DOBE Team: Philip DeVliegher, Cami Turcotte, and Kathleen Castore

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Welcome everyone, everyone in the United States and around the world. A special shout out to my friends from the U.S. State Department, Richard Roberts, who I first met in South Korea. He's with the embassy. Then with him in Okinawa, and I'm sure we'll have more traveling in the future. He is a great disability rights leader, as is Gang Young Cho, my friend in South Korea, who I love, and Cheryl Harris, who I first met when I did a show for Tunisia and Libya, and now I'm so lucky she's actually at the State Department in the United States. So hi, Cheryl, and Veniamin, Veniamin in Kazakhstan. And Veniamin, I think about you all the time. I, I know that must be so much tension for you there. And as I say, on every show, Voice America and Bender Consulting Services, this radio show, we are all behind the people with disabilities in the Ukraine. It's such an honor for me to be on the National Board of the World Institute on Disability. And if you want to make a contribution, it's www.wid, W-I-D, .org, and you'll see that we're trying to get resources to get people out of the country. You know, imagine there's a bombing, you're in a wheelchair, or you're a person who is blind, and there you are. So we're working to help everyone, you know, get them out of the country. And then, hey, China, Australia, Rwanda, uh, UK, it goes on and on, all these 17 countries. With listeners listening to this show. You know, as I say on every show, I don't care if it's one person, like the one person in Saudi Arabia. One person, that's how it starts, one person. Just share it with everyone, everyone around the world listening. Just share the show with your English-speaking friends and you'll help make a difference for all people living with disabilities. Okay, Yoshiko Dart, special shout out to you. Yes, every show shout out to Yoshiko because we have to remember her late husband, Justin Dart. So that's my way of helping you remember him. And I have to thank our great sponsor for the past many years And that would be Highmark, who is the sponsor of this radio show. And on April 28th, if you go to AAPD.com, that is the AAPD Gala, and you will see David Holmberg, CEO, receiving the Corporate Champion Award by Senator Casey.. And I will be introducing Senator Casey. And guess who is the emcee? Jane Pauley. So make sure, AAPD.com. And the excitement just continues on. I will have another announcement about another event in a few minutes. But right now, oh, I love to talk about Dobies. Oh, I love it, love it, love it. I am one, a disability-owned business enterprise. And once again, for a long time, long, we still have this high unemployment, as you all know, double those of non-disabled and 70% not counted in the workforce. But for years, years ago, they always said, how you going to get a job? Have your own company. So many people with disabilities went that route. Now it has improved and wonderful things are happening that we're going to talk about on the show today. Uh, so let me introduce to you Philip De Vlieger, who's the Vice President of Supplier Diversity, um, and we have Cammie Turcotte, who's the Senior Manager of Supplier Engagement, and Kathleen Castore, who is the Supplier Diversity Mentoring and Development Counselor. And I am friends with all of them. Welcome to the show. Hey, Philip, let's start with you and your story. How did you become interested in diversity, which you have really gone a long way? So you became interested in diversity. That led to disability. Let's hear your story, and then you can talk about your current position.

Hey Joyce, it's great to be with you today. Thank you so much for, for having me and our team on the call with you. So diversity, so I've lived diversity, Joyce. I am a gay white man with non-apparent disabilities. And, you know, you could certainly cross many different dimensions of diversity. I, you know, I check a few boxes there. So my passion around diversity has really been part of just who I am. But when it comes to disability inclusion, I will tell you, like many people, disability has kind of touched my life in a personal way. And I will share a story about how I kind of started on this journey. I have a niece who was born with significant disabilities. And at the age of 10, she passed away. And that was probably almost 30 years ago, and it made me want to support the disability community in a significant way. And then obviously my own non-apparent disabilities played a factor in that as well, but it was really Denise who kind of put me on this journey.

Wow. Well, hey, I have to ask you, explain to me what you do right now.

So I lead our supplier diversity and certification program at Disability:IN. So Disability:IN is a nonprofit organization that helps businesses become more disability inclusive, and that includes within their supply chain. Right, buying from disability-owned businesses. So it is my role to kind of lead those efforts and help our corporate partners and our DOBEs like you to do business with each other.

Well, may I say, I've known you, Philip, for a long time, and you are doing a great job. Philip is a wonderful person. He is the real deal. Um, you know, I just love him. He really cares so much. And, you know, you've just done a great job. You're doing a great job, Philip. The whole disability community says thanks to you.

Well, we can't do it, we can't do it alone, Joyce. So, you know, we need people like you, business owners like you, to be part of our network and to be able to advance disability inclusion around the world. So, again, thank you, Joyce, for all the work that you do.

Well, yes, I just want to say something. You made me think of something, Philip. I did a presentation this year for Austria for female-owned disability entrepreneurs. And, you know, so those of you in Austria, You've got to share this show. And now that I think about it, we have to make sure we get this through the State Department out, because when I went to South Korea, the only people I met that had employment were disability owners. So, you know, this is going to be a great show for all of you around the world with a disability having your own company. So, you know, and of course everyone in the United States that owns their own business or, uh, you know, just got started, uh, this, this is a great show for you. So I've also known Cammie for a long time, uh, who always looked out for me at all these conferences. And I'm talking about the great Disability:In conference that this year is in July. Who can tell me the dates of the Disability in Conference?

This is, this is Cammie Joyce. Can you hear me?

Yeah.

Okay, perfect. It's July 18th to the 21st.

July 18th through the 21st. And if you go to disabilityin— is it disabilityin.org, Cammie?

It is. I believe there's a backslash conference. Will get you directly to that page. But if you go to the main web page, it should direct you there.

Okay, that's disabilityin.org. Listen, this conference, oh my goodness. Like, just so you know, I've been there where they had made some people really, really mad. Oh, you're going to say why? Because they couldn't fit them in, that's why. But they did figure out how to get them in. I'm not kidding you, this— you've got to go to this conference. And Cammie Turcotte, is that how you pronounce your last name?

Turcotte, but Turcotte, Turcotte. I answered all of them twice.

Thank you. Okay, Cammie Turcotte is the Senior Manager of Supplier Engagement for Disability:IN. So Cammie, I know you work with suppliers and you work with the certification process. What, what exactly does that mean for people listening, you know, to the show? And how did, how did you become interested in this program? But first, for people listening, tell us how you work with suppliers and the certification process, because maybe you, you should explain first that Disability:IN has this certification. For entrepreneurs.

Absolutely. So Disability:IN, as Philip mentioned a little bit about before about what we do, is a national nonprofit that works across the enterprise to educate corporations and other entities on disability inclusion. This program specifically was built out because there was a need and a want by major Fortune 500 and 1,000-size companies to be able to identify business owners that had a disability, which includes service-connected disabilities. So, to those service-disabled veterans out there that own their own businesses, we do certify them as well. The program itself is about 11 years old, and both Philip and I, and Kathleen's been around for quite some time as well in a different role, but Philip and I have worked together in different roles over the past 11 years. And so we have a, We have a great working relationship. The certification itself, like I mentioned, is about 11 years old, but was basically built alongside some of the other, you know, best practices and organizations that do certifications for other diverse groups like WBENC, which is an organization that certifies women-owned businesses, NMSDC, which is, you know, certification organization for minority-owned businesses, and NGLCC, which certifies LGBTQ-owned businesses. So we're in great company with the work we do, and we work across the aisle as much as we're able to. As Philip mentioned, disability is one of those categories and communities that really kind of reaches across all different types of— whether it's gender identification, race, ethnicity, age. You know, it's something that a lot of people don't understand until they're impacted by it. And so, you know, the program itself was built on those same practices, if you will, as those other organizations. And, you know, we've been spending the last 10 years really building the program. Obviously, Joyce, you've been with us since its infancy, and could not have done it without you, as well as a lot of our other stakeholders. And, you know, that would include some of our large corporations that have come along and help support the program over the years, but also the community as a whole, really kind of reaching out to other business owners, letting them know that we exist and that we're here to help support that community of individuals, you know, as business owners, whether it means connecting them to potential opportunities or helping them understand and leverage resources that are available to help develop their business. And that would include things like mentoring and business development type courses. The certification itself is a pretty arduous process, and the reason being is it's very important that every business that comes in the door goes through the same process to ensure that everybody's held to the same standards and that we ensure that the business owners, like yourself, Joyce Bender, are really the folks that are in charge running the business and that they are the ones that are making these day-to-day decisions, right? Because certification is not necessarily something that will, you know, guarantee business, but it's— there is a process to ensure that these corporations, when they're looking out for these diverse-owned businesses, that they're able to identify who they are clearly. So the program, while it has very high standards and rigor, we really feel is beneficial to business owners where it makes sense based on, you know, if they buy or sell products, if they're looking to do business with large corporations. And again, it doesn't have to be necessarily pencils or janitorial services. We've got all different kinds of business owners. Obviously, Joyce's company offers a ton of different services, specifically within consulting around ADA 50— is it 503 and 508, Joyce, now?

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Okay.

Yes.

Yeah. So, you know, we have a very large group of companies that belong to this community that are certified with us, but there's strength in numbers, so we're always looking for more businesses, you know, that that are interested in getting certified. It's not for everybody, but, you know, we'd be happy to chat or speak with anybody that has questions or concerns about what that process looks like, because there are certain, you know, I will say touchpoints you have to meet to apply. For example, we just opened up, you know, certification outside the United States, but that's not necessarily open to the entire world right now. So we've really focused on the UK, I know that Canada is in the hopper as well. But, you know, we're looking at businesses that are 51% owned, operated, managed, and controlled by a person or persons with disability. So, again, that can be somebody that was born with their disability, somebody that received it during their time of service to their country, or somebody that maybe had a very tragic accident. And is now a person with a disability. So, it looks different to everybody, and it does include disabilities that, you know, as Philip mentioned, are invisible, which are— there are a lot of us out there, and those that have physical disabilities as well. And that includes things like learning disabilities, cancer, diabetes, wheelchair users, individuals who are hearing impaired or deaf, visually impaired individuals. So, the scope is wide and far, and so, if you're a person person that thinks you may meet the criteria, you know, please feel free to reach out to us. We would love to talk to you about what the program looks like, what some of the benefits are, and why a company should possibly apply for certification.

And it is a wonderful thing, you know, and I'll tell you why in a minute. But when, when Cammie was talking about, you know, the rigors, the speed, I want to tell you, you know, of becoming Adobe. It's not like come one, come all. You know, everyone knows I'm about no pity, but they really do an audit to make sure, yes, it's 51% owned by a person with a disability. So I mean, this is more like corporate America, you know, the way this is handled, and I love that about it. And I have to mention, I have to take a moment and mention how much I love the name Disability:IN. This is where I have to applaud the board because they used to be called USBLN, and there was this time going on, what's the name gonna, what's it gonna be? And when they came out and said Disability in. Oh my God, like I was so impressed. Why? I don't want to hear DiversAbility, Handicapable, dis with the small D-I-S ability. It's not the Americans with Diversabilities Act. It's the Americans with Disabilities Act. And of course, if you think I feel strongly on this, you should talk to anyone, the disability rights leader, specifically Judy Heumann. So, When Disability:Inc. came out with that, oh, they impacted the entire disability rights community by taking that stand. So I just want to take a moment and congratulate you for that. And Philip, do you know what I mean when I say that you take this seriously when you audit, uh, organizations to make sure they really are 51% owned by a person with a disability with good credentials and references?

We do. I mean, we, we take it seriously because our corporate partners take it seriously, right? So when, you know, or when they're putting out in the public domain that they're spending X amount of dollars with diverse businesses, including those that are owned by people with disabilities, you better believe that they want to ensure that that those businesses are who they say they are, right? So we take it seriously and, you know, again, it's a rigorous process, but at the end of the day, it's a tool that as a disability-owned business enterprise, you can leverage and use to gain access to opportunities.

Yes, and I just wanted businesses to— that listen to the show to know how seriously you take that, and you have done a great job both ways for people with disabilities and for the business community. So, you know, and Cammie, hardest worker in the world, you are. I don't know how you do it, but you do during this whole conference and everything with the Dobies. Oh my goodness. Okay, Kathleen Castore. How are you today, Kathleen?

Oh, wonderful, wonderful.

How are you?

I am great, thank you. How did you first become involved with Disability:IN? Because as Cammie was saying, you've been there, but you were doing something else. And let's talk about what you were doing and what you do now.

Yes, absolutely. So, well, first off, Joyce Bender, thank you for inviting me to Disability Matters. "As a person with a disability myself, I appreciate all you do and the dedication and fight for those with disabilities, especially from an economic inclusion standpoint." So thank you for that. So yeah, so this is kind of interesting. I think I'm going to do what Philip did. I'm going to go back about 20 years myself and kind of lead up to how I got here. So about 20 years ago, gee whiz, long time ago, but I had to do my master's thesis and thinking about what to do it on. And I wound up— I started out with like multicultural marketing. I worked for a healthcare company, a large pharmaceutical company at the time. And I wanted to do something to maybe help me advance my career, right, within healthcare. So I did it on— I'll just give this— I won't give the swanky, didactic title. But it was basically Hispanic marketing. I started at multicultural marketing. But then I realized I had to kind of zero it in because it would have been like 300 pages. I had this kind of affinity and thought process back then when I didn't know what diversity really was, but I knew there was a significance to how would we market and how would we brand to this minority majority Hispanic community. And so that was my first glimmer into, let's call it, something that's a little bit diverse or working with a minority or thinking about minorities. So from From there, then after a number of years, I was with the procurement function, again, a very large multinational pharmaceutical company. And we didn't have a supply diversity person, certainly not a group or even an initiative at the time. But it finally became a job. So they sent it out internally. And I said, this is something I'd be very, very interested in. So ultimately, I got the job over a dozen years ago at this point or so. As a manager of supply diversity. So it was a very nascent program that I had kind of built on it. From there, I was, you know, I didn't know anything about it either. So I relied on a lot of my corporate partners at the time, and I heard of Disability:IN. I'm going, hmm, you know, what is that? I didn't know that group. I knew, you know, basically what the government compliance-driven folks were, you know, the women, minorities, veterans, et cetera. Disability in was something I just never heard of. So when I went to my first conference, it was probably about 10 years ago, I'd say, give or take a year or so. But I went to my first conference, and it was relatively small, and I think Cammie and Philip could attest to it considering the tremendous, tremendous growth that's out there now. And I was like, this group is terrific, and I loved Everybody, you know, that cabinet, Philip, and I was like, wow, I would like to do something within that realm. And then I had an opportunity to do that once I left my current position, my position as one who was a director of supplier diversity for the organization. And I worked with disability over the years, joined as a member, sponsored them, worked in the mentoring program. And I think I was on one of the first the first cohort for the mentoring program as well. So I think I was there from the very beginning for the mentoring side. I'll get into that more about my role. So funny enough how things progress and you never know where you're going, you're headed, right? But yes, I got very involved with them and I just thought the group was terrific because what I really liked about it was that it includes, you know, it wasn't just women. It wasn't just focused on LGBT, et cetera. It was for everybody's included in the disability space. Face, every ethnicity, every race, every socioeconomic level, and all kinds of levels of disabilities. So it was just a group that I got pretty involved with. Did I fill up? Was I OK? I was pretty involved, right?

As a corporate member?

As a corporate member. And again, like I said, I just love the group working with Supply Diversity. I'm so lucky to be working with them now. Just like you said about Cammie, I mean, she's like a miracle worker. I don't even know how she keeps it all together, and she does. She's fantastic. And I experienced that from when I was in the corporate side for many years as a corporate member, and of course, along with Philip. But yeah, so that's kind of how I kind of got involved. So there was always a thought from many years ago, I think, that I was meant to be in some kind of working within diversity community, whether it was disability in or the other communities and different classifications. So that's kind of really how I started. And now that led me to doing— I left my job. I'm doing consulting now. And I work very closely, obviously, with Joyce Bender and Cammie running the mentoring program now.

And you also, yes, are a very busy person. And Kathleen, I also love working with you. So— Thank you. Me too, Joyce. All of you on, but it's on the half hour, it's time for our news break, uh, Advocacy Matters, and we have as our newscaster Perri Jude Radesik for the past 3 years. So, uh, Perri, are you with us?

Joyce, I am.

I'm happy to be here.

Happy to have you. So Perri, what news do you have for us today?

So, Joyce Bender, today we want to talk about equity and racial justice through the federal government. On April 14th, that was just last week, over 90 federal agencies released their equity and racial justice plans to the public. The plans were in response to President Biden's executive order on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government. Some of you may remember that on President Biden's first day in office, he signed this executive order way back in January 2021. Now, the focus of the executive order is to enhance equity work within the federal government, not just for people of color, but for all historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely impacted communities by poverty and equity. So, this includes certainly people of color, but also the disability community. The order directed all agencies to increase coordination and community with civil rights and community-based organizations and remove barriers to equality in the federal government, including barriers that block equity for people with disabilities. Now, President Biden has said that advancing equity is not just a one-year project, but a generational commitment. So this plan and all of these federal agencies' plans reflect the administration's commitment to BIPOC, LGBTQ, and people with disabilities. I'll give you just one example. The U.S. Department of Labor has a 5-point plan to deliver equity through the Department of Labor for underserved workers, including people with disabilities. This includes wage and hour protection, removing systemic barriers to accessing unemployment insurance, ensuring workers with limited English proficiency are aware of their rights, making sure our workforce is trained, and making sure that there is an apprenticeship program to create an equitable pipeline into federal employment. Now, advocacy matters. This is a lot of information, but if you are interested in learning more about about these equity plans, go to disabilityrightspa.org, click on today's advocacy matters segment. You'll find a link to the executive order, a video from the release of the equity plans last week, and lots more, including all the agencies' equity plans. So Joyce, this is an exciting development regarding the federal government and people with disabilities.

It certainly is. That is wonderful. And Perry, uh, do you know how they're going to attack employment? Do you know? Have they said that in this, what they put out? Employing people with disabilities?

Yes, but they do not provide more detail. I think it's still going to be up to us to push the administration on attacking the employment, uh, issues for people with disabilities.

Okay, well, you keep us, uh, apprised of that. And by the way, Perry Jude Radisic is the CEO of Disability Rights Pennsylvania, which I'm so honored to be on the board of, and is a well-known national disability rights leader. We're so honored to have her on every show with the news. So Perry, thank you and keep us up to date on that.

I will.

Take care, Joyce.

Thank you. Uh, remember everyone, we're the only source, only source where you can go every week to hear the news on what's happening nationally and internationally, uh, with the disability community. So Philip, back to Philip, my person Philip, tell our listeners what the size was of the DOBI program for the first few years and what it is today, because I very well remember the first few years. So, and I am— it's astonishing what has happened.

So, Joyce, of course you should remember because you were like among the first disability-owned business enterprises to become certified, if not the first. Yes, so that was what, 11 years ago or so?

Yes, it was.

So we started out with a handful of Dobies and slowly grew that number. And I was just looking at a year ago today what that number was. And it was not a year ago. Let's just go back maybe 5 years ago. And that number was under 100. Today, we are 4 times that number. We are nearly 400 certified DOBIs strong. So, obviously— isn't it awesome? So, obviously, you know, the pace has picked up tremendously. Tremendously since over, what, 11 years ago. And, um, and it's a great thing.

Oh, I know. I remember going and it just being a small mod. And you know, you know, Adobe can have Adobe as a customer. I am that person. I may be one of the first because, uh, Caption First. Pat has done the open captioning for this show for those 11, 12 years, although the show has been on for 19 years. So I guess from the beginning, but she has been a customer of Bender. How about that? Absolutely. So that just shows you not only could you go to the conference and meet a Corporate 500 company, you could go and meet another Adobe like me. And think about that contract, how long that's been. So, you know, there's so much opportunity. And once again, if you are a person with a disability and you own your own business and you're not certified by Disability:IN, Oh my goodness, you're making a mistake because the whole world will be open to you. There isn't any other place you're going to go where you're going to meet all these suppliers and HR people, major corporations. You've got to go. Disability in Conference is— did you say the 18th, Cammie? July 18th?

Yes, ma'am.

July 19th through the 21st in the Southwest, Dallas, Texas. Again, go to disabilityin.org and you can find out about this tremendous conference that is coming up for corporate America. And I'll tell you what, corporate America loves this conference. So if you're listening and you're in a business and you're not part of it, You should be because you're missing out if you aren't there. It is just a tremendous conference and so wonderful for disability-owned business enterprises. So, uh, Cammie, how do you become Adobe? And by the way, Cammie, I remember when it was under 50, and before you know it, there will be 1,000, and just— we'll need 1,000 Cammies.

Yeah, that would be wonderful if we could find 1,000 Cammies. I would take even 1,000 Phillips or 1,000 Kaplins or 1,000 anybody. Yeah. So, so the process, as I talked about before, and I know Philip mentioned, is very arduous. But, but we have really tried to kind of streamline and make the hoops as accessible as possible. Not only because, you know, we have obviously individuals who need a little bit of assistance, whether it is tactical or physical. But we just recently opened up a new portal that we're hoping is going to be a lot more user-friendly for all of our users and stakeholders, which obviously includes applicants who are coming in to apply to get certified. So, what they would have to do is they have to be— meet 3 specific piece of criteria for the domestic certification. And that is 51% owned, operated, managed, and controlled. And have a disability, and that can be one person that makes up that 51% or more, or it can be multiple people. They're also going to need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States, and they're going to need to have their business headquartered in the United States. Now, if they can meet the other criteria, being a permanent resident or citizen of the UK, 51% owned, operated, managed, and controlled, and have their headquarters in the UK, they can apply for the— the very first international certification for disability-owned business enterprises. So there are a couple different options there, but they would need to meet those criteria. They would log onto a system and register their company, and the system would really drive them through a number of pieces of information. I would hope to chat with them first just to, A, allow them to understand kind of what to expect. But that doesn't always happen. Sometimes people work around me. But we would want to make sure they have an idea of what type of documentation they need to be providing. So we're looking at things like financials, business structure documents, tax returns, resume, ID, things like that. And again, one of the biggest questions we get for those who are listening who may be interested is that, you know, why do you need all this invasive information? I'm a person with a disability. Show you that. The reason being is because just like every other certification out there, when a business comes in and applies, we really need to ensure that they have, A, met the criteria that we require them to, right? And that, B, that there's not somebody behind the scenes that's kind of utilizing that person's situation to try and really kind of leverage that certification for an ulterior motive. So the reason we ask for all these documents is everything that's asked and required of each applicant has a specific piece of information in there that ties out and shows who's running the show with the business, right? So if we're looking at tax returns or if we're looking at financials, we want to make sure that all those puzzle pieces tie out and make a beautiful picture that really kind of allow the certification committee to be able to make an approval on that company because they meet the criteria. And they meet the threshold for what we require. Obviously, you know, we— Philip and I and Kathleen, we don't make the decisions. That's done independently by a committee. But I promise you they have the best interests at hand, and they obviously want to see the program growth, growth specifically. But we also have to ensure that we're allowing businesses that are legitimate and that are, you know, owned, operated, managed, controlled by those those individuals who reside within the disability community and that are business owners. So hopefully that helps kind of clear up some of the information that they may be reading about or hearing about.

Well, if you didn't do that, you wouldn't be protecting people like me, you know, other disability-owned business enterprises that take such respect, you know, and proud of what they do. So You know, it isn't that hard as long as you're doing the right thing. It isn't that hard. But thank you so much, Cammie. And before I go any further, Kathleen, how do you work with the companies, the companies that use the Dobies?

Right, Joyce Bender, great question. And I mean, I'm just going to take it back. To kind of what my role is within the supplier diversity group within Disability:IN. And I want to talk about the supplier mentoring program and just give a quick overview and a few benefits on what that program is about, and then I'll let you know how we help the folks who are part of our mentoring program. So first of all, the supplier mentoring program is designed as an essential component to the development of certified by disability-owned business enterprises per the CAMI's definition, right? We all know the 51%, building more viable suppliers to better position them for growth, sustainability, and more importantly, inclusive in corporate and government supply chains. So that's just a basic overview of our program. And some of the benefits are to expand the business networks by developing lasting relationships between suppliers and corporate representatives. Also, we want to transfer that valuable knowledge, insights, and expertise from our corporate members to our DOBIs. And again, very critical, we want to advance disability supplier inclusion at the end of the day. If anybody wants more information that's listening, you can go to our website at disabilityin.org and look under our supply diversity tab and you can find out more about that program. You know, I won't go into other issues, so they can go there to find that. But what is my— how do I get exposure for the DOBEs? Well, there's a number of ways, and Joyce, you're included in that, by the way, as you know, so we'll bring that up as well. So first of all, the mentee-mentor relationship, number one, is key. The mentee is going to work with a mentor, one of our corporate members, and it doesn't mean it's just one person or it's a supply diversity lead or it's just somebody in procurement, you could work together with the various people within that organization based on those agreed-upon goals that the supplier wants to work with for the course of that year. The programs are year-long. So that's one of the— one thing. So that's about relationships. We also have our special sessions that we do. We do 6 a year. This year was sponsored by Wells Fargo and Salvador Enriquez, who's been a great partner. From Wells Fargo, and these special centers are the development component, the educational component to this, and they're really only open to people who participate in the mentoring program. That's one of our benefits for being involved with it. So, for example, we've done sessions with some of our corporate members, and we also did some with our Joby members. So we've had a number of really great ones. We just did one with Twitter, which was excellent, social media. And our next one, our last one, is going to be in May because our program will be closing out for the new cohort to be coming in. And we're doing that with Wells Fargo, with one of their economists on the outlook of the economy for 20— after COVID for 2022-23. So these are the kind of topics and learnings that we have during the course, the course of the mentoring program. Of course, we have the Master Mentor, which is new for this year, and Joyce Bender which is coming back for next year as far as I know, Joyce, right? We'll get a commitment on air.

Yes, I'm going to get it.

I'll put you on the spot. We'll get you on air. We'll get it on tape.

I'm going to join Marvel as a superhero.

Yes, you should. You should. That's funny. But yes, our Master Mentor is a new program that we have this year, which is led by Joyce Bender. And I don't know how she finds the time, her and Kami. I don't know where they find it. Time to do things, but Joyce, you're exactly the same. So you are a superhero.

And we've done— One mention there, at the next one we have, Tony Coelho is speaking for a few minutes.

Oh, wonderful. I think you're great.

The next Master Mentor session.

Yes, and that's going to be in May. That's terrific. But I'll circle back with you again on that as well. But so we have the Master Mentoring and that's how we connect people and get them exposure. You know, first of all, you really have to participate, right? Participation is key. You can't just come, show up, give a check, join, expect things to happen. You know, it's up to that person to really get involved. You know, who do people do business with, first of all? People they know, they like, they trust., and you can't do that without participation. So you also need patience. You need patience to build those relationships and building your network as you go along. And the mentoring program is a really great thing because we have certainly other mentors, other, you know, a lot of mentees, and we have a lot of the mentors, and there's like cross-pollination there. We do pulse checks during the course of the year, which is kind of free-form calls I have with the mentors and the mentees, and we get to discuss things. It's just a, like I said, a free-form session, and everybody has each other's email so they can tap into each other as well. So there's lots of different ways with which we can expose those Dobies and get them into the right position. At the end of the day, we want to use Joyce Bender's term, sign the contract, right? We want to create the Dobies to be contract ready. Even more so than they are when they join the program, right? And we want to give them that exposure during the course of the year. So that's some of the elements we have in the program. That's how we have exposure within— for the Dobies within the mentoring program.

Sign the contract. My three favorite words, sign the contract. And let me just tell you, I say this so much that when I was on a session, the Disability Inn had me on something with Raul Suárez Rodríguez, my buddy, my, my Wild Sox companion. Right in the middle of it, he says, "Sign the contract." So yes, that is our goal. That is our goal. And before we go any further, I have to mention that on April 26th at 6:30 PM, there's an online webinar. Now, this is April 26th at 6:30 PM, a mental health education series with me, Katherine Perez, and Nahim Moderated by Elijah Armstrong for part of the Yuman Armstrong Award. You know, Elijah was a Hearne Award winner at AAPD, and he's using his funds to move everything forward. And of course, Yuman is Judy Yuman. Online webinar on April 26th. With Elijah Armstrong talking about mental health education. If you are interested in attending this, just get in touch with me, Joyce Bender at BenderConsult.com. Joyce Bender at BenderConsult.com, and I will get you the information. But it's such an important topic, and you all know Remember, non-apparent disabilities includes mental health disabilities. So many, so many people have non-apparent disabilities. They just don't want anyone to know. But I'm living with epilepsy and I'm hard of hearing and I am not ashamed and neither should you be if you are living with a non-apparent disability. So, Philip, tell me, what message do you have for businesses about working with Adobe. And after you explain that, tell us how that is going to impact the company's ESG, because I know with the DEI, the Disability Equality Index, which Ted Kennedy Jr. is so involved with and David Casey, this all fits together and the DEI is with disability. And so, Philip, How does that impact businesses?

So, a great question, Joyce Bender. Thank you. I think, you know, my message to businesses kind of derives from, I guess, my own experience in the corporate world. When I heard diversity and inclusion, inclusion, I always felt that it means everybody, right? So for those companies who aren't including disability-owned businesses within their supplier diversity program or initiative, they're missing out. They're not including including everybody, and they fall behind, unfortunately, because by using and utilizing and working with disability-owned business enterprises, it does contribute to an organization's ESG initiatives and goals. And, and for those of you who may not know what ESG means, that That means environmental, social, and governance. So that social aspect of ESG is where that intersects with disability, right? So to be able to, to promote your organization as a company that is doing the right thing environmentally, socially, and in terms of governance, and you're not including disability, you will be left behind. So my word of advice is get on board, get in. Are you in? And be inclusive of disability and disability-owned businesses.

Yes, that is such great advice. Are you in? Bender Consulting Services is in, and Disability Matters is in, and so should you be. And remember, July 18th through the 21st, Dallas, Texas is the conference. Go to disabilityin.org and you can get the information. If you're a company You're missing out if you don't work with Adobe because that ESG— I'm telling you that when lenders or investors look at a company, they always look at the ESG. And right now CEOs across America have been receiving letters saying, what are you doing with your ESG with disability? And keep tuned, keep tuned. Won't be surprised if there's some changes coming up with SEC. So just keep tuned. But I want to thank you, Philip, Cammie, and Kathleen, for being with us today.

Thank you, Joyce Bender.

Thank you, Joyce Bender. Thank you, Joyce Bender. It's been a pleasure. Thank you.

And I would suggest that you share this show with others. You're going to see me putting it out on LinkedIn. And Philip, you should get this podcast and put it on your Adobe page so everyone can hear you three great leaders over and over again talking about it. But we end every show with a quote, and today it is: The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, "and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand," said Vince Lombardo. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters, at voiceamerica.com. Talk to you next week, and in the words of Mary Brooker, Remember, choose joy.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific time and 2 PM Eastern time for another installment of Disability Matters, right here on the Voice America variety channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.