Expanding on the “Why,” YellowBird Founder Shares his Entrepreneurial Insights with DEI-Focused Community 

Entrepreneurship is never easy, but for individuals born with disabilities, the road can be even tougher. Despite the challenges, many individuals with disabilities have achieved remarkable success in entrepreneurship, paving the way for others to follow in their footsteps. One such individual is Michael Zalle, the Founder & CEO of YellowBird. Michael was recently selected as an Entrepreneur in Residence for 2gether International, an organization that empowers entrepreneurs with disabilities to create and grow their own businesses. 

Being chosen as an Entrepreneur in Residence for 2gether International is an incredible honor for Michael. This program is designed to help entrepreneurs with disabilities overcome the unique challenges they face and turn their business ideas into reality. The program provides participants with mentorship, networking opportunities and access to resources that can help them grow their businesses. 

For Michael, being a part of 2gether International is personal. He was born with an underdeveloped right hand and a spinal cord injury, which has given him a unique perspective on the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. Michael has dedicated his career to promoting disability and diversity inclusion, and he sees his participation in 2gether International as an opportunity to help others do the same. 

As an Entrepreneur in Residence, Michael will be working with a diverse group of startups and founders, all of whom are building businesses aimed at helping individuals with disabilities. These startups include: 

• Mizaru, a company helping connect disability service providers founded by Jason Corning 
• Symbionic, a company that produces advanced prosthetics founded by Rishi Krishna 
• Therapy IQ, a company building tools for therapy clinics founded by Nate Maingi  
• Frenalytics, an interactive digital learning software founded by Anthony Giovanniello 
• Firstly, a platform for better mentorship programs founded by Kevin Hu 
• EVT, an AI video editing tool founded by Monal Pamar 

These startups are all at different stages of development, but they all share a common goal: to make life better for individuals with disabilities. Michael’s role as an Entrepreneur in Residence will be to help these startups accelerate their growth and overcome any obstacles they may face. 

Michael is excited about the opportunity to work with these startups and help them take their businesses to the next level. He believes that the 2gether International program is a powerful tool for promoting disability inclusion in entrepreneurship, and he is proud to be a part of it. He is grateful to Diego Mariscal, Keevin O’Rourke, and the 2gether International board for giving him this opportunity. 

Michael’s participation in the 2gether International Entrepreneur in Residence program is a testament to his commitment to promoting disability inclusion in entrepreneurship. The program is an incredible opportunity for Michael to help other entrepreneurs with disabilities overcome the unique challenges they face and turn their business ideas into reality.  

If you’re interested in learning more about the 2gether International program, visit their website at 2gether-international.org.