No Barriers

Dr. Perea-Henze is a global health physician, government official, and corporate executive who served most recently as Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services for the City of New York since 2019. He was responsible for the citywide response for COVID19 from the start of the pandemic, preparedness for recurrences, and recovery efforts. He was the Chair of the NYC Health and Social Services Sector Advisory Councils and Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Racial Inclusiveness and Equity Task Force. He also provided oversight for 14 agencies, including the departments of health & mental hygiene, social and homeless services, children, aging, the public hospital system, domestic violence, LGBTQ, data informatics, and food policy.Nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate, Raul served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2010-2013.Currently, he serves as a member of the Advisory Board to the Comptroller General of The United States. His former affi

Prior to her combat injury and subsequent retirement from service, Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans served 27 years in the US Army and was responsible for more than 30,000 ground troops in Afghanistan. She is one of the most decorated female veterans in U.S. history.During her service, Gretchen survived a rocket blast which left her with hearing loss and a traumatic brain injury. While struggling with depression after her injury, she relied on a new rope team to bring her back into the world and show her she still had the ability to find purpose by serving and leading again. Despite her injuries, Gretchen serves others as a passionate volunteer. She also achieved her No Barriers goal by finishing her book, “Leading from the Front.”  Last year, Gretchen assembled Team Unbroken  -  the first-ever team whose members all had disabilities  -  to compete in the World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, hosted by Bear Grylls. Watch now on Amazon Prime!Now, Gretchen is scheduled to be inducted into the U.S. Vet

Richard Casper is a United States Marine Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, Artist, and Entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of CreatiVets, a non-profit that provides art, music, and writing programs for wounded veterans with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. Richard was named one of TIME magazine’s ​Next Generation Leaders,​ is the feature of TIME’s documentary​ ​Evidence of Things Unseen,​ ​and recognized by President George W. Bush and The Bush Institute for his passion and work helping combat veterans. He was one of the thirty-three scholars chosen to be in President Bush’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program.Richard served in the USMC from 2003-2007. During the first portion of his enlistment, Casper served as Presidential guard at Camp David. Later in 2006-2007 during his tour in Iraq, Richard survived four IED blasts which left him with a left-traumatic brain injury and witnessed the death of his friend which caused his post-traumatic stress. After nearly giving up,

After serving 14 years in both the Navy as a chef to the Commander of the US 6th Fleet and then transitioning on to becoming an Army team leader in one of the military’s most dangerous jobs, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Staff Sergeant Aaron Hale was blinded by an IED. Not letting his injuries hold him back, Aaron became an EOD instructor, motivational speaker, mountain climber, white water kayaker, and marathon runner. Four years later tragedy struck again when Aaron contracted bacterial meningitis which robbed him of his hearing leaving him not just 100% blind but completely deaf as well.Again, Aaron picked himself up, dusted off, and continued to chase the best of what life has to offer. Today, he’s back speaking and sharing his story, running marathons, he’s a proud husband and father of a 9-year-old son and the recent addition of identical twins, runs a thriving chocolate company with his wife, and recently completed his first 100-mile ultramarathon.Resources:Purchase Aaron's Extraordinary Delights

Debbie Fisher was a physical therapist for over 20 years and is now a full-time caretaker for her daughter, Grace. In 2014 during her senior year of High School, Grace Fisher’s spine was ravaged by a virus leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. She was diagnosed with Acute Flaccid Myelitis and sent to Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Denver, CO. At Craig Hospital, she was introduced to music therapy and adaptive art. This not only helped strengthen her neck but also helped heal her mind and soul. She worked with Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfill her desire to help other children with disabilities through art and music, by starting The Grace Foundation, which brings the healing touch of art therapy to other children living with a disability. Debbie resides in Santa Barbara alongside her husband, Bill, and their daughters, Grace, and Emily.Resources:Visit the Grace FoundationWatch the Trailer for Amazing GraceCheck out Grace’s Blog“Embracing New Possibilities”

Melissa Comeau is honored to serve as the Director of the American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network.Her book Sleeping with the War was published in 2015 and has brought the family and caregiver perspective to life after combat.  Melissa served as a Fellow for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. She has a long history of providing peer support to military families and is supporting efforts at Blue Star Families, Psych Armor, and the Military Family Advisory Network.Melissa was appointed to the Federal Advisory Committee for Veterans’ Family, Caregivers and Survivors at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. She is a recognized advocate for the military and veteran community with a career supported by an MSM in Information Technology and Project Management.Her education and background have made her a valuable resource and a pioneer in the development of technology to support caregivers.  Melissa is invested in the long-term care of our Nation’s heroes as well as their families, children, caregivers,

Who are Youth Caregivers? Caregiving youths are children and adolescents who are 18 years of age or younger and who provide significant or substantial assistance, often on a regular basis, to relatives or household members who need help because of physical or mental illness, disability, frailty associated with aging, substance misuse, or other condition.Connie Siskowski’s broad background in healthcare and dedication to diminishing caregiver struggles led to the establishment of the American Association for Caregiving Youth (AACY), headquartered in Boca Raton, FL. AACY integrates healthcare, education, and the community to provide a strong foundation for the youth and their families.Connie authored the book, I’m a Teen Caregiver. Now What?  She has received many awards including the lifetime Ashoka Fellowship, Purpose Prize, Distinguished Alumna Award from Johns Hopkins University, and Top Ten CNN Hero for 2012. Connie is now on the faculty of the national Family RAISE Caregiving Council to give caregiving yo

In 2014, Jill was a Phys Ed teacher in Europe when she was hit in the head by a rogue baseball during class. The severity of the blow resulted in a traumatic brain injury and a 70% vision loss. In addition to the physical wounds, it left Jill in a deep state of despair. After 26 months in 7 hospitals in 3 countries, she was finally on the road to physically recover but still felt emotionally lost. Inspired by the mountain view from her hospital bed, she formed a goal: to run trails on mountains all around the world - a challenge to her broken body and the return to independence that she craved.

An educator for over twenty years, Lisa Yokana is the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) coordinator at Scarsdale High School, where she designed and teaches a three-level STEAM course sequence for Scarsdale’s Design Lab.  In 2019, the program won the gold medal in the STEAMEX international contest for innovative curriculum design. Lisa works with teachers across the disciplines to integrate Design Thinking and Making into their curriculum. She was a Coach for IDEO’s Teachers Guild, is an author of curriculum for outside organizations including the U.S. History Advanced Placement course, and co-instructs Project Zero/Harvard Graduate School of Education’s online class: Thinking and Learning in the Maker Centered Classroom. She leads Innovation Education, Design Thinking and Maker workshops and presents at conferences, encouraging educators to shift their practice.  Lisa earned her BA in Studio Art and French Literature from Williams College, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and he

Michael O'Toole has been immersed in education and coaching for more than three decades. His work in the classroom focuses on the areas of both physical and cultural geography as well as Earth system science. Throughout his career as an educator and curriculum developer, he has had the opportunity to work with students and teachers around the world and with such organizations as National Geographic, NASA, UCAR, the National Science Foundation, The GLOBE Program, Discovery Education, and the University of Colorado. Michael spent 2 years as the STEM Coordinator for St. Vrain Valley Schools before moving to his current position as Coordinator of Science Curriculum for St. Vrain Valley Schools.  He is very interested in increasing geographic and scientific knowledge as well as promoting STEM education and the use of technology in the classroom. Michael is an avid outdoorsman and can be found regularly on the trails and frequently summits Mount Kilimanjaro.Resources:How St. Vrain Valley Schools Started a STEM Revo

Dr. Michael Kuchar is the Superintendent of the South Bergen Jointure Commission, a New Jersey public school district whose mission is to dramatically increase the independence of individuals with extraordinary challenges.With a combined twenty-five years of experience as a school district administrator, Dr. Kuchar has served as the Interim Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the Bergenfield School District; the Superintendent of the Bergenfield Public School District for 11 years; the Bergenfield High School Principal; Bergenfield Director of Guidance/Testing; and the High School Principal at Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County, an International Baccalaureate School. He was an associate professor of education at Seton Hall University in the doctoral program of Education, Leadership, Management, and Policy and still serves as a doctoral mentor/lecturer. He is the immediate past-president of the New Jersey Association of Superintendents (NJASA) and the Chair of the Middle States Associati

In his quest for contentment, Christian Leeby dedicated his life to yoga. After studying with the world’s greatest masters and teaching full time for over 25 years, he finally attained the lofty goal of “stilling the mind”. But it didn’t work. When life got hard, as it does for everyone, and he couldn’t escape to practice the yoga he loved, he fell apart. For two years all he focused on was trying to stay above water in an ocean of anxiety. Then everything changed when he found ancient knowledge from the Vedas that explained his exact situation. Contentment doesn’t come from making the mind still and feeling good for short moments. It comes from using the mind to transform its negative habits and empower our positive life vision. He created a Mindset practice that he did every day, and saw his whole life transform. Christian currently guides others in creating their own Mindset practices in his immersion course Calm To The Core. Resources:To get more information about how you can create your own Mindset Maste

Christine Ha lost her vision over the course of a few years in her early twenties due to a neurological condition called neuromyelitis optica, which affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. Hosts, Jeff and Erik, speak with Christine about the challenges she faces as a blind Chef, and through their conversation, they discover that her tenacity and strength has been a mainstay of her personality since childhood. Christine’s resume is impressive: she is the first-ever blind contestant and season 3 winner of the competitive amateur cooking television show “MasterChef” with Gordon Ramsay. She defeated over 30,000 home cooks across America to secure the coveted MasterChef title, a $250,000 cash prize, and a cookbook deal.She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the nationally acclaimed Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston, where she served as Fiction Editor for Gulf Coast literary journal, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently working on her

Greg Brenneman speaks to Erik and Dave about balancing work and life in the time of COVID on this latest episode. His lengthy business resume and acumen have positioned Greg as an authority on how to succeed in the corporate world, but he is also a believer in spending equal time investing in family and giving back to the community. With his unique lens, Greg offers wisdom in the form of what he calls "the five F's" and other strategies to prosper in both life and the workplace. Greg is Executive Chairman of CCMP and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee. Greg plays an active leadership role in executing the Firm’s overall strategy while remaining actively engaged in completing transactions, developing strategies, and coaching the senior management of CCMP’s portfolio companies.Prior to joining CCMP in October 2008, he served as Chairman, CEO, President, and/or COO of Quiznos Sub, Burger King, PwC Consulting, and Continental Airlines. In 1994 Greg founded Turnworks, Inc. (“Turnworks”), his personal inve

A continuation of our Alchemy Series, sponsored by Wells Fargo and Prudential, we speak to Heather Zoccali. Heather hails from Kentucky and has made Colorado her home since 2002. Heather taught dance in public schools but personal tragedies in her life led her in a new direction. Heather found that caregivers were often a forgotten part of the rehabilitation and recovery process and needed opportunities to practice self-care. With that in mind, she founded The Arch Foundation in 2017, to help bridge that gap and provide caregivers with resources. She has since been honored as a Colorado State University Hometown Hero, as Rookie of the Year for Volunteer Disaster Aid Work with The American Red Cross, and received a Tribute from the State of CO for her pioneering work for Family Caregivers. Heather firmly believes in the notion that a broken spirit grows back stronger in the face of tremendous life challenges and lives her life accordingly.Heather’s core beliefs are rooted in choices we are all capable of makin

When Dr. Andres Maldonado started experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19, he resisted heading to the hospital. As his condition worsened, his friends and family urged him to seek help. So, after 9 days he was tested and it was positive. He was rushed to the ER and soon, the ICU. His stoicism quickly diminished when he was bed-bound and was placed on a high-flow nasal cannula to force oxygen into his lungs. For days, he struggled to breathe and was close to intubation. For a week Andres was helped by nurses and doctors (normally his coworkers) and was forced to adjust from the role of caregiver to being a patient. He fought to stay alive and was buoyed by the support of his parents, his brother, his girlfriend, and his large network of friends; many of whom sent him messages via social media. Finally, with new medication and all treatment options deployed, his lungs cleared enough to be discharged. We speak with Andres about his commitment to medicine, the strength of his Rope Team, and the importance of em

Continuing with our Alchemy Series, sponsored by Wells Fargo and Prudential, we interview Sofija Korać, a senior human rights adviser at the United States Mission to the UN covering a range of issues including the human rights of persons with disabilities. She previously worked on human rights issues for the bureau of democracy, human rights, and labor at the State Department. Originally from Belgrade, Serbia, Sofija and her family immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s. Sofija started her career off working on disability rights in the Balkans both with the United Nations and civil society during the time when Serbia and others in the region ratified the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD). Sofija is fluent in five languages including her native Serbian and English, an avid theatre-goer, and theatre director on the side.  Sofija also grew up playing a variety of adaptive sports including wheelchair basketball, track and field, swimming, weightlifting, and currently does adap

Around the time when lockdowns were becoming a reality for most of the U.S., our hosts had the opportunity to slow down and catch up with world-renowned athlete and long-distance runner, Joseph Gray. Living in Colorado, Joseph was enjoying time with his family and took some time out of his training schedule to chat with our No Barriers Team. As part of our Alchemy Series (sponsored by Wells Fargo and Prudential),  we are excited to share his episode and story. It is definitely one to inspire. Joseph Gray is a 36-year-old American world champion runner who competes mostly in trail, mountain, and snowshoe races. The 31-time USA National team member hails from the Pacific Northwest and now splits his time training in Colorado Springs, CO, and Tacoma, WA. His achievements are far too numerous to list out but to name a few: he is a 2-time World Mountain Running Champion (most recently won in 2019), he is the first African American to win the USA Mountain Running National Championship and also the first African Ame

Haben Girma is an American disability rights advocate and the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, she has received the Helen Keller Achievement Award and secured a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation and travels the world teaching the benefits of choosing inclusion. Her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, is a captivating read. A review from O Magazine states "This autobiography by a millennial Helen Keller teems with grace and grit.”Learn more about Haben here: https://habengirma.com/Watch her TED TalkCheck out her appearance on the Today ShowPurchase or learn more about her bookFollow Haben on Facebook, Twitter, or InstagramVisit our No Barriers Show Page for Transcripts and more 

Haben Girma is an American disability rights advocate and the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, she has received the Helen Keller Achievement Award and secured a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2016. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation and travels the world teaching the benefits of choosing inclusion. Her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, is a captivating read. A review from O Magazine states "This autobiography by a millennial Helen Keller teems with grace and grit.”Learn more about Haben here: https://habengirma.com/Watch her TED TalkCheck out her appearance on the Today ShowPurchase or learn more about her bookFollow Haben on Facebook, Twitter, or InstagramVisit our No Barriers Show Page for Transcripts and more