Mr. Speaker, businesses that ignore disabled customers and employees are missing a global market of 1.3 billion people, a population bigger than any country on earth. That is Rich Donovan’s message, and he would know.
Cerebral palsy has not stopped him from becoming a dad, an MBA grad from Columbia Business School, and a Merrill Lynch portfolio manager. He also founded Line Connect, which places disabled people with good-paying jobs at google, PepsiCo, Bank of America, IBM, TD, and many others. Now Rich’s index fund is investing in companies that out-perform in the disability market. This fall, Rich became one of YouCan2 magazine’s top 50 most influential disabled people, along with the likes of Michael J. Fox.
It takes creativity and relentlessness to overcome disabilities. Rich has turned these qualities into profit through the free enterprise system. In doing so, he empowers people like him to earn better lives and inspires all of us to overcome any obstacle.