Heard & Empowered

Alexis Flores is the chemical production line lead at LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco, a nonprofit that empowers people who are blind or visually impaired through trai…

Rebecca Martin is a Certified Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with North Dakota Vocational Rehabilitation Services, a state agency that helps people with disabilities prepare for, obtain, …

As immediate past chair of the National Industries for the Blind Board of Directors, Paul Healy helped shape the future of NIB with steady leadership, financial expertise, and a deep commitment to mi…

Joe Spicer is the contact center services manager at Mississippi Industries for the Blind (MIB), a nonprofit that empowers people who are blind or visually impaired through meaningful employment, as …

Michael Monteferrante has been the president and CEO of Envision, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, since 2013. Envision is one of National Industries for the Blind’s associated nonprofit agencies, p…

Jeff Mittman is the president and CEO of Bosma Enterprises in Indianapolis, one of the Midwest's largest nonprofit organizations providing employment and training for people who are blind or visually…

Rebekah Grieb is a Contract Management Support (CMS) senior site supervisor at Alphapointe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with vision loss through employment opportunities, …

Dean Thompson is the new host of the Heard & Empowered podcast, presented by the National Industries for the Blind, an organization dedicated to enhancing the personal and economic independence of pe…

Maj. Gen. Alice W. Treviño is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the US Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. In this role, she…

Have you ever wondered how state programs can create meaningful job opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision? In this episode, we dive into the life-changing work being done by the N…

Today’s episode focuses on an extraordinary collaboration between employees from NSITE and American Printing House (APH) to create the Job Seeker's Toolkit.

Marianne Haegeli is the director of lear…

Maurice Crittendon is the senior specialist for talent acquisition at NSITE. After losing his sight due to diabetic retinopathy, Maurice ventured to Minneapolis for orientation and mobility training …

Heard & Empowered was created to show that anything is possible when you show up with the right mindset and attitude. Our guest this week, Jonathan Lucus, exemplifies this ethos in everything he does…

Dr. Hoby Wedler welcomes returning guest Doug Goist to the podcast this week. Doug is a program manager for workforce development at NSITE where he helps people who are blind and visually impaired fi…

In this week’s episode, Dr. Hoby Wedler is joined by Brandye Lacy, the marketing coordinator at Travis Association for the Blind, also known as Austin Lighthouse. With a passion for writing and advoc…

Do you ever wonder if there is a purpose for blindness? How can it be seen as a gift? This week, Dr. Hoby Wedler is joined by Blake Lindsay, an author, public speaker, voice artist, and the director …

Dr. Hoby Wedler welcomes a familiar voice back to the podcast this week as he sits down with the Executive Vice President at Bosma Enterprises, Lise Pace, live from the 2024 NIB Public Policy Forum i…

Dr. Hoby Wedler welcomes a very special guest to the podcast this week: the one and only Soraya Correa, the new president and CEO of National Industries for the Blind. After starting her career as a …

This week, Dr. Hoby Wedler is joined by Dan Kelly, the Vice President of Public Policy for the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) and President and CEO of IFB Sol…

In this episode, Dr. Hoby Wedler has the distinct pleasure of welcoming to the podcast Kevin Lynch, president and CEO emeritus of National Industries for the Blind (NIB). He retired April 30, 2023, f…