Opportunity Made

Matt Philipenko, Roll Over or Rise Up

Roll Over or Rise Up. That’s the mantra of Microsoft Office Ranger, Matt Philipenko. Matt was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease at age 19. A progressive eye disease, Matt is always relearning how to operate in the world. Supported by his family and optimistic outlook, as his range of sight gets smaller, his world continues to expand!

This episode is rich with resources for every web developer, inclusive leader, or Windows 11 user. Lovingly referred to as an accessibility bulldog, Matt continually leans into his network at Microsoft to develop tools that help people of all abilities such as the Office plug-in Accessibility Reminder.

Podcast Outline:

00:00 Intro
03:02 Microsoft Office Ranger
07:52 The Accommodations Ask
20:09 Stargardt’s Disease
30:13 Accessibility Resources
38:31 Raising Accessibility Awareness
47:53 Be an Inclusive Employer
50:48 Roll Over or Rise Up
56:33 Connect with Matt

Next Steps:

Connect with Matt Philipenko
Try out Microsoft's accessibility tools
Share your favorite accessibility resources @OpportunityMade

Episode Resources:

Matt Philipenko | LinkedIn | Twitter | mattphil@microsoft.com
Sam Seavy | The Blind Life
Microsoft Accessibility Training
Accessibility Insights
Foundation Fighting Blindness
Microsoft Adaptive Kit
Microsoft Bluetooth Mice
Microsoft SoundScape
Microsoft Magnifier
High Contrast
Email Read Aloud
Outlook Dictate
Accessibility Reminder Plugin
Ruby 7 HD
IrisVision Live
CloverBook Pro
Seeing AI

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Steve Borden, The Opportunity to Hear Again.

Waking up on May 10th, 2021 was a very silent experience for Steve Borden when he lost hearing in one ear. Thinking it was a clogged eustachian tube, he saw the doctor. It turned out, the guitar player had Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, an experience that approximately 60,000 people in the United States go through per year.

As a Media Infrastructure Engineer at LinkedIn, Steve could have been worried about his future without full sound. Instead he got the accommodations he needed, but what happened when he turned on the radio and listened to one of his favorite songs, Don Henley’s Boys of Summer?

What is it like to grocery shop or enjoy a meal at a restaurant when sound is no longer filtered in through both ears? Listen in as these questions and many more get answered by Steve’s year-long journey to turn a sudden loss into the opportunity to hear again.

Show Outline:

00:00 - Intro
05:30 - The Journey to LA
13:13 - May 10th, 2021
21:02 - Boys of Summer
27:58 - Noise in the Grocery Store
30:53 - Cochlear Implant
39:39 - Employer Accommodations
42:49 - Connect with Steve Borden

Next Steps:

Connect with Steve Borden on LinkedIn
Share your takeaways from this episode @OpportunityMade or #OpportunityMade on LinkedIn
Send this podcast to your network as a first step in making new opportunities!
Be on the lookout for Steve’s next album

Episode Resources:

Steve Borden | LinkedIn
Episode 6 | Transcript

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James Campbell, The Next Generation of Accessibility.
An athlete, C4 quadriplegic and 2022 college graduate, James Campbell talks about how he recently acquired a disability, his road to recovery, and the impacts of corporations overlooking accessibility. New to the job market, he breaks down inclusive interview strategies and what he thinks are the indicators of companies with inclusive cultures for people with disabilities. He does a deep dive into how gaining a disability has further developed his emotional intelligence and why it's important in life to grieve. Plus, discover James' cool video game hack!

Show Outline:

00:00 - Intro
04:13 - Something Spontaneous Happened
10:48 - The Road to Recovery
16:20 - Removing the Mask
21:48 - James' Hacks His Way Through Barriers
27:41 - Adaptive vs Assistive Technology
33:39 - A Stone's Throw: The Value of Inclusive Company Cultures
40:12 - Deep Dive in EQ
50:51 - Hiring People with Disabilities

Next Steps:

Connect with James at colojcampbell@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.
Share your takeaways from this episode @OpportunityMade or #OpportunityMade on LinkedIn.
Send this podcast to your network as a first step in making and maximizing new opportunities!

Episode Resources:

James Campbell | LinkedIn

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Eli Davidson, Engineering for Neurodiversity.
Eli Davidson is a Software Engineer with a long technical background, starting in BASIC. Eli explores the ins and outs of their journey into tech and how solving for a weakness led to quick advancement in their career. As a person with ADHD, Eli provides insight into how engineering and design can empower or inhibit product users who are neurodiverse.

Show Outline:

00:00 - Intro
04:39 - A Really Good Story
14:48 - Tech Over Time
15:52 - ADHD
20:52 - A Used User
29:32 - Good Business Metrics?
36:07 - Stickiness vs Addiction
40:14 - My Brain is Beautiful
51:42 - Eli's Dream

Next Steps:

Connect with Eli to chat over coffee, collaborate on projects, or interview them for their next role.
Share your takeaways from this episode @OpportunityMade or #OpportunityMade on LinkedIn.
Send this podcast to your network as a first step in making and maximizing new opportunities!

Episode Resources:

Eli Davidson | LinkedIn

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Maximizing Opportunities with Jacek Waliszewski.

Jacek Waliszewski is a US Army Special Forces Green Beret, author, and military advisor. He immigrated to America as a political refugee with his family and $200 in the 1980s and he has since lived a life of diplomatic travel and adventure. Jacek shares his take on how to maximize opportunity regardless of how much you have or where you are from. He reveals the premise for his latest novel, Air Boat, loosely based on his time serving in the Afghanistan War, as well as the story of how he committed his first political act of resistance at three months old.
Podcast Outline:
00:00 - Intro
04:13 - Steak and Wine Please!
14:20 - Pierogis or Pizza?
16:13 - Air Boat
20:39 - The Last Green Beret in Helmand
23:18 - Propaganda Papers
32:26 - Opportunity Made
49:11 - What If I’m Stuck?
56:02 - Maximizing Opportunity
58:47 - Which Way To Go?
Next Steps:
- Connect with Jacek to chat over coffee, collaborate on projects, or request mentorship.
- Share your takeaways from this episode @OpportunityMade or #OpportunityMade on LinkedIn.
- Send this podcast to your network as a first step in making and maximizing new opportunities!

Episode Resources:

StoriesByJacek.com

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Master Your Early Career Transitions with Pam Abreu.

Pam Abreu, a Front-End Software Engineer at LinkedIn, grew up as a first generation American in a Dominican family from Queens, New York. After a tough climb to obtain a degree in product design from Parsons, Pam realized she wanted to achieve more. By pursuing an intense software engineering bootcamp, Pam set off on a new path early in her career that allows her to combine the creativity of design with the utility and availability of the internet. Her goal: to lead, inspire, and empower the Dominican American community that raised her. A recently promoted REACH apprentice, Pam is a leading role model for young professionals of all backgrounds looking to achieve the next level in their career. Connect with Pam on LinkedIn.

Show Outline:

00:00 - Intro

08:31 - Pam’s Career Path

13:35 - The Pivot

19:23 - Community in Queens, NYC

32:02 - Welcome to LinkedIn

36:41 - The Promotion Process

43:27 - What is a Brag Sheet?

49:18 - Pam’s Big Dream

Next Steps:

Connect with Pam Abreu to chat about Queens, career transitions or to support her big dream!
Send your career transition stories to @OpportunityMade on social media or #OpportunityMade on LinkedIn.
Share the podcast with your network. You never know who might be the next young professional inspired to make a career transition!

Episode Resources:

Pam Abreu, LinkedIn
REACH Apprenticeship
Pursuit Bootcamp

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Katherine Lewis speaks with Kelly Hall about how to become a philanthropist at a young age. Philanthropists are stereotyped as older, wealthy, white, and male. Kelly breaks down the stereotype, talks about crypto's impact on giving, and explains how to start a scholarship.

Kelly Hall is the Director of Development at the University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business in Boulder, CO. She has 10 years of fundraising experience and has raised millions for Colorado nonprofits. Kelly’s experience includes working with organizations focused on civil rights, public transportation, K-12 education and health care.

Be intentional in your actions and make the opportunity for yourself to become a philanthropist. Gift opportunities to others by donating to or starting a scholarship.

Podcast Outline:

00:00 Intro

09:36 How to get a job in philanthropy

14:56 A day in the life of Kelly Hall

17:15 What does a philanthropist look like in 2022?

20:51 What motivates people to give?

26:23 Barriers to giving

28:26 Intergenerational healing

30:27 Crypto and philanthropy

34:17 The demographic giving gap

37:29 How to start a scholarship

41:07 The Donor Donut

44:41 Advice for applying to scholarships

47:01 Students count themselves out

48:54 Kelly's philanthropy story

50:32 What if younger people gave more?

51:52 What if I don't have any funds to give?

54:32 Young Alumni Giving Week

55:56 Final words

57:37 Connect with Kelly

Next Steps:

Connect with Kelly Hall
Share your giving stories @OpportunityMade
Send this podcast to someone who is ready to leave a legacy, do good, or solve the crypto issues we discussed

Episode Resources:

Kelly Hall | LinkedIn
Kelly Hall | CU Website
Young Alumni Giving Week | Events and Activities

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