Ben Raanan (he/him) is a disabled theatre maker and advocate based out of Denver, Colorado. His artistic focus is centralized around creating artistically rigorous theatre with, for, and about the disabled community. Currently, Ben is the Artistic Director at Phamaly Theatre Company, the longest running professional disability theatre in the United States. Ben is also the founder and artistic director of SpecShakes, a theatre focused on the use of Shakespeare for students with autism. He is also an ensemble member at London based Flute Theatre. He has written for both Howlround and American Theatre Magazine. Ben received his BFA from Drake University with a concentration in directing/musical theatre, and his MFA in directing from DePaul.  Directing credits include: A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, Spitfire Grill (Phamaly Theatre Company), Cost of Living (Renaissance Theatre + Curious Theatre Company), Macbeth (Spectrum Shakespeare), Antigone: Born Against, Eleemosynary, Bob: A Life In Five Acts, Crumble: Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake, Failure: a love story (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati) Mockingbird (Falcon Theatre).

Tommy Schield has spent his professional career working in the Olympic and Paralympic movements, sharing the stories of America's greatest athletes. He is currently the chief communications, marketing & programs officer at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum with previous stops at Team USA and USA Swimming. Schield holds a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University and a master's from Angelo State University. But most importantly, he is married to his wife, Dana, and they have a son, Sawyer. He's also a miserable Chicago sports fan. But there's always next year.

Julie Taulman is an experienced leader with over 30 years in Executive Management roles in both the non-profit and corporate sector. She held leadership positions in the adaptive industry for over 15 years. Julie is considered a seasoned fundraising executive with expertise in individual donors, corporate sponsorships, grant writing and capital campaigns. Julie’s most important role is Mom to her two boys, one of which is a NSCD adaptive athlete on the competition team and competed at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics.

TC Carter is best known as the one-legged Captain America, valuing kindness above all else, and a strong love of ice cream. TC had his right leg amputated below the knee at the age of one due to being born without a fibula. Not letting this stop him, he strived to find ways to live life to the fullest! He found skiing racing as his passion, having the honor of competing on Team USA at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Paralympic Games and was named Flag-bearer for the Opening Ceremonies at his final games by his teammates. TC now works for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee supporting athletes and strives to help others find their passions in life.

Michelle Dusserre Farrell was the youngest member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team that won the silver medal.  Beyond her career as an athlete, Michelle served in assistant coaching roles at Arizona State University, SCATS Gymnastics in Diamond Bar, Colorado Aerials Gymnastics in Colorado Springs and the U.S. Air Force Academy.  She was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2006.  Michelle has worked many years around the Olympic & Paralympic movement, including work for NBC Television at three Olympic Games in the Research division. She has worked in sports administration roles for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and as an international consultant working on behalf of BCW Consulting and Roush Consulting.  From 2019 to 2023, Michelle worked for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum overseeing both athlete engagement and curatorial activities.  She is currently Director, Sport and Athlete Services Strategic Projects at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.  As a volunteer, Michelle served as an athlete representative for both USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee board of directors.   She also serves on the Olympic City USA Task Force for the City of Colorado Springs.  In 2006 she led an initiative called The Swing High Project, inspired by her daughter Abby, who has spina bifida, working to raise more than $1M to build the first universally accessible playground in Colorado Springs, which opened in 2010.

Michele Kong, MD, MBA is a Professor of Pediatrics at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and holds an endowed professorship from Children's of Alabama, one of the highest academic awards bestowed on a faculty member. She is a critical care physician scientist and an NIH funded investigator. She currently leads several multicenter clinical trials, with a research portfolio focused on acute lung injury and respiratory viral infections in critically ill children. She is also the co-founder of KultureCity, the world’s leading non-profit in sensory accessibility. Michele is a highly regarded speaker, and well published in high-impact medical and non-medical journals. She was awarded the 2019 Woman of Impact Award, which recognizes the honoree’s personal and professional contributions to the state of Alabama that have moved the needle across business, government, and non-profit sectors. In 2021, her service was recognized by selection into the Good Morning America list of ‘Who is Making Asian American Pacific Islander History in 2021: The GMA Inspiration List’. In 2020, Michele suffered from a stroke, and since has used her story to further push the boundaries for inclusion, particularly for those who are neurodivergent or have invisible disabilities. She continues to be an endurance athlete and has completed both a 100-mile ultramarathon and a 140.6 Ironman.

Catharina Hughey, MSW is the Executive Director of Roots Colorado dba DIRT Coffee, a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to reducing underemployment among neurodivergent individuals through innovative and transformative hiring practices. With a profound personal connection to disability justice—stemming from her own journey navigating disability systems—Catharina brings passion and empathy to her work, underpinned by nearly 13 years of experience in non-profit organizational leadership.  Under her leadership, DIRT Coffee has launched four high-quality, evidence-based programs—internships, workshops, job development, and workforce employers—as well as the mobile initiative, 'DIRT on the Road'. These programs are meticulously designed to empower neurodivergent individuals and assist employers in creating inclusive, supportive workplace environments. In 2023 alone, these initiatives have positively impacted over 900 individuals, significantly advancing neurodivergent inclusion. Additionally, across two brick-and-mortar coffee shops, DIRT has reached more than 40,000 people, actively challenging ableist views and promoting diversity. Catharina also holds significant roles outside of DIRT Coffee. She serves on the Littleton Downtown Development Authority, striving for universal design and sustainable development in the area. As Chair of the DEI committee on the University of Denver Alumni Council, she works to ensure inclusive educational environments for all and serves on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce (CNDCC).  A graduate of the University of Denver, where she specialized in Organizational Leadership and Policy Practice Master Program at GSSW, and the Executive Director of Color Institute, Catharina is equipped with a robust understanding of racial equity and inclusion. These insights greatly influence her leadership style, which is centered around disability justice and an unwavering commitment to improving intersectional societal equity.

Jenna Franck, as the Program Manager at Roots Colorado dba DIRT Coffee, partners with employers and community members to best understand hiring needs and how neurodiversity shows up in employment settings, while managing and developing DIRT's workforce development training programs. Her background in the social work field working in schools, respite care, nonprofits and employment programs for the past ten years, provides a specialized professional expertise to DIRT's services. Her role at DIRT is to understand the current workforce needs and develop innovative strategies to create equitable opportunities within the workforce; these strategies have impacted 300+ employers as of 2024, and continues to equip them with education and tools to create thriving and effective neurodiverse teams. Her role is to advance equity for disabled and neurodivergent individuals in all aspects of their lives, including work, independent living, and building valuable relationships while supporting the Neurodiversity Movement as a whole. She utilizes a holistic approach to ensure that individuals can strive to be the best version of themselves, and to find community within places such as DIRT. All of this work centers on developing connection- at the individual and community level, while striving for lasting systemic change in the disability community.

Greg Phillips, AAE, MBA Greg is an instrument rated commercial pilot, holds an engineering degree from West Point, and an MBA from the University of Denver. Following military service, Greg worked for Boeing and the FAA,serving a key role during construction of the Denver InternationalAirport. He has filled executive positions at five airports, from the Bend Municipal Airport in Oregon to the Missoula InternationalAirport, the Wenatchee, Washington airport and the Vail/Eagle County Airport before assuming his current role in January, 2017. In 2019, COS was recognized as Colorado Airport of the Year by the Colorado DOT. COS was the 2020 recipient of the Economic Development Council of Colorado’s award for economic partnerships, the 2020 national brand identity marketing awardee from the AirportsCouncil International, the 2021 Balchen/Post national awardee from the American Association ofAirport Executives for their snow removal program, and the 2023 ACI Best Marketing Program award, as well as numerous awards for various construction projects. Greg served on the National Board of Directors for the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), Past President of the Northwest Chapter for AAAE and currently serves on a number of national aviation committees. Locally, he serves on the VisitCOS Board ofDirectors, the Colorado Springs Chamber Board of Governors, the Colorado Springs Police Foundation Board and is an Honorary Commander at the United States Air Force Academy. Greg is an Accredited Airport Executive, a member of the Order of Daedalians, a Senior Fellowin the Council for Excellence in Government, and serves on CU Boulder’s Customer ExperienceAdvisory Committee. He is an active member of the Colorado Airport Operators’ Association. In2020, Greg was named Airport Executive of the Year by the NW Chapter of AAAE.

Sheridan Powell began her employment at Visit Colorado Springs in 2021,  new to the travel and tourism industry. She has since earned a promotion to Communications Specialist and emerged as the organization’s leader for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives. She assists the Visit COS team with inbound and outbound media relations, social media, influencer and media visits and much more.