Phoenix Speakers

Nicholas Delenikos

Western Regional Sales Manager, Stealth Products, Quantum Rehab

Nick Delenikos has been in the complex rehab industry for over 13 years working for multiple manufacturers of power wheelchairs. Currently he is the Stealth Products Western Regional Sales Manager for Quantum Rehab, providing support to customers in many of the western United States. His experience includes technical training and product development, specializing in electronics and programming. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors with his family, camping and biking as often as possible.

Workshop: Maximizing Function in Joystick Driving

Kristy Durso

Incredible Memories Travel, LLC

Entrepreneur, travel agent, disabilities advocate, and featured speaker Kristy Durso owns and operates Incredible Memories Travel (IMT), a full-service travel agency whose specialized niche is being the industry experts at special needs travel. Founded in 2018, Incredible Memories reflects Kristy's years of experience in the travel industry, as well as her unrelenting passion for customer care and providing customized, premier travel experiences. As a growing agency, IMT is setting a new standard for expertise in disability travel and is informed by Kristy's own unique experiences and prodigious research. Kristy and her agents have sent clients on customized trips all over the US, Caribbean, South America, Europe, and they are expanding into African travel. What you get with IMT is a personal, catered experience, designed for your needs and enjoyment by highly knowledgeable agents whose goal is to make sure your trip provides incredible memories for a lifetime. Combined, her agents have seen 45 states, over 25 countries, and are forever dreaming and plotting how we can add to those numbers! They have extensive contacts throughout the travel industry, eager to partner with you to overcome the challenges of planning a special needs vacation. Our goal is to give you the confidence to turn your vacation dreams into INCREDIBLE MEMORIES!

Workshop: Accessible Memories: Defying Limits One Destination at a Time

Kelly L. Green

Executive Director, Help Hope Live

Kelly has been executive director of Help Hope Live since November 2017. The daughter of a transplant recipient, Kelly not only believes in the mission of Help Hope Live, but she once used the service and it "completely changed her life." She feels honored and proud to lead an organization that provided hope and help to her family during her mother's journey to transplant in 2007. Kelly describes herself as a mother, a daughter of her hero, a battle-tested unifier, and a thought leader. She has more than 20 years' experience working in and leading nonprofit organizations and has dedicated her life to civic engagement. Kelly has proudly served as the CEO of Variety – The Children's Charity; director of Montgomery County, PA Voters Services; and deputy director for the Institute for the Study of Civic Values in Philadelphia. In 2018, Kelly was recognized with Main Line Today's Women on the Move Award for redefining success around Philadelphia, PA's Main Line region and western suburbs. Kelly is a connector, a person who needs to infuse each day with a lesson and inspire others to be the one makes someone else's day just a little brighter. She places value in small acts of kindness. She is a self-proclaimed activist, but most people just see her as someone who believes everyone deserves dignity and respect. She knows firsthand how broken our healthcare system is and is determined to help place medical needs in reach to those in need!

Workshop: Discover How to Pay for Everything You See Today

Codi Mendenhall

Student and Disability Advocate

Codi is in 10th grade at Grand River Academy - an online school. Codi enjoys hanging out with her friends, shopping, swimming, adaptive snowboarding, doing crafts, social media, and riding her tandem electric tricycle ("eTrike" for short). Codi and her mom Jen were presenters for TEDx Grand Junction in March of 2020. Their talk, "Codi's Life: From Coding to Communication Technology", was selected to be on TED.com. Codi was interviewed on Colorado Public radio using her AAC to speak about going back to school after Covid. She used her AAC in a commercial for Code Ninjas, a National Coding Program, as well as two Mesa County Valley School District #51 School Board meetings to advocate for Adapted PE teachers and give an informative presentation about the yearbook group at her school. She was featured in the Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering Newsletter, Ride Designs Newsletter and Move United and Directions magazines. Most recently she was in an ATAP National AT Awareness Day video. See more of Codi's projects at her website.

Workshop: A Technology Journey - Discover How AT and AAC Devices Help!

Jen Mendenhall

Mom and Disability Advocate

Jen is 53-year-old mom of a very determined and sassy 15-year-old daughter, Codi. Codi has Cerebral Palsy and uses many forms of assistive technology (AT). Jen and Codi were presenters for TEDx Grand Junction in March of 2020. Their talk, "Codi's Life: From Coding to Communication Technology", was selected to be on TED.com. Jen, together with Codi, is a current member of both the Colorado Technology First Council and the Colorado Assistive Technology Coalition. Jen is also a parent member of the Colorado Governor's State Rehabilitation Council, the Parent/Family Lead for the Colorado Office of Employment First Curriculum Training grant and a member of the Colorado Department of Education Sequencing of Services Pilot Program for their local school district. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University and a MS in Public Administration from the University of AK. See more of Jen and Codi's projects at Codi's website.

Workshop: A Technology Journey - Discover How AT and AAC Devices Help!

Sonny Mullen

Director of Outreach, Help Hope Live

Sonny Mullen is from the Philadelphia area and spent the first part of her career in New York City working in television. She joined Help Hope Live in 2016, first working in the Finance Department and now proudly serves as the Outreach Manager. In this role she has helped build the Outreach department with the goal of bringing Help Hope Live's mission to a wider audience. Growing up with a younger brother living with GRIN1 Disorder, Sonny has a personal connection to Help Hope Live's mission. She is happy to use her experiences, both at home and with Help Hope Live, to connect and speak with individuals in the disability community all over the country, with the goal of helping them safely fundraise for their medical and related expenses.

Workshop: Discover How to Pay for Everything You See Today

Mskindness Ramirez, MA Ed

Founder and Executive Director, Club Kindness

Mskindness B. Ramirez leads with both her given name and a calling. She is the CEO of Club Kindness TV, the founder of EBK Apothecary, and the author of a series of children's books written to inspire multigenerational conversations around Cannabis. Fueled with over 20+ years of pedagogical practice and passion, Mskindness lends her skills to the Cannabis community and wellness spaces beyond. She is a trusted organizer with The Social Impact Center.

Workshop: Cannabis for Well-Being

Steph and Ty Roach

Steph and Ty Roach are an inter-abled couple from Arizona. Steph is an accomplished fitness personality and owner of Staying Driven, LLC. Over the past decade she has used her influence and life experience to help shift societal perceptions of what it means to have a physical disability and be included in the fitness industry. Becoming the world's first Level 2 CrossFit trainer living with Cerebral Palsy and as a cancer survivor; she's no stranger to using her life's adversities as fuel for achieving her greatest potential. Ty is co-owner of Bri and Ty's Custom Shop, specializing in small-batch custom fabrication, including for wheelchair users. They have built a life together, navigating the good times and adversity, to support each other and enjoy their relationship.

Workshop: A Journey of Love: Navigating Dating and Marriage as an Inter-Abled Couple

Andre Sam

Disability & Special Needs Project

Andre Sam is a comprehensive Disability and Special Needs Planner with SilverTree Special Needs Planning. Upon earning a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Arizona, Andre began a career in comprehensive disability and special needs planning. Andre has been in the industry for seven years working with individuals and families with special needs and disabilities. Andre is currently part of a non-profit organization called the Special Needs Education & Advocacy Project.  Through this non-profit organization, Andre gives back by donating his time during evenings and on the weekends sharing his knowledge by providing complimentary educational presentations to organizations and groups who have loved ones that are part of the special needs and disability community. Learn more about the Disability & Special Needs Project.

Workshop: Disability and Special Needs Planning Made Easy

Mark Thompson, AIA

Senior Associate Director of Architecture, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)

Mark R. Thompson, AIA, is PVA's Senior Associate Director of Architecture Services. He joined PVA in 2016 after thirty years of private sector architectural design and construction experience as a lead project designer, business owner and real estate developer. Mr. Thompson developed his architectural expertise delivering public and private projects in the commercial, health care and educational markets valued more than $800 million. Since being with PVA, Mr. Thompson has successfully advocated to maximize accessibility on multi-family housing, commercial, government and healthcare projects serving veterans throughout the United States. He has also provided technical assistance to veterans and civilians who are planning renovations to their homes specifically focused on improving accessibility.

Workshop: Accessible Home Design: The Basics

Kimberley Elizabeth Warmack

Educator, Ms. Wheelchair Arizona 2023, and Creator of the Adaptability Brand

Kimberley Elizabeth Warmack was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Arizona on January 3, 2023, and is the creator of the Adaptability brand. Kim received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family Resources and Human Development with emphasis in Fashion Design from Arizona State University in 1989. She received her master's degree from the University of Phoenix in Elementary Education in 2005 and has been an educator for 17 years. She has received many awards as a teacher. She currently teaches second grade at Imagine Camelback Elementary School in Phoenix. Kimberley has been a teacher at Imagine Camelback for eight years. Kim is also a mom of two adult children and has two grandchildren. You can find Kim volunteering at Phoenix Fashion Week events, and a volunteer with the Check for a Lump Organization every October for their Annual Pink Fashion Show. Kim has been designing fashionable accessible clothing for many years and through her research she feels fashionable accessible clothing can and should be sold by local retailers. Kim is competing in the Ms. Wheelchair America in August 2023 where her platform is to work to get accessible fashionable clothing for men, women and children in the retail market spaces now.

Workshop: How to Get Fashionable Accessible Clothing