The Summit
The second annual Disability Leadership Summit took place on February 25 and 26, 2025. This year, attendance grew 25%, representing disabled leaders and allies from across sectors and geographies. The two-day virtual summit is designed by disabled professionals to support the advancement of disabled professionals in the workplace.
VIEW 2025 SUMMIT BOOKLET
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Disability Lead was founded in Chicago as a network for and by leaders with disabilities—creating access to power, civic engagement, and professional opportunity. Our impact in Chicago has shown that when leaders with disabilities are equipped and visible, communities thrive.
Now, for the first time, we are expanding into a new region. Our work in Southwestern Pennsylvania began with listening: over 100 conversations with regional leaders, advocates, and allies shaped this next chapter.We understood the importance of our learnings from those conversations and added the expertise of local leadership. Our work is enhanced through the support of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Executive Committee.
With support from funders like the FISA Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, and The Heinz Endowments, we’re deepening local roots to grow new leadership.
2025 Advisory Group:
Thank you to the following experts in disability inclusion for helping us design an engaging and impactful 2025 Summit
- Ana Monga, Google
- Andre Johnson, LiveEquipd and Kaizen Health
- Bernardo Gomez, City of Chicago
- Chaitanya Manchanda, Discover Financial Services, LLC
- Emma Farley, Independent Disability Inclusion Consultant
- Joshua Fletcher, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
- Kim Holmes, Kim B. Holmes Consulting
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Our 2025 Summit Topics:
- Lessons In Leadership with Emerging Leaders
- Strong Employee/Business Resource Groups
- Building Your Personal Brand
- Leveraging Executive Buy In with C - Suite Leaders
- Disability Rights At Work
- Authentic Storytelling
- Neurodiversity At Work
- Disability and Technology
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Our Approach: Planning an Accessible Summit
We take accessibility seriously and work hard to model inclusive spaces, both virtually and in-person, in all of our programs and events. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but because we want our Members and our community to feel a sense of belonging so that they can grow from the experiences we provide. The Summit was no different.
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