06 December 2017
Designing for Inclusivity
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
FROG
660 3RD STREET 4TH FLOOR
San Francisco
Event is over
schedule
6:30 pm
Event Begins
8:30 pm
Event Ends
As designers and strategists, we strive to create products, services and experiences with the best form and function. However, ability is often an afterthought, if it’s considered at all. When you have different abilities in an environment that often overlooks your needs, what does it mean to feel included? We’ll bring together a panel of individuals to talk about their work designing and building communities for the 1 billion people with disabilities around the world. Join us for a lively and candid discussion as we challenge each other to understand our biases and think more critically about universal design.
moderator
speakers
Melanie Williams, Associate Creative Director, frog
Melanie Williams is an Associate Creative Director, Design Research lead, and staple in frog’s healthcare work. With a background in Interaction Design, her specialties include design research, user experience and product development. Melanie has developed products across industries, but has built an emphasis in Healthcare over the past 3 years. Whether it’s prototyping products to help people sleep in Chicago, or interviewing pregnant women in rural Kenya, her passion for people uncovers true user value and real business opportunity. Prior to frog she worked as a user experience designer and consultant, delivering product analysis and design for companies across the Bay Area including Visa, Gap and Apple. Before consulting, she was the first employee of a start-up designing white-label products, bringing them to market and helping to grow the business from the ground up.
speakers
Tiffany Yu, Founder, Diversability & Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter
Tiffany Yu is the founder of Diversability, an award-winning social enterprise to rebrand disability through the power of community. She is also the founder of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, which awards micro-grants monthly to disability projects. Named a "change maker to watch", one of "100 visionary leaders", and a "woman of influence", she has been featured in Forbes, the Guardian, the Ford Foundation, and The Wall Street Journal, and has written for Business Insider, Fortune Magazine, and Levo League. Previously, she worked at the venture-backed co-living startup Common, Sean Diddy Combs' REVOLT TV, and Bloomberg Television. She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, where she worked on over $14 billion of announced transactions. She is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, a StartingBloc Social Innovation Fellow, and a Hive Global Leader.
Zahna Simon, Professional Dancer & Chemist
Zahna Simon, a San Francisco native and Deaf from birth, is a professional dancer, chemist, avid health nutritionist, researcher, Deaf advocate and Deaf interpreter. Former student at San Francisco School of the Arts (SOTA) where she trained with Elvia Marta in Modern, Jazz, African, Ballet, Hip Hop and Choreography as well as participating in Alonzo King’s LINES Pre-Professional Summer Programs. Upon graduating from SOTA, Zahna attended UCI double majoring in Chemistry and Dance. She is also a former chemist by day at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and dancer by night at various Dance companies in San Diego. Zahna has relocated back to the Bay Area and worked her way diligently and passionately up to being the Assistant Director for both Urban Jazz Dance Company and the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival under Antoine Hunter.
Dr. Victor Pineda, President and Founder, Pineda Foundation / World Enabled
Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda is the President of World Enabled and President of the Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES). He is a recognized leader in international disability rights and was appointed by US President Barak Obama to the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board. He also teaches and directs the Inclusive Cities Lab at the University of California, Berkeley.
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