Additional Resources
Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute Student BisonTank
This competition offers students and alumni an opportunity to build on their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (GIEI) annually host BisonTank Business Competition. This competition offers students and alumni an opportunity to build on their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit as well as the mindset required to be successful Changemakers. As well, it offers students the opportunity to explore ways to give back to the community through their innovative ideas.
Eligibility:
1. There is no fee for entry.
2. A proposal may be submitted by an individual or as a teams up to 2 members.
3. Each individual and/or team may submit only one proposal for consideration.
4. All participants, including those submitting as a team, must be currently enrolled as a degree seeking student at Gallaudet University.
4. Students who are currently on academic or disciplinary probation are not eligible to participate.
5.. The deadline to submit a proposal is February 2, 2025 at 11:59 pm eastern. The University reserves the right to determine whether any proposals submitted after the deadline will be accepted.
Proposal Requirements:
1. Proposals must be in the idea or conceptual phase. No existing start-ups will be considered.
2. Proposals must be the original work of the participants and must not infringe upon another party’s intellectual property rights.
3. Proposals containing racial slurs, sexist remarks, profanity or other inappropriate or unethical content will be disqualified.
4. Proposals must not violate any applicable federal and DC state laws.
If you are interested in applying , please submit your application here by Sunday, February 2, 11:59PM EST.
2Gether International Annual Gala
Join 2Gether International for a night of celebration & unity at the 2GI Annual Gala to connect with inspiring disabled founders & entrepreneurs!
Get ready for a night of fun, food and festivities as we come together to celebrate another amazing year. Join us on Thursday, Dec 05 2024 at 6:30 pm, at 3400 Georgia Ave NW for an unforgettable evening. Dress to impress and get ready to mingle with fellow supporters and friends. Don’t miss out on this exciting event – mark your calendars now!
Cultural Competency with DC Mayor’s Office of Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing
This training focuses on Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened (D/DB/DD/HH/LD) communities and cultures. Participants will learn best practices and accessibility considerations when engaging with D/DB/DD/HH/LD individuals who “live, work and play” in DC. Participants will take away best practices to improve accessibility within their organization, activities and events.
Deputy Director Karen Quinones and Chief of Staff Kisha Gore will be presenting the Cultural Competency Training as part of MODDHH’s vision to enhance the quality of life for all residents with genuine inclusion that makes communications accessibility an ingrained part of living, working, and playing in DC. Our work centers Universal Design as part of technological advancement and increase community awareness both inside and outside of Deaf, DeafBlind, Deaf Disabled, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened communities.
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
View and download the PowerPoint Slides
View the “What is Language Deprivation” video shared during the presentation
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Disability Owned Convening
The Small Business Hub, at National Disability Institute (NDI), is excited to invite you to its Third Annual Disability Owned Convening, a national and virtual event taking place on November 20th and 21st, 2024. In the last two years, the Disability Owned Convening brought together more than 1,800 entrepreneurs and small business owners with disabilities, entrepreneurial support organizations, state vocational rehabilitation counsellors, policy makers, financial institutions and disability advocates from across the country.
This fully accessible convening offers invaluable opportunities to exchange information, gain actionable advice and innovative ideas and hear from successful entrepreneurs who will share their knowledge and insights. The plenary and concurrent breakout sessions will cover a wide range of topics including access to capital, marketing, technology tools and business organization. Additionally, dedicated innovation economy sessions will provide support to businesses ready to scale.
5 Top Reasons You Should Attend!
- Connect and learn from like-minded entrepreneurs who truly understand your opportunities and challenges
- Have your questions answered in real time by industry experts and thought leaders
- Invest in yourself and your business by attending the convening
- Participate in an inclusive, diverse and energizing environment
- Gain knowledge and resources on the latest industry trends and innovations
All registration fees have been prepaid by our sponsors, making the conference free for you to attend.
Watch recordings from the last two years
Subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about registration, speakers and more details!
Small Business Exporting – Entrepreneur’s Experiences
Join us for an engaging panel discussion moderated by LaTaunya Darden, Business Development Specialist, Minority and Women-Owned Business Outreach Division, Export-Import Bank of the United States. Business owners who used EXIM’s services to build and grow their businesses globally will share how they started their companies, what product or service they offer, their experience with EXIM and lessons learned along the way.
Following the panel of entrepreneurs, viewers will hear from David Hincapie, Lender Relations Specialist, Veteran Business Development Officer, Washington Metropolitan Area District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration. David will discuss the SBA’s role in supporting international trade. Attendees will learn about SBA’s trade loans, export finance programs and the functions of the SBA Office of International Trade, providing valuable resources and guidance for small businesses venturing into global markets.
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
View and download the PowerPoint Slides
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
EXIM 101 – Export Essentials for Successful Global Business Growth
Are you aware that there is a Government agency specifically there to support you in taking your business to a global consumer base? The EXIM bank is the official export credit agency of the United States. Their mission is to support American job creation, prosperity and security through exporting. Attend this webinar to learn about EXIM finance tools, how you can reduce non-payment risk, and expand to other countries.
For more information about Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), visit the website.
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
View and download the PowerPoint Slides
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Self-Employed and Self-Determined: Introduction to Supported Decision-Making Webinar
Presented by: Jonathan Martinis, Senior Director for Law and Policy, Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Study after study has shown that when people with disabilities have more control over their life and make more decisions for themselves – when they have more self-determination – they have better lives. People with disabilities who are more self-determined are more likely to live independently, work, be integrated into their communities, and avoid abuse.
Unfortunately, people with disabilities are often ordered into guardianships that are unnecessary or too restrictive. This can limit their quality of life and opportunity to work — including in self-employment — and live independently. After all, if you were a bank, would you lend someone money to start or fund a business if they had not legal right to make financial decisions?
This session will introduce the audience to the theory and practice of Supported Decision-Making (SDM). When people with disabilities use SDM, they work with friends, family, and professionals so they can understand their choices and make their own decisions. As a result, SDM can help people be self-determined, have better work and life outcomes, and avoid unnecessary guardianship!
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Creating Accessible Emails
Email is a vital communication tool, so it’s important to avoid accessibility barriers that might prevent someone from viewing or understanding a message. Research shows that when an email is accessible, people are more likely to read it. Learn how to make your emails more accessible for all your clients, customers, donors, etc.
Presented by: Results One LLC
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
View and Download the PowerPoint slides
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Guardianship and Self-Employment Listening Session
We held a listening session to learn how guardianship or supported decision making (SDM) can facilitate or be a barrier to self-employment for people with disabilities. We invited people with disabilities and their parents who have started down the path of self-employment and have a guardian/SDM. We were interested in hearing about your experiences.
ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
This event was not be recorded for public viewing.
Pro-Tips Grant Writing Webinar Presented by Hello Alice
In this workshop, participants will learn how to effectively share their entrepreneurship story, what grant reviewers are looking for, and other strategies to help put together a successful grant application.
Presented by Hello Alice.
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Creating Accessible PDFs
PDF document accessibility plays a vital role in the overall accessibility of your website. To provide an equal experience for all users, regardless of disability, you must develop all digital content with accessibility in mind.
Presented by Results One LLC
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
GHA Training Series: Business Structure & Business Plan
This session touches on two pivotal parts of starting a business: choosing a business structure & navigating the business plan. In this time together, we will provide a brief overview of the common business structures, important benefit considerations for choosing a business structure, and an overview and importance of a business plan. We’ll learn and understand how our featured guests chose a business structure that best serves them and how they use their business plan as working document to help them grow and maintain their business.
Presented by Griffin Hammis Associates
Guest Speakers:
- Thad Brown of VASLA
- Sherry Wynn of Just Fix This Mess
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Social Media Accessibility
The content you deliver via social media should be accessible. However, social media platforms don’t always make it easy to add alternative text or consider other disabilities like Deaf and Hard of Hearing, visual impairment or loss, distractions, etc. In this workshop, you will learn tips to make your social media content as compliant as possible so everyone can participate.
Presented by Results One LLC
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
View and Download the Presentation
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
GHA Training Series: Business Feasibility & Creating a Plan
Once a person identifies a business idea that fits, they need to determine if the business idea has the potential to succeed. This session explains the information that needs to be gathered to assess the feasibility of a business, strategies for supporting a person with a disability and their employment team with gathering the information, and steps for evaluating the results to ensure that the proposed concept is both viable and meets the person’s ideal conditions for employment. In this session, we invite featured guests to shift the mindsets of attendees to think differently about providing business feasibility processes and supports to reach business viability.
Presented by Griffin-Hammis Associates
Guest Speakers:
- Paola Blanco of Pixels N Paper
- Melody Stein of MxT 2510
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Creating Accessible Content for Content Creators
What does accessible content mean, and why is it important to your customers and employees? The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a set of principles intended for content and web creators to ensure that all people, including those with disabilities, can view, interact, and share information. This course will teach you how to create accessible content.
Presented by Results One LLC
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Entrepreneurship, Disability, and CDFIs: Session 1: Introduction to CDFIs
Accessing capital can be essential for business growth, yet many founders with disabilities report experiencing significant barriers. This is the first session in a five-part webinar series to hear from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have found ways to increase inclusion and from disability owned businesses on how they obtained the capital they needed.
Featured Guest: Pam and Andrew Porter, National Disability Finance Coalition
ASL interpretation and captioning were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Deafhood Training Part 3: Communicating Effectively
Presented by: Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute
The Dos and Don’ts of including Deaf and hard of hearing people in your meetings on Zoom and in-person meetings. Tips and strategies to maximize communication effectiveness in meetings so that everyone feels included — not left behind.
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now, Captions were automatically generated by Zoom. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Deafhood Training Part 2: Understanding Language Translation
Presented by: Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute
Further dive into Deafhood with the lens of language translation through more than one modality. This session provides an understanding of how language translation impacts small business training for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Providing an American Sign Language interpreter is often inadequate, especially from the training perspective — we will explore why along with the recommended solutions.
Watch the Zoom Recording (with shared screen and gallery view)
Watch the Webinar on YouTube (with corrected captions)
ASL Interpretation was provided by Interpreter Now, Captions were automatically generated by Zoom. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.
Disability-Sensitivity Session 1: Introduction to Disability Inclusion
At the end of the session, you will be able to:
• Identify different types of disabilities as defined by the ADA, including hidden disabilities;
• Share appropriate responses to people with disabilities;
• Use person-centered approaches
• Debunk some common myths about people with disabilities
• Identify specific, actionable tips for treating people with disabilities respectfully
Disability-Sensitivity Session 8: Creating Accessible Content for Content Creators: The Basics
What does accessible content mean, and why is it important to your customers and employees? The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a set of principles intended for content and web creators to ensure that all people, including those with disabilities, can view, interact, and share information. This course will teach you how to create accessible content.
ASL interpretation and live captioning (CART) were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.