Aaryn has been an interpreter for 20 years, earning her first certification in 2010. Aaryn values collaboration and strives to establish best practices within interpreting communities for managing vicarious trauma, navigating ethical decisions and building our businesses. The majority of her career, Aaryn has served on designated interpreter teams for medical professionals, PhD candidates and government employees. Aaryn has extensive experience working with CDIs. Her practice currently specializes in conference and business travel interpreting. Aaryn is a practitioner first, which is reflected in her interpreting practice, presentation topics and business relationship style. Each of her workshops include intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal navigation components for consideration. Aaryn fosters spaces in which participants co-create knowledge and understanding.

Since 2009, Alana has been empowering and guiding people in reaching their true designations using powerful, transformative coaching techniques gained from Certified Coaches Federation from which she received her certifications in executive, professional and life coaching. Her area of expertise is guiding individuals who are searching for their purpose and meaning in life to a place of actualization and contentment. In her coaching work, she draws from personal and professional experiences in working in corporations such as Purple Communications, NexTalk, Inc.,MCI/Verzion, and currently, with T-Mobile. As the founder and principal of Creative Consultations, Inc., she has been privileged to work with individuals and teams across the country to help them move past obstacles, uncover their potential, to gain clarity and moving forward with their goals. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from Gallaudet University and her Master’s Degree in Organizational Development from University of Phoenix.

Alayna Finley is a Deaf creative, educator, and PhD student in Education at the University of British Columbia and a recipient of the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship. She is the co-founder of Lila & Pip, an ASL–English early language program that supports families with young children, and has taught Deaf learners using bilingual approaches in post-secondary settings. Alayna also serves as coordinator for the Motion Light Lab × Project ECHO series, a Deaf-led professional learning initiative for healthcare and EHDI professionals focused on equitable language access for deaf infants and young children. Her research focuses on early ASL use with deaf children, Deaf Cultural Competency in healthcare and early intervention systems, and representations of deaf experiences in biomedical narratives.

Carly Weyers is a Deaf advocate, presenter, and podcast co-host. Carly always believes that communication is about far more than just words. Carly brings a unique perspective shaped by her experiences working with interpreting agencies, collaborating with interpreters across a variety of settings, serving as a behavioral health coordinator, and currently working for Lingvano. Throughout her life, she has experienced the good, the bad, and the unforgettable moments that happen when Deaf and hearing worlds intersect.

Casey King was born with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. In 2013, prior to high school, Casey was implanted on her left side. Casey graduated from Capital University’s School of Nursing in May 2023. Along with her nursing degree, Casey also earned a minor in mathematics. Casey has been a nurse for over two years in the SICU/NCCU at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Her previous medical experience includes over two years at the Ohio State East Hospital on a stroke/geriatrics unit as a patient care associate. Casey obtained her CCRN this year and she plans to continue her advanced nursing education.

Corey Axelrod, MBA, is the founder and CEO of 2axend, a Deaf-owned strategic consulting and training firm working with organizations to provide user-centric experiences to Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Prior to founding 2axend, Axelrod served in several business development roles for Communication Service for the Deaf, as well as principal and digital marketing consultant for Synergetic Business Solutions, digital marketing coordinator for Purple Communications and director of marketing and business development for Hager Productions. Axelrod earned his master of business administration (MBA) with a concentration in marketing and sales management and his bachelor of science in business administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Corinna S. Hill, Ph.D., is a historian and assistant professor at NTID/RIT. Her work explores Deaf and Disability history in the United States, focusing on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She is currently working on a Deaf club oral history collection project, documenting the cultural impact and legacy of Deaf clubs nationwide.

Debra Patkin is Associate General Counsel at Gallaudet University, where she provides legal advice and support on a wide range of university matters, including labor and employment, contracts, student matters (K-12 and post-secondary), risk mitigation, litigation, compliance and institutional policy. Prior to joining Gallaudet, she served as an Attorney Advisor with the Federal Communications Commission, where she worked on policy and regulatory issues to ensure accessible communications for individuals with disabilities. Before that, as a staff attorney with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). At NAD, she litigated civil-rights cases, advocated on behalf of the deaf and hard of hearing community, addressed consumer legal inquiries, and conducted outreach and education. Earlier in her career, Debra was a litigation attorney at the Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles, California. She received her J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, an M.A. in Linguistics from Gallaudet University, and a B.S. in Psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology. Debra now balances her legal career with her unofficial side gig as a full-time taxi driver for her children. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor recreation and cheering on Boston sports teams.

Diana Cho's path to becoming a personal, leadership, and executive development coach and catalyst was paved by years of working alongside some of the most diverse groups of people, from age 18 to 85, across women's groups, men's groups, ethnic communities, survivors of abuse, trained interpreters, and leaders of different kinds of organizations. Those roles didn't just prepare her for coaching; they called her to it. In her downtime, she's drawn to the bay, walking the shoreline, breathing in the sky and the sea.

David “DT” Bruno is a Deaf doctoral student at Simmons University School of Social Work and a licensed master social worker specializing in integrated behavioral health, with a focus on Deaf communities and reducing health disparities. He earned a B.A. in Social Work from Gallaudet University and an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University. As a panelist, he will discuss his experiences navigating a hearing-centric doctoral program, collaborating with remote interpreters, and the implications for interpreting practice.

Sarah Tubert is a Deaf Latina actor, director, producer, author, and accessibility consultant who is passionate about building bridges between communities through storytelling, collaboration, and authentic connection. Her career has taken her from the stage and screen to classrooms, conference rooms, and production sets, where she has worked to advance accessibility and representation in meaningful ways. Whether she is acting, directing, consulting, or speaking, Sarah believes that communication is never one-size-fits-all and that the most impactful work happens when people are willing to listen, learn, and adapt. Known for her candid storytelling, humor, and practical approach, Sarah brings both professional expertise and lived experience to every presentation, creating conversations that are engaging, thought-provoking, and empowering.