Mike Swinford has been Chief Executive Officer at Numotion since July 2014. Numotion is the leading provider of mobility solutions in the Complex Rehabilitative Technology (CRT) industry. Numotion has led the way in transforming the CRT industry through innovative customer solutions and advocacy at the State and Federal levels. Mike is also a Trustee with the Committee for Economic Development, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led public policy organization that delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions to our nation’s most critical issues.
 
Prior to Numotion, Mike served as the President and CEO of GE Healthcare Services, a $5B business unit of GE Healthcare. He joined Numotion after a highly successful 22-year career at GE Healthcare. He led the development of new growth platforms for the $5B global services enterprise that expanded service reach and capabilities. Mike was named an officer of the General Electric company in 2011. He held various operational and commercial roles throughout his career leading through various business cycles from start-ups to turnarounds.
 
He is passionate about improving healthcare access and inclusion for people with disabilities and is very active with several advocacy initiatives and associations including ALSA and the MDA. Mike also created the Numotion Foundation dedicated to funding other 501(c)3 organizations that serve the disabled communities across the United States.
In this episode, Mike tells us about what Numotion does both internally and externally to promote diversity and inclusion.

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Karen

In episode 49 of the Life Possible with a Disability Podcast, I interviewed the Executive Director of the Numotion Foundation, Justin Richardson. Justin oversees day-to-day operations, fundraising, and grant distributions for the Numotion Foundation. He is responsible for developing and maintaining national and local partnerships and donor and Numotion employee engagement with the Foundation.

Due to a spinal cord injury sustained in a 2003 diving accident, Justin has been a manual wheelchair user for twenty years. As a sixteen-year veteran of the seating and mobility industry, he has deep perspective and experience as a former Numotion operations manager and communications, customer experience, and advocacy leader. Before joining Numotion in 2012, Justin worked as an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP)/Regional Manager in North Carolina and as a regional leader in the aquatics industry.

The mission of the Numotion Foundation is to support people and causes that work towards enhancing the lives of people with disabilities in communities of common interest. The Numotion Foundation's vision is to Engage employees and supporters to donate funds and provide a centralized, coordinated, and compliant gateway for distributions on behalf of Numotion to advocacy groups, policy influencers, and charitable programs

Numotion contributes to the Foundation with a portion of the proceeds from each new wheelchair sold. Additionally, the Numotion Foundation is dedicated to engaging employees and supporters to donate funds and provide a centralized, coordinated, and compliant structure for distributions on behalf of Numotion to relevant charitable organizations and programs.

If you would like to donate or have a disability-related non-profit and want to apply for a grant, go to www.NumotionFoundation.org. 

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Karen

My guest for Episode 48 is Pooja Viswanathan who was named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women and BMO Entrepreneurs for 2021. Pooja is the founder and CEO of Braze Mobility and is backed by Founder Institute, Techstars, Google for Startups, and AARP Innovation Labs.
Braze Mobility is a company that manufactures sensors for mobility devices. It's not cameras. Our technology is blind spot sensors, obstacle detection systems, proximity sensors, proximity alarms, and alerts.
The Braze Mobility system does NOT detect drop-offs, soft material, or objects out of view of the sensors. Legally blind customers often use our sensors in conjunction with a white cane to navigate outdoors.
Braze devices support your right to drive your wheelchair by enhancing your spatial awareness while leaving you fully in control. I hope you learn something new that will help a fellow wheelchair user.

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Karen

Renee Tyree is a pharmacist, a Paralympic gold, silver, and bronze medalist living in Phoenix Arizona. Renee has been a wheelchair user for 40 years and in the last few years has gotten her first service dog, Ki Ki. In this episode Renee talks about why she decided it was time for a service dog and the reservations she initially had about needing assistance. After researching organizations that train service dogs and match them with people, Renee chose the non-profit organization, Canine Companions. If you want to learn more about Canine Companions go to their website, canine.org. Follow Kiki and Renee's adventures on Instagram @MissKikiSmiles 
I hope you enjoy this episode!

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Karen

RJ Adler is the Director of Growth for Wheelpad. WheelPad is a company centered around those who desire choices when faced with injury, disability, or chronic health complications. They believe you should have the choice to remain at home to heal and live. They are proud to offer tiny home style accommodations with true universal accessibility, ready to adapt to your home and property, and to any lifestyle change.
RJ has spent an exciting marketing career that spans fundraising at The Keewaydin Foundation, his boyhood summer camp, and Community Organizing at SunCommon, a solar energy company. A keen interest in accessible housing has driven him to WheelPad where he aims to help more people live independently. RJ lives in Berlin, VT, where he enjoys going outside, dancing, and playing music.
For more information go to https://www.wheelpad.com/

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Karen

Abi Winchester is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Dallas, TX. She will graduate in April of 2023. In the final semesters of her occupational therapy degree. She has been working to complete her Capstone project which focuses on client advocacy during the process of getting new equipment in order to reduce the instance of equipment abandonment. Please reach out to me via email at karenfroy333@gmail.com if you want copies of the resources Abi created for clinicians to avoid custom wheelchair abandonment.
In this podcast Abi interviews me about my wheelchairs in the past. What I liked and did not like about my custom wheelchairs.

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Karen

Jen Lyman’s passion lies in ensuring that individuals with complex cerebral palsy have the opportunities to actively participate in meaningful experiences that promote self-expression, optimal health, lead to lasting friendships, and that are challenging, fun, inclusive and demonstrate to others that those with disabilities should not be excluded. 

She is the parent of teenager, Bower, who has complex, quadriplegic cerebral palsy, including visual and communication impairments. He is a healthy, happy New Orleanean who loves festivals, working out, eating sushi, swimming, school, and so much more.

Prior to the birth of her son, Jen’s academic training and career path were focused on breaking down barriers to participation for those with disabilities. With a career background both in therapeutic recreation and in case management serving children and adults with developmental and psychiatric disabilities, she has worked in a variety of inpatient, outpatient and community settings, coordinating care and promoting social, recreational and leisure activity participation.

Jen serves as volunteer coordinator of the Cerebral Palsy Collaborative, to advocate for cerebral palsy research funding at national level. She the past Chair of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine Community Council and she serves on the board of Camp Dream Street. 

Jen holds an M.S. from University of Florida’s College of Health and Human Performance in Therapeutic Recreation, has a certification in Conductive Education, and is a certified yoga instructor with a specialty in yoga for brain injury.  She lives in New Orleans with her husband, Chris, Bower and their golden retriever Everest.
Her is the link to one of the CP Foundation's websites.
https://www.yourcpf.org  

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Karen

Ian Ruder is a writer, Editor in Chief, and people connector. He prides himself on bringing a well-rounded, people-first approach to his work. As the Editor of New Mobility, Ian ensures the voice of people with mobility-related disabilities is authentically represented in all their content. A wheelchair user, Ian is a passionate advocate for his community and derives great pleasure from meeting and working with his fellow wheelchair users. With over 13 years working for United Spinal Association, Ian has cultivated an extensive network of influencers, advocates, and outstanding, knowledgeable wheelchair users.

Before his time with United Spinal, he worked as a freelance reporter in the Pacific Northwest, covering everything from rib eating to motor racing to local ballot initiatives. He has extensive experience writing on long forms and blogs. Ian has also worked as a copy editor and designer.

Below is the link to New Mobility Magazine. If you join United Spinal Association you can get a free subscription to New Mobility.
https://newmobility.com/ 

Thank for Listening! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @LifePossibleKR. Here is my Linktree!
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If you are enjoying the content or have feedback send me a message. I would love to hear from you!
Karen