The Disability Opportunity Fund

Big news from No Limbits and Erica Cole !

Excited to share this new piece from GovTech! Hear about the amazing NYC Autism Charter Schools and the impact Floreo is having helping kids. This partnership was made possible through the generous donation of VR headsets from Meta and a donation from The Disability Opportunity Fund. And the success would not be possible without the passion of those in special education like Heidi Brueckmann. cc: Charlie Hammerman Robert Goldberg Matthew Sanders Kevin Chan, M.S.M., FRCGS Sandhya C. Rao Lu'chen Foster https://lnkd.in/eQWfmrZx

Thank you to Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) and their 2024 Small Business Recovery Grant (SBRG) Program for providing DOF for the fifth time with $50,000 to give back to our community! The SBRG Program provides grant funds to benefit FHLBNY members’ small businesses and not-for-profits. DOF provides these funds as a pass-through grant and does not receive any compensation when providing these grants. ? DOF is a proud member of FHLBNY and we appreciate their continuing support specifically for people with disabilities. Last week, DOF had the privilege of visiting Tech Kids Unlimited (TKU) located in Brooklyn, NY. TKU is a non-profit technology-based educational organization for neurodiverse students ages 10-24. TKU was granted $2,500 through FHLBNY’s SBRG Program.? ?

We are thrilled to share some incredible updates and achievements from our portfolio company, Voiceitt. Voiceitt continues to make strides in enhancing accessibility and communication for all. Check out their latest milestones and upcoming announcements: Chrome Launch: More than just a product feature, this launch marks a significant advancement in accessibility. https://lnkd.in/efiFkdrw Support for Deaf Speech: This feature is a game-changer and sets Voiceitt apart in the industry. https://lnkd.in/eH63HxVd Google Classroom Partnership! Stay tuned for the official announcement of this exciting partnership. #Accessibility #Innovation #AssistiveTech #Voiceitt

We are thrilled to share that the National Disability Finance Coalition (NDFC), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), is hosting a three-part webinar series designed for CDFIs to expand their services into the disability community. Join us for this important series to learn how you can enhance the financial independence and community participation of people with disabilities. Each webinar will feature expert presenters and provide ASL, CART, and Spanish interpretation. Disability Identity, Culture, and the Importance of Accessibility ?? June 20, 2024, 1:00 PM LINK: https://lnkd.in/en3H4Zgf Consumer Financing for People with Disabilities ?? August 28, 2024, 1:00 PM LINK: https://lnkd.in/emFfpkQ8 Financial Education and Coaching in the Disability Community ?? October 2, 2024, 1:00 PM LINK: https://lnkd.in/ecCNE7c9 For any questions or assistance with registration, please contact NDFC at [email protected] or PATF at 484-675-0506, [email protected]. #DisabilityInclusion #FinancialInclusion #CDFI #Webinar #NDFC #PATF #Accessibility #FinancialEducation

Israel's Memorial Day begins this evening, May 12, commemorating our fallen soldiers and victims of terror.?It is a difficult day, especially this year, as we are still in the shadow of the events of October 7, an ongoing conflict that continues until today; We all pray that on this day we will know peace and calm. Reflecting on what we can all contribute, especially to the severely wounded and amputees, it is important to look towards the future and assist them using?groundbreaking?technology. My company 6Degrees has dedicated all of its resources to developing innovative technologies to lessen the amputees' pain and assist in their rehabilitation. Our units have already been approved by 3 Israeli hospitals and with your help we can put 120 VR units in the hands of individual soldiers civilians and rehabilitation hospital units.?We will value your contribution and donations to saving the lives of the injured.?Hopefully, we will soon hear good news for all the people of Israel - and especially for the families of the hostages. Link to donate: https://lnkd.in/dX9kYdFr Tel Aviv Medical Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Reuth Google for Startups Israel, 8200 Impact, Microsoft, Meta, MassChallenge

Announcing THE REAL Summit - The Intersection of Finance & Mental Health - in NYC - 1st of its kind event ?? Oct 17-18 I am very excited to announce the launch of a groundbreaking event. This is very personal to me. I co-founded the first impact investment bank in 2007 and ran over 60 national and international investor convenings over the next 16 years. While I enjoyed great success, over the years I also struggled with mental health. And in December 2022 I reached a crisis point and checked myself into a psych ward, followed by two mental health treatment centers in 2023. Now having recovered from that journey, I have a different sense of purpose, which led me to create THE REAL Mental Health Foundation & travel the world sharing my story with thousands of people over this past year. In 2024, I am overjoyed and grateful to now be able to bring together the two worlds which are most important to me, finance & mental health, as I make this announcement of THE REAL Summit. As I continue to look at how I can serve greater society and be of value toward improving mental health support, treatment and outcomes for the future - so that other people don’t have to go through what I did - this is the greatest gift I can offer. I can’t wait to see you there! Overview: A groundbreaking, invite-only summit at the nexus of investment and mental health. Designed to increase global capital for mental health companies while fostering an action-oriented community committed to healing, learning and growth. Who Should Attend: Family Offices Foundations RIA’s Institutional Investors Private Equity Funds Limited Partners Mental Health Companies & Funds Mental Health Service Providers Groups Seeking Community and Investments Business Leaders Philanthropists Academics Mental Health Advocates & Changemakers Special Thanks to: Heather Kelly Margaret Hines Lynne Homrich John Mannix Jen Libby, MSW, LCSW Daniel Koppelkamm, CFA Howard Fischer Richard Zimmerman Nathan Romano Ronald Diamond Dan Mannix Jeff Gitterman Rachel (Duncan) Ochinegro Lara Gregorio Karin Andrea Stephan Larissa May Justine Mana (N.) Linsey Morrison Erik Sebusch Nick Rancis Brent Herd Dana Lanza Robert Rubinstein Ken Hunt Natasha Müller Kevin Hines Amer Vohora Brian Hughes Kim K. Alyson Meister, PhD Andrew Mehalko, CFA Arden O'Connor Darryl Woods Kim K. Aneesh Chaudhry, Nelson Serrano Caryn Noble Marie Matterazzo Cynthia Johnson and so many others too many to tag!!! What an amazing community! We are on this mission together I greatly appreciate all your support and ?? Best Shawn