Inclusive Hiring Essentials 

Date

May 18, 2023

Time

75 minutes

Category

News

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Foundational Steps for Recruiting, Employing and Retaining People with Disabilities 

Last month Aspire hosted a webinar and a live virtual panel discussion about setting a foundation for inclusive hiring success. This session features keynote commentary from entrepreneur and activist, Matthew Shapiro, followed by a panel discussion with business leaders across several industries, who shared their insights.


Speakers

A photo of a 32-year-old white male smiling with glasses and curly brown hair sitting in his wheelchair wearing a black suit, a white shirt, and a red, blue, and white striped tie.

Matthew Shapiro (he/him/his)

Founder and CEO @6 Wheels Consulting, LLC

As a person with a disability, Matthew Shapiro has spent most of his life motivated to teach those he has met how to better understand the disability community and inclusion. Through this work, it has become his life’s mission to educate others regarding disability related issues. With this thought in mind, in December of 2014, he created 6 Wheels Consulting. Working with those in both the private and public sectors, he hopes to expand their understanding of disabilities and inclusion to give them the tools they can use in any environment. Matthew has had the privilege of sitting on numerous disability boards and speaking at a variety of conferences, both locally and nationally.


Darryl smiles in front of a white background and is wearing a black suit with a red tie.

Darryl Castellano (he/him/his)

Vice-President, Global Inclusion, Diversity & Engagement @Wesco International Inc.

Senior HR executive with over 20 years of experience in retail, banking and electrical distribution industries. Currently leading Wesco International’s Global Inclusion and Diversity initiatives. Married for 25 years and the father of 3 beautiful daughters


White woman with curly, light-brown hair and a friendly, closed-lip smile wearing a bright blue InfiniTeach t-shirt.

Katie Hench (she/her/hers)

Co-founder @Infiniteach

Katie Hench is the Co-Founder and CEO of InfiniTeach, a Chicago-based organization that develops technology to support the neurodiverse and Autistic communities. Katie is a former Special Education teacher and has provided autism trainings to parents and educators in countries around the world. She is on the External Disability Advisory Board for Alaska Airlines and is a member of the Ethics and Rights Committee for Esperanza Community Services. Katie’s younger brother, diagnosed with autism at the age of 6, motivates (and often corrects!) the work she does.


JP blonde shoulder-length hair, grey eyes smiles in front of a white wall and is wearing a dark blue blouse.

Jennifer “JP” Price (she/her/hers)

Manager, Neurodiverse Center of Excellence – Chicago @Ernst & Young

Jennifer Price goes by “JP.” With an undergrad in Social Work and 20+ years in corporate and consulting experience; she is a career counselor to engineers, data analysts, and testers in the Chicago Neuro-diverse Center of Excellence. She is also neuro-distinct. She celebrates her ADHD strengths and enjoys working with her counselees on their career journeys.


JP blonde shoulder-length hair, grey eyes smiles in front of a white wall and is wearing a dark blue blouse.

Carlos Terrazas (he/him/his)

Disability Inclusion Manager @McDonald’s Corporation

Carlos is a passionate disability inclusion leader. He is driven by his personal experience with disability and interactions with various disability communities. He leads McDonald’s Corporation’s first disability inclusion strategy across all global markets.


Clare is a white woman with shoulder length dark brown hair. She stands in front of a brick wall, wearing a blue shirt with a gray blazer, and smiles at the camera.

Clare Killy (she/her/hers)

Vice President, Digital Experiences @Aspire

Clare leads Aspire’s DEI Consultation services, including training and support for businesses and organizations as well as production of Aspire’s podcast and webinars. She also oversees Aspire’s Virtual Life Coaching team, which includes Life Consultants who provide customized life coaching for adults with disabilities. Clare has well over a decade of professional experience working with individuals of all ages, families and providers across diverse environments.

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