Pitch Perfect Challenge. Geometric illustration of seven individuals with one Deaf person in the middle pitching their business.

Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), including Service-Disabled Veteran DOBEs, virtually pitch to Supplier Diversity leaders

Join us for Disability:IN’s 2022 Pitch Perfect Challenge on Tuesday, May 24th! In this exciting multi-round competition, certified Disability Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran DOBEs, and Veteran DOBEs pitch their way to business opportunities.

Three businesses, including one “People’s Choice” via social voting, will advance to the final round at the 2022 Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo, where the first-place winner will be chosen and awarded on stage.

MassMutual

Social Voting Process & Schedule

Disability:IN will highlight each DOBE one at a time in a LinkedIn social media post, following the schedule below. The post will be published for 24 hours – in which social voting is open for that DOBE.

To vote go to Disability:IN’s LinkedIn page, during a specific DOBE’s social voting period, and “LIKE” the post and comment “I’m INon post featuring the DOBE semi-finalist. Whoever receives the most total engagements on their post wins the People’s Choice and secures one of three spots in the Finals.

Disability-Owned Business Social Voting Period
Akoio Enterprises, Inc 5/31/2022 | 10 AM Tuesday- 10 AM Wednesday
Disability Inclusion Solution  6/01/2022 | 10 AM Wednesday- 10 AM Thursday
Orange Lab Media 6/02/2022 | 10 AM Thursday- 10 AM Friday
Safe’N’Clear, Inc. 6/06/2022 | 10 AM Monday- 10 AM Tuesday
Zavikon LLC 6/08/2022 | 10 AM Wednesday- 10 AM Thursday

The Semi-Finalists

Bill Schiffmiller, a white man with glasses and curly short grey hair.

Bill Schiffmiller, Founder & CEO

Akoio Enterprises, Inc.

Akoio

Bill Schiffmiller is Founder and CEO of Akoio™, a company dedicated to providing products and services tailored to the needs of people who experience hearing loss. A life-long hearing aid user and hearing wellness advocate, Bill knows first hand the inconveniences posed by a hearing aid, and founded Akoio to make the pursuit of hearing wellness a rewarding experience rather than a frustrating one.

Social Voting: 10:00 AM ET Tuesday, 5/31 until 10:00 AM ET Wednesday, 6/1

Andrew Houghton, a white male with short grey hair and glasses wears a pink collared shirt against a beach background.

Andrew Houghton, Founder & CEO

Disability Inclusion Solutions

Disability Inclusion Solutions

Disability Inclusion Solutions (DIS), founded by CEO Andrew Houghton, specializes in the development of programs and services that promote full inclusion for people with disabilities. Andy has used a wheelchair since a 1986 motorcycle accident resulting in paraplegia. For over 20 years, his expert team has offered inclusion solutions that work.

Social Voting: 10:00 AM ET Wednesday, 6/1 until 10:00 AM ET Thursday, 6/2

Keel Russell, a Black man with short hair wears a suit against a grey background.

Keel Russell, CEO & Co-Founder

Orange Lab Media

Orange Lab. A Creative Marketing Agency

Keel Russell, a Service-Disabled Army Veteran, is the Founder and CEO of Orange Lab Media – is an award-winning creative marketing agency/laboratory that helps large brands & companies GLOBALIZE their branded merchandising programs such as promotional products, branded apparel, awards & recognition programs, sales & incentives, and company eStores.
At Orange Lab Media, they are more than experts in marketing, they are experts in understanding people – their behaviors, influences, doubts, and motivations. They have a deep understanding of the market dynamics that drives demand for branded merchandise, giveaways and employee incentives, sustainable products, and have the tools needed to deliver projects globally and within budget.

Social Voting: 10:00 AM ET Thursday, 6/2 until 10:00 AM ET Friday, 6/3

Dr. Anne McIntosh, a white woman with short hair wears a black jacket against a light background.

Dr. Anne McIntosh, President

Safe ‘N’ Clear

Safe 'N' Clear

Dr. Anne McIntosh, a Communication Professor at University of Maryland Global Campus and member of the deaf community, founded Safe’N’Clear, Inc. in 2012 as a result of her real-life communication complications experience during childbirth.

She recognized there was a critical need for effective communication between the hearing world and those with hearing loss in masked environments, not just in life-threatening situations, but in every day communications.

Social Voting: 10:00 AM ET Monday, 6/6 until 10:00 AM ET Tuesday, 6/7

Rebecca Beam, a white woman with shoulder length platinum blonde hair wears a teal top against a blue background.

Rebecca Beam, Founder & CEO

Zavikon

Zavikon

Rebecca Beam is Founder and CEO of Zavikon. Rebecca’s mission is to solve the unemployment and underemployment outcomes for individuals with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent. Zavikon is an employment agency focused on helping companies add disability and neurodiversity hiring to their DE&I efforts. Zavikon is a bridge to inclusion.

Social Voting: 10:00 AM ET Wednesday, 6/8 until 10:00 AM ET Thursday, 6/9