Member-Only Event: Branding with Intention + Member Networking

Branding With Intention: Personal Voice, Collective Impact

This session is an invitation to think differently about how we present ourselves—online, in conversation, and as part of Disability Lead. Whether you’re preparing for a new opportunity, growing your influence, or simply clarifying what you stand for, your personal brand can be a powerful tool for connection and impact.

We’ll begin with a look at the fundamentals of brand—what it means for organizations, and how it applies to individuals. From there, we’ll examine the power of language and the intentional choices we make when telling our stories. You’ll craft or refine your own elevator pitch, rooted in your values and leadership voice, and have time to practice it during a structured networking session with your fellow members.

We’ll also walk through how to reflect your involvement with Disability Lead in your LinkedIn profile—closing the loop between your story, your presence, and your impact. You’ll leave with tools you can use, language that feels true to you, and a clearer sense of how your leadership shows up in the world.

About Tim Hindes

Tim Hindes is a creative strategist, entrepreneur, and disabled business leader with a lifelong, newly recognized disability that has shaped his communication style, leadership philosophy, and sense of empathy. As the founder and CEO of TrailBlaze Creative—a disability-owned marketing and communications firm—Tim helps mission-driven organizations amplify their message, build authentic brands, and engage communities through inclusive, purpose-led strategies.

Tim’s lived experience as a business leader navigating the evolving understanding of his own disability informs much of his work. He is a champion for dignified storytelling, creative advocacy, and building systems that reflect the humanity and complexity of every voice. His firm has led crisis communications and rebranding work for disability providers across Ohio and Pennsylvania, including a nationally recognized campaign in East Palestine, Ohio, following the 2023 train derailment. In his own act of community resilience, Tim created the Stronger than Hate symbol that became globally viral following the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018.

TrailBlaze is also the strategic partner supporting the Southwestern Pennsylvania expansion of Disability Lead, a nonprofit dedicated to developing leadership pathways for people with disabilities. Tim is a board member for the Carnegie Library of Homestead and Brookline Teen Outreach, an after school program that uses mental health and counseling to support youth traditionally underserved. He is also a member of the executive team for the 2026 National Scouting Jamboree, focusing on youth mental health and wellness.

Tim’s approach is deeply human, system-savvy, and unapologetically creative. His story is one of learning to lead from a place of authenticity, leveraging his disability as a lens for insight, innovation, and impact.