Corporate Advisory Council
StrongWheeled Together with United Spinal:
Your Disability Inclusion Partner
United Spinal Association’s Corporate Advisory Council (CAC) is a prestigious gathering of disability inclusion allies hailing from healthcare, transportation, technology, media, and manufacturing. CAC membership offers exclusive access to our leadership and CAC member corporate partners to forge ahead on a bold DEI and disability inclusion agenda. Together, we can change the game for people with disabilities—with a special focus on United Spinal’s constituency: the over 5.5 million wheelchair users living in the United States.
Corporate Advisory Council, Las Vegas, NV, October 2022
CAC collaboration with United Spinal is your pathway to an authentic understanding of wheelchair-using consumers’ needs, enhancing the overall services and products you develop and provide to your customers. We can give you the tools surpass your corporate inclusion and accessibility goals.
CAC In-Person:
Exclusive Invitation to Annual United Spinal Signature Event
2024 StrongWheeled Together Conference (SWTCon), October 17-19, Las Vegas, NV
SWTCon is one of two rotating annual United Spinal marquee events. In 2024, SWTCon celebrates our community, galvanizing leading advocates, corporate allies, and influencers around our ambitious grassroots vision for change. Special tracks focus on strengthening our local organizations, community-clinician alliances, and the unprecedented role of technological innovation in promoting the independence of people with disabilities. SWTCon is an incubator to accelerate health equity and technological innovation.
CAC Virtual:
Exclusive Disability Inclusion Breakthrough Sessions in Q’s 1, 2 & 3
Huge advances in your approach to DEI await at these senior-level meetings designed around the specific obstacles your organization encounters in pursuit of social responsibility and justice related to disability inclusion. Presentations from leaders will contextualize your work in the bigger picture related to advocacy and policy, public narrative, accessibility, or community empowerment. Deep relationships and rigorous conversations will bloom in these customized and highly collaborative group sessions.
Ongoing Value Opportunities:
- Turnkey media content centered around five (5) disability observances
- CAC Medallion for your website, social media and annual report that verifies your commitment to DEI and your partnership with a premiere disability organization
- Employee/ERG engagement via our advocacy and chapter engagement programs
- Participation in United Spinal’s grassroots advocate-powered Working Groups that advance equity around topics like Outdoor Access, Accessible Parking, Emergency Preparedness, Care Support, and Accessible Transportation
- Immediate engagement around common public policy and DEI challenges
For more information about joining United Spinal’s CAC please contact
AJ Assaadi
VP Corporate Partnerships
aassaadi@unitedspinal.org
Corporate Advisory Council Members
AbbVie
Advanced Medical Technology Association
(AdvaMed)
Airbnb
Maria Cuba
Directory, Community Partnerships
Alaska Air
Michelle Minor
Customer Advocacy
Allsup
Tyra Wooten
Social Media & Strategic Alliances Manager
Amazon
David Frerichs
Principal Solutions Engineer, Alexa
Amneal Pharmaceuticals
Apple
Janette Barrios
Accessibility Marketing & Community Manager
Astellas US LLC
Liv Gagne
Associate Director, Patient Partnerships
AT&T
Susan Mazrui
Director, Global Public Policy
Becton Dickinson
Adam Silver
Vice President, Marketing
Biogen
Samantha Miller
Senior Manager, Patient Advocacy Operations
Biotechnology Innovation Org. (BIO)
Michele M. Oshman
Vice President, External Relations
BraunAbility
Jacob Craig
National Account Manager, Taxi
Bristol Myers Squibb
Richard Standifer
Senior Director, Global Patient Advocacy
Byram Healthcare
Freddy A. Heredia
Senior Marketing Manager
Cisco
Willette Harris
Webex Accessibility Program Manager
The Coca-Cola Company
Coloplast
Maria Koullick
Vice President of Market Access
Comcast
Joel Moffatt
External Partnerships Lead
Consumer Technology Association Foundation
Steve Ewell
Executive Director
ConvaTec
Jody Christensen-Crocetta
Sr. Marketing Manager
Cruise
Michele Lee
Public Affairs, Accessibility
CVS Health
Duane Rohr
Senior Manager, Workforce Initiatives
EMD Serono
Emma Silva
Associate Director, US Patients Insights & Advocacy, Neurology & Immunology
Genentech
Jo Dulay
Senior Manager, Alliance & Advocacy Relations
GM
Alan Hejl
Accessibility Strategy Manager
Google, Inc.
Alexander Hauerslev Jensen
Accessibility Events & Partnerships Program Manager
Hollister
Meryl Dillon
Makreting Manager
Intel
Darryl Adams
Director, Accessibility
May Mobility
Daisy Wall
Head, Policy & Advocacy
Meta
Mike Shebanek
Head of Accessibility
Microsoft
Jessica Rafuse
Senior Program Manager, Accessibility
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma
Nancy Bayerlein
Director, Patient Engagement and Support
NCART
Wayne Grau
Executive Director
NMEDA
Trevor Jennings
Director, Business Development & Partner Relations
Numotion
Justin Richardson
Director, Advocacy Strategy
Permobil
Jim Stephenson
Reimbursement & Coding Manager
Pfizer
Lance Barbour
Senior Patient Advocacy Director
PhRMA
Liz Mahar
Director, Advocacy & Strategic Alliances
Pride Mobility
Seth Johnson
Vice President, Government Affairs
Raytheon Technologies
C. Timothy Branner II
Associate Director, Affirmative Action Programs
Restorative Therapies
Stas Skoczylas
Director, Patient Sales
SEIU
Glenn Adler
Deputy Director, Policy
Sunrise Medical
Jessica Pedersen
Director of Clinical Education
Teladoc
Claudia Duck Tucker
Vice President, Government Affairs
Uber
Briana Gilmore
Head of Policy, Accessibility & Underserved Communities
Verizon
Zachary Bastian
Manager, Strategic Alliances
Waymo
Heather Aijian
Public Affairs Manager
Wellspect Healthcare
Nimesh Bhagat
Market Development Manager, Urology
Whirlpool
James Oh
VP & GM, North America Kitchen
Zoox
United Spinal Corporate Partner Testimonials:
Teladoc Health:
“Teladoc Health’s partnership with United Spinal and its Tech Access program informs our virtual healthcare platform is built with accessibility in mind from the start. Our alliance provides meaningful community engagement, so we are directly in touch with a spectrum of voices from wheelchair users, and the wider disability community."
Genentech:
“United Spinal is a powerful advocate for all people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). They are dedicated to empowering wheelchair users to discover greater independence and quality of life. United Spinal seeks to ensure that people with disabilities have the right to equal opportunities to pursue their goals. They transform the lives of those with SCI/D by advocating for greater accessibility, empowering individuals with resources and support, as well as promoting independence through employment opportunities and integration of wheelchair users into all aspects of society. Genentech is proud to learn from United Spinal and grateful for their impact on all people."
Amazon:
“Wanted to re-iterate Amazon’s gratitude for the recent Nimbus study. This partnership has quickly become the gold standard for our partnerships and the ability to collaborate and give customers a voice at every stage of the product development process.”
RTX/Raytheon Technologies:
“RTX (Raytheon Technologies) views United Spinal as an essential partner in addressing our compliance and inclusion initiatives. This partnership is vital as RTX solves some of the toughest challenges in aerospace and defense. That requires expansive thinking and bold innovation – which, in turn, requires a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture. Our partnership with United Spinal supports that culture at RTX.”
Verizon:
“United Spinal is a reliable, thoughtful, and deliberate partner. Working with them expands our disability inclusion awareness, and they consistently deliver meaningful advocacy.”
Wellspect:
“As a medical device manufacturer, learning directly from the United Spinal Association members while participating in their events, like the Roll on Capitol Hill and the Chapter Leadership Meeting, has been invaluable for continuing to increase our knowledge of the disability community and the challenges they face daily.”
About United Spinal Association
Founded by paralyzed veterans in 1946, United Spinal Association is the largest disability-led non-profit membership organization in the United States representing wheelchair users impacted by spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders, and mobility impairments. We empower the independence of more than 60,000 members reaching out to 5.5 million U.S. wheelchair users. Its large extended community network includes 45+ chapters, and over 100 support groups and hospital partners.
Our best-known work includes helping draft and advocate for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and we are continuing to make history, as we have done for over 75 years. Through CAC membership, you can help be a part of a movement that will continue blazing a trail for people with disabilities for the next 75 years.