As the AEO (Association for Enterprise Opportunity), under the leadership of AEO President and CEO Natalie Madeira Cofield, continues to consolidate its historic milestones to facilitate success amongst small businesses in the USA, as its Media Partner, Latestsale.com continues to report on our own collaboration over the past twelve months with the Latestsale.com CEO and Founder Michelle Ogbonna at the helm.
FROM ACCESS TO OWNERSHIP: BUILDING A DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE FUTURE FOR SMALL BUSINESS
On Tuesday July 22, 2025, the Latestsale.com Founder joined the AEO for the “From Access to Ownership: Building a Disability-Inclusive Future for Small Business,” session, billed as a national webinar that evaluates the economic contributions of small business owners who have a disability. A stellar panel assessed the challenges this cohort of entrepreneurs face, and how obstacles could be overcome, from access to capital, procurement and other inclusive support.
THE NATIONAL DISABILITY INSTITUTE (NDI) FORGES AHEAD TO ERADICATE ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
The AEO shared new national data from AEO’s 2025 Disability-Owned Business Fact Sheet, which highlights the scale of disability-owned enterprises and their impact across the USA. The push to develop a more inclusive culture of opportunity was discussed with the following panel members:
Thomas Foley, (Moderator) and Executive Director of the National Disability Institute (NDI). The National Disability Institute, is a nonprofit committed to generating greater economic inclusion for the disability community. Thomas Foley a former tax lawyer is blind and has been an advocate to eradicate economic inequality and open up avenues for growth, employment and financial security for the most vulnerable communities.
Foley has also been a key representative of the disabled community by influencing federal and state legislation that has encouraged greater employment, wealth building. Together with being the author of “EQUITY,” the first asset building book for people with disabilities, “Thomas Foley has worked closely with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of Treasury, Federal Reserve Board and multiple financial and community development institutions, to design programs and provide technical assistance to better reach the disability community Foley received his Master’s degree from the University of California Berkeley and earned a JD from Hastings College of the Law.”
2GETHER-INTERNATIONAL GATHERS PACE WITH JPMorganChase and COMCAST NBCUniversal CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
Diego Mariscal, Founder & CEO at 2Gether-International has declared himself to be “Disabled and Proud!” and runs the 501c3 nonprofit and largest startup accelerator led by and for disabled entrepreneurs. Under his leadership, 2GI has supported more than 700 startups, helping them secure approximately $84 million in outside investments, acquisitions, and revenue. And he has also collaborated strategically with international organizations and the Federal State, including the U.S. Department of State, Organization of American States, and Inter-American Development Bank, together with accessing corporate partnerships with Comcast NBCUniversal, JPMorganChase & Co and others. Mariscal has received amongst multiple other awards, the Global Leadership in Equitable Development Award at the World Trade Credit & Risk Summit held in Washington, D.C.
The National Disability Institute established since 2005 and led by Thomas Foley Executive Director, was also hailed as offering the necessary expertise to support those with disabilities through partnership outreach.
THE VETERAN BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER CONTINUES TO CHAMPION VETERAN BUSINESS GROWTH AND EXCELLENCE
The Veterans Business Outreach Center, University of Texas Arlington Senior Director Patrick Alcorn, has served nine years in the United States Army, including as a cadet.
Together with playing Army Football and having worked with more than 3,000 veteran small business leaders, Alcorn has graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Management and enjoys a number of other accolades including Accredited International Association of Small Business Consultant recognition and is a Global Good Fund Fellow.
Alcorn’s social impact footprint as a champion for small business ownership. A four-time recipient of the SBA Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year Award, including the 2025 Veteran Business Outreach Center of Excellence Award, Patrick Alcorn’s incredible strength and ingenuity has led the Founder and organizer of the annual Business Beyond the Battlefield Conference to accelerate education, training, and inspiration for the military connected business community.
DISABLED-RUN COACHING WITH LIFE WELL-LOVED™ AND ALAMO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY STRIVE TO EMPOWER DISABLED BUSINESS OWNERS
Rosemarie Philip, Founder of a life well-loved™ is a well-being consultant, ICF-credentialed coach, and speaker who, with her 20-year career, runs the learning platform where disabled professionals exchange ideas for both consumers and organizations. Philip shared her invaluable insights throughout the panel discussion.
Rebecca Cardona, CEO of Alamo Assistive Technology , a company dedicated to empowering individuals with complex communication needs through cutting-edge AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) solutions also joined the AEO panel. Cardona supports the company’s mission to transform lives through personalized, dignified communication support.
DISABILITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: United Nations CRPD Article 10
Thomas Foley, “From Access to Ownership: Building a Disability-Inclusive Future for Small Business,” Moderator, and Executive Director of the National Disability Institute (NDI), directed the audience towards the United Nations CRPD Article 10
The U.N. CRPD Article 10 undertakes to ensure that it is clearly understood that accessibility must be meaningful to life, a human right, and therefore entrepreneurship must be accessible.
Some of the key issues business owners with a disability face include:
- Health insurance affordability, that puts development of entrepreneurship at a risk due to the higher costs
- Private insurance is often out of reach
- Choice- Founders are regularly forced to choose between healthcare versus setting up a business
- Small business development center access.
- Physical spaces, robust outreach platforms, and technical assistance were also identified as a hindrance to small business adoption and growth.
- Economic challenges, with disabled entrepreneurs expected to gain 50% less in earnings compared with business owners without a disability. These factors may also hamper an individual’s desire to start and run a business.
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- THE DISABLED COMMUNITY EMBRACE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Diego Mariscal, Founder & CEO at 2Gether-International asserted that by working collaboratively, he had created an accelerator tailored towards Founders with disabilities. 2Gether-International’s programs have in effect he claimed, saved disabled persons from unemployment thanks to entrepreneurship, whilst the Veterans Business Outreach Center, University of Texas Arlington Senior Director, Patrick Alcorn highlighted the center’s 3-day veteran program where he is able to tap into the advantages of this cohort who enjoy a wide range of skills such as high problem solving ability and analytical skills. Alcorn called for the need to change the narrative despite many veterans suffering from PTSD or traumatic brain injuries and focused on the notion of “communicating capacity before your incapacity.”
Despite the known barriers those with disabilities face, opportunities should be grasped Founder & CEO at 2Gether-International Diego Mariscal, who himself suffers from cerebral palsy. He added that he can live independently despite his condition thanks to various therapies and assistive devices. He highlighted that succeeding with this condition is more challenging in other markets such as Mexico where the support infrastructure is limited, but that discrimination can prevail in both in Mexico and the USA. Attitudinal barriers result in the highest level of unemployment of those with disabilities he asserted, but challenges can lead to more a resilient, tenacious entrepreneur with unique skillsets, equipped to grasp opportunities.
Rosemarie Philip, Founder of a life well-loved™ highlighted the concept of “Be seen to be believed,” as some disabilities or conditions are often hidden. Philip referenced many comments she had received such as, “You don’t look sick,” implying that due to her accomplishments, she was deemed to not be struggling enough to count.
THE VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER IDENTIFY THE KEYS TO VETERAN BUSINESS SUCCESS
Patrick Alcorn, The Veterans Business Outreach Center, University of Texas Arlington Senior Director, specified the 5 Cs of credit as being important factors for veteran business success, with the 5 Cs defined as:
- Credit score
- Character
- Cashflow
- Capacity to manage funds adequately and return the funds, (highlighting the be lender ready)
- Circumstances (involving the process of seeking the most appropriate bank to raise capital. Alcorn encourages veterans to approach a bank that is aligned with their sector and therefore more likely to support specific business categories)
Alcorn asserted that going to the right bank to seek capital was vital and declared that “not all lending institutions are the same.”
THE VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER: “DISABLED PEOPLE HIRE DISABLED PEOPLE, VETERANS HIRE VETERANS.”
Patrick Alcorn, further admitted, as he is very familiar with the challenges of becoming a civilian from the position of a veteran, that he remained open to sharing his own personal experiences. Alcorn claimed that “Disabled people hire disabled people,” whilst communicating that veterans account for 5% of all small businesses in Texas, and 4M employees worldwide.
“Veterans hire veterans,” Alcorn also asserted as he earmarked the importance he attaches to the “Business Beyond Battlefield” conference, designed to increase awareness of and access to business resources and assistance that includes an established allocation of a $46M budget from other charities aiming to fight against veteran suicide. Alcorn explained that his organization’s objective it to empower veteran- owned businesses, as the loss of identity and purpose following being involved in high level tasks is the primary cause of depression and veteran suicide, especially in cases where veterans cannot find some central purpose (or exhilaration) in life. Veteran hiring reduces veteran suicide rates according to Alcorn as he expressed his concern for the veteran community who often cannot access start up capital.
THE VETERANS BUSINESS OUTREACH CENTER PUSHES FOR WIDER SUPPORT IN LIGHT OF THE GI BILL
Alcorn also confirmed that the GI Bill, (originally signed into law by President Roosevelt on June 22nd 1944), was introduced to support veterans who were earmarked to enjoy benefits such as offering service members using the post-9/11 GI Bill criteria after January 1st 2018, with a monthly housing allowance. Although this benefit cannot be used by veterans to start a business, the bill has had a positive impact on the U.S. economy.
Additional sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever_GI_Bill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Bill
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Henry_Stelle
https://www.nga.org/governor/john-henry-stelle/
As the panel referred to the G.I. Bill , on numerous occasions, we recollect the efforts of John H. Stelle, a former Democratic governor of Illinois, who “served as the Chairman of the Legion’s Executive Committee, which drafted and mobilized public opinion” that resulted in his nickname the “Father of the G.I. Bill.”
2GETHER-INTERNATIONAL: FINDING RESOURCES “Your Net Worth is Your Network.”
Diego Mariscal, Founder & CEO at 2Gether-International that runs the largest accelerator in the world for Founders with disabilities, asserted that there are creative ways to find resources as he continues to work towards funding entrepreneurs with disabilities. From his initial goal of reaching a $40M fund raise milestone, 2Gether-International, at the time of the panel meeting, had already achieved a $20M capital injection, with Mariscal concluding, “Your Net Worth is Your Network.”
Diego Mariscal further highlighted the considerable limitations of Medicaid that is issued based on recipients holding no more than $2K in bank accounts, otherwise disabled people automatically lose Medicaid benefits. This is according to Mariscal, an example of the additional obstacle for disability entrepreneurship that gives rise to a “perpetual state of poverty” for people with disabilities. How to eliminate this friction is an area of concern and a priority for this enterprising cohort.
ALAMO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: THE RISE OF CDFIs WILL BREAK NEW GROUND
Rebecca Cardona, CEO of Alamo Assistive Technology, expressed her allegiance to CDFIs, whose leaders require more support to address the needs of the 61M people affected by a disability in the USA, 27% of whom are women. An expansion of the CDFI program for disabled-led enterprises, is essential, Cardona insisted.