SFDBA Bay Area Disability Entrepreneurship Week

On October 12th-16th 2021 the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance hosted the Bay Area Disability Entrepreneurship Week. This week long event ran in parallel with the National Disability Employment Month, celebrating small business ownership and entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic sustainability and a more diverse business community.  

The week kicked off with California Senator Scott Wiener as a keynote speaker as well as Kristen Pedersen, Executive Director of the Arc of San Francisco. 

The diverse week of programming included panel discussions with small business owners, budding entrepreneurs and business leaders. The SFDBA also offered a training in partnership with LinkedIn and the Future Entrepreneur Training in partnership with the Helpers Community. Small business owners and entrepreneurs gained skills on the "how to" of starting a small business, different business models to consider, funding considerations, how to market and brand a business, and heard first hand stories of how others started businesses. Over 100 participants attended the week of events and feedback from our survey reflected that the majority of participants experienced positive growth and were inspired by the diverse programming. 

Thanks to our partnership with WAG, American Sign Language interpretation was provided and the amazing captions were provided by the innovative team at AVA. 

Another highlight from the week of programming was the Story of Crip Camp facilitated by San Francisco Film Council President and Bay Cat Founder Villy Wang. Oscar nominated Crip Camp participants Judy Heumann and Neil Jacobson told inspiring stories about their individual journeys and how they harnessed into the spirited entrepreneurial advocates that they both are.  

This event was made possible by the generous support of the Kaiser Permanente Foundation, LinkedIn, UCSF Anchor Institution, AVA, the Helpers Community, Safeway Foundation and the Arc of San Francisco. 

A big thanks to all that participated and supported this event! 

www.sfdba.org

Safeway's Inclusive Employment Opportunities

John Kinaston has worked as a produce clerk for Safeway for 14 years. John enjoys assisting customers and supporting his team. It has been particularly hard through the pandemic given that people are wearing masks and it is difficult to read their lips. 

John was born deaf and grew up in the rural farming area near Roxburgh New Zealand. John visited San Francisco for the first time when he was 29 years old and knew that he loved the city. He applied for his green card and first moved to San Francisco in 2002. John first lived in Marin and worked at the Yardbirds Home Center. A year and a half later John moved back to New Zealand for 2 years and then back to San Francisco where he has resided ever since. 

He recalls how accommodating Safeway was during the hiring process and he is a proud and dedicated employee. Join us in celebrating John’s 14 years of employment and Safeway as an inclusive Bay Area employer. 

Safeway has a longstanding history of supporting people with disabilities going back decades. Their stores work with various community-based organizations on hiring efforts, including job coaching and training programs for people living with disabilities. Safeway takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment that reflects the communities we serve. They are proud to have John on our team and commend his work ethic to overcome any obstacles.    

Join the San Francisco Disability Business Alliance in congratulating John for his outstanding work at Safeway and celebrating Safeway's inclusive hiring practices.

The SFDBA Entrepreneur Spotlight: 

Welcome Nader Bahu! 

The SFDBA is excited to introduce and welcome the talented filmmaker and entrepreneur Nader Bahu to the SFDBA community. Nader recently received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema from San Francisco State University. Nader a Palestinian-American who has a rare disability that affects his muscles and mobility. These disabilities might limit someone normally, but Nader’s disabilities have empowered him create powerful short films that shed light on disability related issues including feelings of isolation and at times discrimination. When asked about the content of his short films Nader stated “My films center around my trauma and are documentaries about my past hardships. They focus on harsh topics like suicide, loneliness and discrimination. I have also touched upon lighter topics like friendship and being able to accept yourself.”

Here is a link to a few of Nader’s short films: 

 

OUTCAST by Nader Bahu

 

When asked about harnessing his challenges Nader stated “I do not see the world as good vs evil, but as a world with many complications and trials. I have been told by many people that I can not achieve the goals that I have due to my disability, but I feel I am doing the things that I love.” 

 

Nader’s short films have won and been nominated for many awards and have even aired on television and different streaming platforms. 

The SFDBA is currently assisting Nader navigate the different options available to start a small business including advocating for him within the Department of Occupational Rehabilitation, creating a mentorship opportunity with a successful filmmaker, enrollment in the SFDBA Future Entrepreneur program and helping him find an internship in the film industry. 

 

In addition to building on his filmmaking career, Nader has a passion for manufacturing clothing as displayed in one of his previous projects where he created the unique sweatshirts displaying “ABLE” to help advocate for awareness in relation to the limiting perceptions people sometimes have about individuals with disabilities.

 

Join us in welcoming Nader Bahu to the SFDBA community and share his passion to succeed, live independently, to continue to educate others through pushing boundaries and creating awareness.

Get involved here: https://www.sfdba.org/