check out NOTA’s list of outstanding speakers
Champion inclusion and inspire transformation with powerful voices leading the conversation on disability advocacy and representation.
Meet our Incredible Lineup of Speakers:
Dustin Giannelli He/Him
Profoundly deaf DEIA public speaker
Dustin was diagnosed with a profound bilateral hearing loss at age five and began wearing hearing aids. Being deaf and adaptive has allowed Dustin to overcome life’s daily challenges and spread positivity in a powerful way and he’s here to share his story with you.
Stephanie Nogueras She/Her
Actress, Speaker
Stephanie Nogueras is an actress of Puerto-Rican descent who happens to be Deaf and proficient in ASL. She is currently seen starring opposite Craig Robinson on the TV series Killing It (Peacock) and on episode 2 of the new anthology series The Accused (Fox.) Other TV credits include The Good Fight, Criminal Minds, The Magicians, and Switched at Birth. Stephanie earned a Liberal Arts and Science Degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. When not acting, Stephanie mentor’s students and families, teaching them American Sign Language and deaf culture and is the founder of Pepita Productions.
Ruth Rathblott She/Her
Keynote Speaker, DE&I expert
As a former CEO, Ruth brings a wealth of experience around topics crucial to organizational success, such as staff structure, strategic planning, community impact, fundraising, and financial management.
With a unique blend of executive leadership and program development expertise, Ruth shares her profound insights into embracing hidden differences and unlocking individual potential. Drawing from her personal and professional journey, she navigates the complexities of leading through crises, demonstrating that living without limits or labels is not only possible but empowering.
Lacey Henderson She/her
Paralympian, Speaker, Author, Model and Sport and Performance Psychology Professional
Lacey is a Paralympian, an American Record holder in the long jump, a world record holder in the pole vault, Para Pan American Silver Medalist, 9x National Champion, and a former Div 1 athlete. Much of Lacey’s success can be attributed to working with a sport psychologist during her professional track and field career. That mental performance work helped her fully embrace the multiple identities she has as a cancer survivor and a disabled athlete to make space for top performances on the world stage.
Thando Hopa She/Her
Fashion model, Advocate of diversity, Keynote, Speaker
Thando Hopa is a fashion model and an advocate of diversity who has made her mark globally. Her varied portfolio includes her background as a sexual offence prosecutor in the regional court at the National Prosecuting Authority, an international fashion model and a cultural leader at the World Economic Forum.
Ayo Sokale
Chartered Civil Engineer, CEO, Founder, Presenter & Actress.
Ayo Sokale is a renowned Chartered Civil engineer, a distinguished keynote speaker, motivational speaker, STEM speaker, and sustainability speaker. She is widely recognised as one of the fastest engineers to achieve Chartered status. With an extensive background in delivering flood risk management projects, managing teams, supervising engineers, and influencing policy through key committees, Ayo is a dedicated advocate for engineering and sustainability.
Mia Ives-Rublee She/Her
Disabled transracial adoptee who has dedicated her life’s work to civil rights activism.
Mia Ives-Rublee is a disabled transracial adoptee who has dedicated her life’s work to civil rights activism. She began her journey as an adapted athlete, competing internationally in track, road racing, fencing, and crossfit. She obtained her Master’s in Social Work at UNC Chapel Hill and began working with disabled people to help them find work and independence in their communities at the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Mia is best known for founding the Women’s March Disability Caucus and organizing the original Women’s March on Washington in 2017. She has worked with numerous progressive organizations on disability justice and inclusion. As a public speaker, Mia advocates on the national stage for the rights of disabled people, immigrants, and other marginalized communities.
Sean Gold
Host, Crippled By Culture
Sean Gold is a young, black, gay man with a disability, his desire is to enlighten, inform and support others in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and beyond. He is an advocate for people with disabilities, an author, a public speaker, and has one Microsoft certification for web design. In 2020, Sean was elected as president of the disability-owned nonprofit organization, Coalition in Truth and Independence. In 2021, he published his debut book, “Pure Love, Or Is It?” In 2023, Gold became the Media Director of FestAbility and a board member of Saint Louis Publishers Association. He is currently attending UMSL for his bachelor’s degree in English.
Catarina Rivera She/Her
Disability Public Speaker & DEI Consultant
Catarina grew up in a Cuban and Puerto Rican family, and Spanish was her first language. She learned the value of diversity from her family. She also developed a passion for making the world a better place. As a young child, she began wearing hearing aids. At 17, she was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, which includes progressive vision loss. Currently, she has about 5% of her vision remaining.
Anel Flores They/Them
Queer, Artist, Poet and Coach
Anel I. Flores is a trans-, queer Latina/x writer, artist, activist, entrepreneur, and coach; whose extensive body of work captures the essence of LGBTQIA+ experiences across professional and community spaces. Their areas of expertise encompass various themes such as Latina/x literature, sexuality, gender, race/border/diaspora, spirituality, self discovery, and radical love.
Ranga Jayaraman He/Him
Strategist, advisor, evangelist, instructor, and coach for neurodiversity in the workplace. Seasoned digital transformation exec. Advisor to tech startups.
Ranga’s current passion is to empower neurodivergent individuals with the desire and ability to contribute to find meaningful, rewarding, and sustained employment and to help organizations in their journey to embrace neurodiversity inclusion in their workplaces.
Jess Meredith She/Her
Neurodiversity advocate, Trainer, Speaker, Minds
She is a proud ADHDer and parent to wonderful neurodiverse children. She is on a mission to create inclusive environments for those with a neurological difference such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia, from schools to the workplace, and beyond. Jess firmly believes that to create truly inclusive societies we must all accept and embrace our neuro-diversities. She uses her lived experience and the power of storytelling to deliver unforgettable talks.
Sarah-Petherbridge
Disability awareness trainer for businesses and public speaker on disability & inclusion
Passionate and authentic disability awareness trainer helping businesses of all sizes become more disability confident and create inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities. She was born profoundly deaf and communicates by way of hearing, lipreading, some BSL and intelligent guesswork! Sarahh draws on her experience of working as a professional with a disability in a corporate environment for several years. She rose to the challenge of becoming a very experienced senior manager with a profound deafness in a large global organisation, EY.
From workshop to Keynotes, these thought leaders are shaping the future of disability inclusion across industries. Let’s create spaces where everyone thrives. Let us know if you are interested to bring any of these speakers into your organization!