Hot Seat With Cognizant Clay

Tim Balz is an award-winning engineer who is passionate about designing mobility technologies for people with disabilities. After working on high profile projects for SpaceX, Balz founded Kalogon in an effort to develop solutions that would radically transform the way the world sits and, most importantly, give wheelchair users their independence back. In 2014, Balz invented the first smart wheelchair, which won Intel's IOT Device of the Year Award and was endorsed by Stephen Hawking. He is a named inventor on an all terrain wheelchair patent and designed a wheelchair suspension system for one of the world's largest wheelchair companies. When he's not inventing high tech solutions, Balz is giving underserved communities access to modern wheelchair technologies for free as part of his nonprofit, Freedom Chairs.

I sat down with Anna-Maria Mountfort. She is the founder of MimiTENS, a custom fabrication company that makes bags and mittens for children. MimiTENS also makes mittens for children with Limb Difference. She also started the GET In project which was started to raise awareness for the disability community. https://mimitens.com/ https://instagram.com/mimitens?utm_medium=copy_link https://m.facebook.com/MimiTENS/

I had the honour of sitting down with George Stroumboulopoulos. George is an icon in Canadian media. He is the former host of NewMusic on Much Music. He served as the host and co-executive producer of George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight (formerly The Hour) on CBC for ten seasons from 2005 until 2014. He was the host of Hockey Night in Canada from 2014 to 2016. He is currently the host of STROMBO on Apple Music.

I had the honour of chatting with Steve Way. Steve is an actor, comedian and substitute teacher. He is one of the main characters on Hulu's Ramy. Steve was born with Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, a very rare form of MD. He has also been a public speaker for several years, mainly for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Daniel P. Malito. Daniel was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 9. He has been writing for over ten years. He authors weekly columns for several prominent websites such as Creaky Joints, The Huffington Post and "Can I Play That?". He has also published an autobiography titled "So Young - A Life Lived With Rheumatoid Arthritis."

I sat down with Bobbie Cherepuschak. He is a hunter from Saskatchewan who was born with Spina Bifida. With the help of Trent Wotherspoon, member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly, he was able to lobby the provincial government to allow people who use motorized wheelchairs to go hunting. Before the change they were deemed ATVs and were not allowed to be used to hunt.

I had the honour of chatting with community planner and disability activist Al Etmanski. His daughter Liz was born with Down Syndrome. Al has been an activist for people with disabilities for over 30 years. He is the co-founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), a non-profit social enterprise assisting families address the financial and social well being of their relative with a disability. He proposed and led the successful campaign to establish the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), the world's first savings plan for people with disabilities. Al is a recipient of the prestigious Order of Canada. if you are interested in his books or to find out more about Al please visit: aletmanski.com

I had the honour of chatting with R&B and Hip Hop artist Joshua Karpeh, better known by his stage name Cautious Clay. We chatted about his career as well as his relationship with his brother, who is on the Autism spectrum.

I had the honour of chatting with Alex and Mark Starratt. Mark served as the Director of The Paralympic Foundation of Canada from 2015 until 2019. Mark and his wife Jennifer founded The Starrett Family Foundation in 2013. It was founded to raise awareness and funds for Neuromuscular research and to make the world more accessible to those with disabilities. Alex, Mark's son, is 12 years old and is diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. He has starred in a Canadian Tire First Skate commercial as a young boy trying sledge hockey for the first time.

I had the pleasure of talking with my good friend Dominique. Dom is a Barre, Pilates and Yoga instructor. She has an acquired brain injury from a fall from a second floor balcony. Dom also has a podcast called Embodied Alchemy Pod. Dominique's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/37qHjQCoa5AFJWJ6Fi27zP?si=nvQPky0GQ2etxRtbsdogKQ

I had the honour of chatting with Kate Strohm. Kate grew up with a sister who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. She wrote a book titled "Siblings: Brothers and Sisters of children with disability". in 1999 she founded the charity Siblings Australia, which provides support and resources for those with disabled siblings.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Trinity Jagdeo. She is the Founder and CEO of the charity From We Can't To We Can. She publishes and illustrates children's books where the main characters are disabled superheroes. She hopes more companies in media and illustrating start including characters with disabilities.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Tricia Simons. She is the co-owner of The Triple C Farm in Ancaster, Ontario. Her three sons Geoffrey, Michael and Richard were all born with Autism. She founded Triple C Farm in 2013 to allow her eldest son Geoffrey to realize his dream of becoming a farmer. Tricia also wanted a safe and inclusive environment for people of all ages and disabilities to enjoy. The farm is fully inclusive and wheelchair accessible. Check out the farm: https://www.triplecfarm.ca/

I had the pleasure of chatting with Eddie Rice and Louise Russo. They are the co-foundees and co-chairs of the Canadian Coalitiion for Mobility Challenged Drivers. The coalition was founded in 2017 and aims to provide a barrier free environment for drivers with disabilities and mobility challenges. You can find more info on the Coalition here: https://ccmcd.ca/

I had the pleasure of chatting with Kgothatso "KG" Montjane. She was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a congenital birth defect which affects the development of fingers and legs. She is a professional wheelchair tennis player representing South Africa. KG is currently the number 9 ranked woman in the world. KG's Instagram: https://instagram.com/kgmontjane1?igshid=yoxop25g0xq8 Twitter: https://twitter.com/KGmontjane1?s=09

I had the honour of chatting with David Montez. David is a former Public Safety Officer and 911 dispatcher from Wisconsin. He is diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, POTS and PTSD. David hosts the Chronic Victory Podcast, focusing on chronic illnesses and how to overcome them. He also focuses on philosophy and faith. Listen to the Chronic Victory Podcast here: http://chronicvictory.buzzsprout.com/ David's Instagram: https://instagram.com/chronicvictorypodcast?igshid=1k0knpf0z94bk

I had the honour of chatting with Brad Norris. Brad is the chair of the Hamilton Professional Fire Fighters Association Charity and Community Support. The charity works with several organizations in the Hamilton area including the Hamilton General Hospital Foundation, the Hamilton Bulldogs, Muscular Dystrophy Canada and several others.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Rocky Stoutenburgh. Rocky is a Twitch streamer who plays under the name RockyNoHands. He is paralyzed from the neck down without the use of his arms. He uses an adaptive controller called a Quadstick which is controlled through breathing. Rocky has two Guinness World Records in Fortnite for most eliminations and most Victory Royales with the Quadstick. Watch RockyNoHands with on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/rockynohands?sr=a YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RockyNoHands11 Instagram: https://instagram.com/rockynohands?igshid=5t8xgo7xjwvp

I had the pleasure of chatting with Jay Onrait. Jay is a sportscaster who hosts Sportscentre with Jay and Dan with Dan O'toole for TSN in Canada. He obtained his degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto. After spending time with Global Television in Saskatoon and A-Channel in Winnipeg he joined the NHL Network. In 2003 he started hosting Sportscentre for TSN. Onrait and O'toole spent 4 years from 2013-2017 in Los Angeles for Fox Sports 1 before returning to TSN. Jay and Dan also host a podcast together which they started in 2009.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Katie Hoffman. Katie is diagnosed with Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele. She had three college degrees. An Associate's in Assistive Technology, a Bachelor of General Studies with minors in Social Work and Sociology, as well as an Administrative Assistant Diploma. Katie is writing a book about her life story in the hopes of helping people overcome mental health challenges. Shoutout to Dylan Sessler for connecting me with Katie! Katie's Instagram: https://instagram.com/katie_hoffman41?igshid=471tmfcjjne4

I had the honour of chatting with former Canadian professional skier Alexandre Bilodeau. His discipline was freestyle moguls. in 2010 at the Vancouver Winter Olympics he became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil. He defended his Olympic title in 2014 at the Sochi games. His brother Frederic is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He is Alex's main inspiration and motivator in life. Alexandre holds several charities dear to his heart including The MAB-Mackay Foundation, The Cerebral Palsy Association of Alberta, The Cerebral Palsy Association of Quebec and the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres for Cerebral Palsy Research. Alexandre and Frederic are also ambassadors of World Cerebral Palsy Day.

I had the privilege of chatting with Perry Esler. Perry is a former news and sports anchor for CTV London. After several years in the broadcast journalism industry, he started working in the non-profit industry. He has worked with various organizations including The Children's Miracle Network and The Children's Health Foundation. He is currently the Executive Director at Jessie's Journey, a charity that raises awareness and funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research.

I had the honour of chatting with David Onley. He was diagnosed with Polio at 3 years old. David is the former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. He served from 2007 until 2014. He is the only disabled Lieutenant Governor in Canadian history. He is also a former TV personality who worked for CityTV, recording and producing several programs. He was also on Breakfast Television for a number of years. He is now a lecturer of social sciences at University of Toronto Scarborough.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Samantha Tokita. Samantha is diagnosed with fibular hemimelia. As a result her right leg was amputated just below the knee. She has worn prosthetics her whole life. Samantha is a Muay Thai practitioner and a photographer. Just to add, the question Sam asked is very important. She asked me how I deal with people staring at me. I usually ignore it and I mentioned that one time when I was 12 a lady was staring at me. My friend looked at her and said "Take a picture, it lasts longer." Yes it's funny, but I could see it coming across as condescending. However, on the spot I kind of fumbled. I should have said; If you are disabled and someone is staring at you, ask things like "Can I help you?" "Is something wrong?". Don't be rude as they may just be curious! We can't fix disability inequality by ignoring these things!

I had the honour of interviewing Caroline Casey. She is one of the leading disability advocates in the world. Caroline is diagnosed with Ocular Albinism. She founded the company The Valuable 500. It was founded to revolutionize disability inclusion through business leadership and opportunity. Caroline and her team hope to get 500 signatures from the world's most influential CEO's and their brands to empower the disabled community in the business sector. The Valuable 500: https://www.thevaluable500.com/

I had the pleasure of chatting with Cabbie Richards. He is best known for his work at The Score and TSN in Canada. Cabbie conducted his interviews with a unique spin. His entertain first, inform second approach was admired by many Canadians. He is also a former ambassador for Motionball, a charity that raises awareness and funds for Special Olympics.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Kelsey Hartman. Kelsey was born with one arm due to limb difference. She is a cheerleader, singer and YouTuber. Kelsey is also a nursing student. She founded the BeYOUtiful Campaign which promotes body positivity.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah McConnell. Sarah is the mother of a little boy named Dennis who is diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. She founded the Instagram blog called Menace to Duchenne, which provides awareness and support for those living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. https://instagram.com/menacetoduchenne?igshid=g1gwrixn1c4y

I had the pleasure of chatting with Brad Bowden. Brad is a Paralympic athlete who has represented Canada in both wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. He is one of the only athletes to win gold in both Winter and Summer Paralympics.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Melanie Hawtin. Melanie is a member of the Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball Team. She has represented Canada at the Paralympics as well as several World Championships. We talked about her career, accomplishments, training regiment and more!

I had the honour of chatting with former NHLer Craig Cunningham. Due to sudden cardiac arrest while playing for the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners, he was forced to retire from the game early. Craig shares his incredible story of how he overcame this tragic event. We talked about his career, idols, overcoming challenges and more!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Alex Walls. He is paralyzed due to Transverse Myelitis, a virus he contracted as a baby. Alex is a gamer who plays under the name DisabledGuyPlays. He is a data analyst and also plays wheelchair rugby.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Ben Fanelli of Heroic Minds. He shared the story of his traumatic brain injury he sustained while while he was playing for the Kitchener Rangers. After 2 years of extensive rehab and testing he was cleared to play again. When he returned, he was named captain in Kitchener. Following his recovery he founded Headstrong, Fanelli 4 Brain Injury Awareness. Later on he founded Heroic Minds, an organization that takes science, philosophy and ancient wisdom and applies them in to modern day context and uses. We touched on the mentality it takes to be a hero, psychology, the power of the human brain and more

I had the pleasure of chatting with Jack McCormick. He works in the Human Resources Department at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Jack is diagnosed with Leber Congenital Amaurosis. He is the co-founder of Eye to Eye, a student organization foundes at Laurier to promote inclusion and accessibility. Jack is also a Vice Chair at the CNIB.

I had the pleasure of chatting with David Shannon. He is a disability rights activist, lawyer, adventurer and much more! David has received the Order of Ontario as well as the Order of Canada for his dedication to the disabled community across the country. He is the first quadriplegic to go across Canada in a powered wheelchair. He also planted a handicap parking sign on the North Pole to promote inclusion.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Patrick DeCrescenzo. Patrick is an adaptive snowboarder who is currently in training to try out for the 2022 Paralympics. He is diagnosed with left Hemiplegia.

I had the pleasure of chatting with my Neuromuscular specialist Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky. He has an MD and PhD in cell biology and metabolism. Mark is an endowed chair at McMaster Children's Hospital and Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation in Neuromuscular Diseases and is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine.

I sat down with Dr. Rory A Cooper. He is FISA & Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Professor and Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology, and professor of Bioengineering, Physical Med & Rehab, and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Rory has invented several assistive devices and has over 20 approved or pending patents. Special thanks to his assistant Heather for assisting and supervising us during the call!

I had the honour and privilege of chatting with the one and only Rick Mercer. Rick has been a prominent figure in Canadian pop culture for several years. We talked about his career, disability awareness and more!

I sat down with Joe Logue. He is from Johnstone, Scotland. Joe is diagnosed with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. He is a writer, father of one and a disability awareness advocate. You can find him on Instagram under @dystrophydad

I sat down with Steve Dangle. Steve is a YouTuber and Sportsnet employee. He is best known for his LFR (Leaf Fan Reaction) videos on YouTube. He has been making the videos since 2007. Since then, Steve has written a book called "This Team is Ruining My Life". His Sister, Rachel, is diagnosed with Autism, Cerebral Palsy and developmental disorders.

I sat down with Brandon Winfield. He is from Atlanta, Georgia. Brandon is the founder and CEO of the iAccess Life App. It is an app designated to review tourist attractions based on accessibility. Shoutout to Woody Belfort for recommending him as a guest!

I sat down with Garrison Redd. He is from Brooklyn, New York. Garrison is a Paralympic powerlifter and is the founder of The Garrison Redd Project which promotes inclusivity in the disabled community and workplace. Shoutout to Woody Belfort for recommending him as a guest! The Garrison Redd Project: https://www.thegarrisonreddproject.org/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/garrisonredd?igshid=1h7yykn2fjjxi

I sat down with Brent Key. He is from Houston, Texas. Brent sells modified wheelchair vans and driving aids. Shoutout to Woody Belfort for recommending him as a guest!

I sat down with Chris Kyle. He is the guitarist for Cautious Clay and Lip Talk. Chris's nephew Conner is diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We touched on disability awareness, charity work and his music career!