori Wilson – Work Management Specialist; Ameren

Accommodations - Past/Present/Future - Transforming Your Workplace Culture from Compliance to Inclusion
Denver Breakout Room (2nd floor)

Maurya Cockrell – Centene Workplace Accommodations Partner; Centene
April Seiffert – Sr. Business Systems Analyst, IT assistive technologies; Centene

Welcoming Workplace Environments: Assistive Technology, Innovation and Advocacy
Playhouse Breakout Room (1st floor)

Scout Merry – Program Coordinator; Missouri Assistive Technology

Afternoon (1:45 pm to 2:45 pm)

Recognizing Mental Health in the Workplace
Auditorium (1st floor)

Cara Zitko – Illume Manager; Places for People

Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Denver Breakout Room (2nd floor)

Pagina Brown – Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); Best Life Counseling
Michelle Fienup – Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); Best Life Counseling

Best Practices for Hiring and Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Employees
Playhouse Breakout Room (1st floor)

Dr. Gerard Buckley – NTID President and RIT Vice President and Dean; National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID)