Mindy Scheier, Founder and CEO of the Runway of Dreams Foundation

Mindy Scheier is a mom of three, an entrepreneur, and an authority on accessible fashion. She is also the founder and CEO of the Runway of Dreams Foundation, which she started in 2014 with the help of her son Oliver, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Oliver wanted to wear jeans to school like his peers; so Mindy took on the request and modified a pair of jeans for her son to wear the next day. Being in the fashion industry and inspired by Oliver's new jeans, Mindy began her journey designing adaptive clothing that enthuses people with disabilities.

As a renowned leader in adaptive clothing and advocate for inclusion, Mindy collaborates with mainstream brands to make modifications for their present and future apparel lines. These adaptive pieces are wearer friendly, stylish, and encourage conviction, autonomy, and self-expression for people with difference. Her design work has also earned her the award for Ark Catalyst Marketing Influencer of the Year; Mindy also kicked off New York Fashion Week in the fall of 2019 with a runway show, featuring models of all abilities.

Recently, Mindy chronicled her fashion vision and the Runaway of Dreams Foundation mission, of “working toward a future of inclusion, acceptance and opportunity in the fashion industry for people with disabilities,” with our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas. Mindy’s design modifications enable people with difference, by giving them the power to choose their own fashion. With a flaunt forward fashion mentality and her contagious exuberance, Mindy’s philosophy on accessible fashion shines, “Where there is a will, there is a runway.”

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