Tom Edwards pursues organizational innovation from the three perspectives of research, practical application, and teaching. Tom began his career as an engineer working on rocket motor and spacecraft projects. His many years of practical experience include driving innovation from the top management team of a NYSE-listed company and as an independent consultant. This practical experience is augmented by doctoral research into what makes organizations innovative. Tom has served as an executive with profit and loss responsibility for a strategic business unit of a NYSE listed manufacturing firm focused on water and air pollution control products. Tom then accepted the challenge of building a culture of innovation at the company, an effort that resulted in significant new products that made significant contributions to the performance of the businesses. Tom’s current challenge is building a graduate program in leadership for the college of engineering at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Tom began to apply management principles to the leadership of neurodiverse employees in 2015. The complete lack of research into this question led Tom to develop a workshop for industry practitioners that began to build a body of practical knowledge. Tom has spoken on this topic at numerous organizations including SAP Inc., the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), the National Agricultural Library, and the 2021 Villanova University TEDx conference. Additionally, Tom has made sure that the graduates of the Engineering Management program at Temple University are equipped to step up this challenge in the workplace. Several of these graduates have become involved in the autism-at-work programs at their organizations.
Monaghan is the Associate Director for the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity (CAN) at Drexel University. She focuses on internship and early career opportunities for neurodivergent students and alums. She supports CAN students as they find, get and keep their required co-ops and first career roles. In her previous role, Peg was the US Program Manager for the SAP Autism at Work program, pioneering the inclusion of neurodiversity in the workplace since the start of the Autism at Work movement as a mentor to the employees into the pilot of the program. She is a founder of the Neurodiversity Employment Network (NEN) in the Philadelphia area networking to connect job seekers, employers, educators and service providers to enable job seekers to find meaningful employment. Peg holds an MBA from LaSalle University and MS from Brandeis University.
John Buckley has been a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania for a decade, focusing his practice on the increasingly complex and ever-changing world of labor and employment law.
Having clerked for a federal trial judge after law school, John has practiced in front of state and federal courts as well as state and federal governmental agencies. He has litigated cases involving a variety of employment issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour claims. With respect to labor law matters, John has represented employers in collective bargaining, unfair labor practice charges, representation elections, and arbitrations.
John has also advised business owners and human resources professionals in the public, non-profit, and private sectors on a variety of day-to-day workplace issues, such as responding to leave requests, providing accommodations, and disciplining or terminating employees. He has conducted workplace investigations into potential violations of policy or law. He has prepared and reviewed workplace policies, employee handbooks, affirmative action plans, employment agreements, and separation agreements. He has conducted training programs for supervisors and employees on workplace matters, including harassment and diversity.
John has authored numerous articles and regularly presented continuing education programs for legal and human resources professionals on labor and employment law issues.
Most importantly, John is the proud father of two young children with autism. He is a member of the Neurodiversity Employment Network and is committed to advancing inclusive employment practices in his native Lehigh Valley, the greater Philadelphia region, and beyond.
Doug has over 35 years of business experience primarily focusing in the industrial, light manufacturing, engineering, and distribution sectors. He has held multiple leadership roles as CEO, CFO and COO for family-owned companies. These companies typically hired Doug to change the direction of the organization, install processes and, in most cases, prepare for a company sale transaction.
After the sale of one of these companies (ASI Technologies) in 2020 he spun out a non-core robotics product line. He secured funding for this business and ultimately sold that company to Barcoding, Inc., a value-added automation reseller. He remained employed at Barcoding as an acquisition advisor to the CEO and owner. His primary role was to work on preparing Barcoding for sale. In September 2023 Barcoding was sold to a large private equity group. Doug remained with Barcoding until January 2024 and continues to consult to the new owner and the company.
Prior to his operating and leadership roles, he worked in private equity for Safeguard International, AIG Highstar and Navigator Equity. Over the course of his career, he participated in 26 transactions involving over $390 million of equity deployed. He started his career in finance at GE Lighting and then at GE Capital as an internal auditor.
Since 2017, he has been a member of the Board of Directors for five separate companies and currently is a Board member of Schmidt Industrial Services. During his private equity tenure, he also participated on several company boards. He is a guest lecturer at Temple University and Wharton’s Executive MBA Program and has participated in diversity and environmental sustainability panels at Bucknell University. Doug is also authoring a book (Credibility) that details the preparation and sale processes of privately-owned lower middle market companies.
Though Doug has held several leadership roles and is adept at working at the strategic level, he is also very comfortable dealing in the details and conducting primary work himself. In almost all instances he focuses his efforts on improving the sales pipeline, providing organizational clarity, developing a regular cadence of key metrics and providing clean management reporting and financial forecasting.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Bucknell and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Doug is originally from Pittsburgh and has spent the last 30 years in the Philadelphia area. He is married, has one daughter and lives in Malvern, PA.
Laura Sibbald is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist and authentically neurospicy advocate with a deep passion for neurodiversity and the advancement of neuro-inclusive practices.
Prior to her move to the Philadelphia area, Laura worked as an autism program supervisor at one of the largest school districts in the nation, where she was able to collaborate to promote innovative practices across dozens of schools. At Chestnut Hill College, Laura established their inaugural neurodiversity program, and set high standards for inclusive practices across campus. She has published workbooks, articles, and book chapters dedicated to supporting families and professionals , and is frequently an invited speaker on neurodiversity at organizations and events around the world.
Laura is now an official Pennsylvania business and homeowner! She founded ND SLP Advocate LLC in 2023 and is living in Glenside, with her fiance, Mike and their 2 rambunctious cats: Alexandria and Scottie.
Ling Huang is an entrepreneur, senior consultant, visionary and multi-award winner with over thirty years of experience in the security and ICT industries, with clients ranging from the oil and gas industry, healthcare, and public sector to the Government of Alberta. Ling is the founder and CEO of Technology North Corporation; his most recent work focuses on the integration of business processes, inclusion programs, and technologies into a single social and technological innovation to create a better world and quality of life for people like his autistic son and others dealing with disadvantageous circumstances.
He leads the talented TN team in creating the innovative in inclusion and ground-breaking RoboCoach and Technology North Digital Services, a digital economy-focused employment program that allows those living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to thrive in today's world. TN’s success stories have been featured on national and international media outlets, including CBC, Global TV, CityNews and CTV prime time news, PM Time, Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, Toggle, Research Money and Cliff 20 Documentary.
Bobbi Block (bobbiblock.com) is an experiential Facilitator and Coach with a unique background in both Learning & Development and the performing arts.
She specializes in developing effective skills in Relationship Management, Presence, Collaboration/Team Dynamics, Leadership, Presentation and Creativity. Bobbi is a Certified Practitioner of Applied Improvisation; the principles of improvisational theater often inform her training approach.
In addition to her independent consultant work, Bobbi is a Senior Facilitator with global L&D firm The Ariel Group. She is a Facilitator and Designer for the leadership development program Work.Life.Leader, as well as Independent Faculty for The Wharton School’s Executive Education Institution. In her early career Bobbi delivered DISC Assessment programs with Team Builders Plus. She has been the Director of Applied Improvisation for CSZ Philadelphia for 25 years. Recently Bobbi co-founded the YesandNature Collaborative, for which she co-facilitates Climate Conversations, a program that uses improvisational theater exercises along with research and data to help environmental professionals communicate more effectively about the climate crisis.
Bobbi teaches and performs Improvisational Theater in Philadelphia and is an Adjunct Professor in the Theater Department at Temple University and Drexel University.
Bobbi founded and is the Producing Artistic Director of critically-acclaimed theater company, Tongue & Groove Spontaneous Theater. In addition, she co-founded and performs with Barrymore Award-winning ComedySportz Philadelphia, the longest-running live theatrical show in Philadelphia (30 years). Bobbi plays drums in two Afro-Brazilian percussion bands: Unidos da Filadelfia and Batala.
In addition to her current appointments at Drexel and Temple (where she also teaches Applied Improv for Engineers), Bobbi has taught Improvisation at numerous theaters and colleges including The University of Otago in New Zealand, The University of the Arts, The Wilma Theatre, University of Pennsylvania, and Villanova University. Bobbi has taught her signature ‘Actors’ Improv’ workshop around the globe.
Bobbi double-majored at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving her Bachelor’s in English and Development through Creative Expression. She received a Masters in Theatre from Villanova University, and trained with master improvisers at renowned theater centers in Chicago and NYC.
Bobbi has worked with: ABC Television, Abington Hospital, Achievement Network, AstraZeneca, Betterment, Campbell Soup, Comcast, Deloitte, Disney, Exelon/PECO, Federal Reserve Bank, Firmenich, Fox School of Business, GlaxoSmithKline, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, IKEA, KPMG, Merck, Nationwide, Neiman Group, Oliver Wyman, Orasure, Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Workforce Development, Praxair, The Ranney School, Raymond James, Robinhood, SAP, Scratch, SEI, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Tribe 12, The Wright Center for Medical Education.
Paula Fasciano is the founder of Bake Ability, a savory and sweet specialties bakery, will be serving daily baked goods, baked by individuals with different abilities who will be mentored by professionals.
Unemployment within the intellectual disability community is significantly higher than the national average. Bake Ability affords individuals opportunities to learn a trade, grow and serve the community in the baking industry.
These community members are loyal, dedicated, and hard working. This will give them an opportunity to showcase how productive they can be and what an asset they are to any community.
Handcrafted Goods
Our items are crafted by hand, with patience and with love. We use techniques to ensure the highest quality. Our goal is to make your taste buds happy!
Even if you are simply looking for a sweet ending to an everyday meal, we are sure to have something freshly baked to suit your mood.
Michelle Histand
I'm a strategic and creative thinker who loves to pull problems apart and figure them out, with a bias toward action -- getting stuff done! Executive Director M. Night Shyamalan Foundation, Managing Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute at Temple University, Director of Innopvation at Independence Blue Cross.