Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, Jenni Ahtiainen, Founder & Head Designer at AIDesign and DEAFMETAL, discusses her hearing aid journey starting in 2018. Being involved with the fashion and music industry and her love for aesthetics, Jenni designed hearing aid jewelry collections for women, men, and children. The story of DEAFMETAL can be found here: The story behind DEAFMETAL® by its Designer Jenni Ahtiainen - YouTube.

Please see Jenni's photo biography below to learn more information about her work as a designer and her wearable art pieces.

Dr. Junella Chin is an integrative cannabinoid medicine physician, having received her Medical Degree from Touro University and her BS- Nutrition & Food Science, Biochemistry from Cornell University. She is a Board Member of American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, Association for Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine (ACHEM), Co-founder & Medical Director at Medical Cannabis Mentor, ​Chief Medical Advisor at CannabisMD.com, Miraculo, and Chief Medical Advisor at Artemis CBD Shop. 

For over a decade, Dr. Chin lived and practiced medicine in California, a state with legalized medical cannabis since 1996. Her integrative medical practice focuses on children and adults with intractable epilepsy, autism, cancer, and chronic pain. She has seen firsthand just how much medical cannabis can benefit patients. 

Dr. Chin is a chronic pain survivor. Doctors suggested opiate pain medications, steroids, epidurals, and ultimately surgery to fuse the spine. As a result of her experience, Dr. Chin decided to dedicate her medical career to finding effective, integrative and holistic approaches to patient care. She has been an advocate for better understanding of the science and medicine of cannabis and has been profiled for her work in St. Jude’s Medical Center, Huffington Post, Cornell University, Good Housekeeping, USA Today, and NBC TODAY. 

Dr. Chin and her team of doctors are now bicoastal, servicing patients of California and New York. They have been integrating medical cannabis since 2001. She is a frequent keynote speaker on the science and medicine of cannabis and has spoken at hospitals, conferences, and events all over the world.

Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, Dr. Chin discusses her experience with chronic pain, the intricacies of cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD), and how important it is that patients form a relationship with their doctor while being treated. She also talks about how tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) can be used to support our sleep. In the interview, viewers will see how Dr. Chin is a powerhouse of knowledge in medical and consumer perspectives about CBD applications in modern medicine and culture.

Alana Nichols is a three-sport phenomenon in wheelchair basketball, alpine skiing and paracanoe. She grew up in Farmington, New Mexico; and Alana was an avid snowboarder throughout her youth. In 2002, however, Alana landed back-first on a rock while attempting a backflip on her snowboard. The injury caused her to be paralyzed from the waist down. Alana did not let her athletic career stop there, though, as she began playing wheelchair basketball just two years later and helped Team USA to win gold at the Paralympic Games Beijing 2008. Alana is the first U.S. female Paralympian to win gold medals at a Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. She has continued to satisfy her competitive side by competing in surfing competitions, and has become a strong advocate to add surfing to the program for the Paralympic Games Los Angeles 2028.  

Alana is a true advocate for people with disabilities with a goal to develop community involvement programs and Collegiate Scholarship programs in underdeveloped countries. In May, 2014, Alana was inducted into Warner Brothers “Superman Hall of Heroes” in the inaugural class of real-life heroes. She serves on the board at EspnW, The Women’s Sports Foundation, and The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Alana is an advocate of sporting opportunities for girls and women. 

Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, Alana, an icon of courage and excellence in Paralympic sports, discusses her journey growing up as a young athlete falling in love with sports. She shares the account of her life changing snowboarding accident and how she reacted to being told she would never walk again. Alana has stated, “Do the best you can, with what you have, everyday.”

Belo Miguel Cipriani is an American writer, publisher, and entrepreneur in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. He is the founder of Oleb Media, a digital inclusion firm, and the disability publishing house Oleb Books. He is also a disability and LGBTQ+ advocate. .In the spring of 2007, Belo Cipriani was brutally assaulted and robbed a group of former friends in San Francisco's Castro District.  He was kicked in the face repeatedly. One of those devastating blows went directly into his eyes, leaving Belo blind at the age of twenty-six. 

Belo is the author of Blind: A Memoir (2011), which chronicles the two years immediately following his assault. He received an Honorable Mention for Best Nonfiction Book by the 2011 Rainbow Awards, and an Honorable Mention for Best Culture Book by the 2012 Eric Hoffer Awards. 

He has received fellowships from Lambda Literary and Yaddo, and was the first blind writer to attend the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. Cipriani has guest lectured at Yale University, University of San Francisco, and University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, and was the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University from 2012 to 2016.

His writing has appeared in several publications, including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Business Insider, and HuffPost. He was a contributor to the Ed Baxter Morning Show on iHeart Radio, and was also a frequent commentator on San Francisco’s KGO Radio, as well as on several NPR shows. He also has a column on disability issues that was recognized by the National Center on Disability and Journalism at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

Belo has received numerous awards for his disability advocacy work, including being named “Best Disability Advocate” by SF Weekly (2015), an “Agent of Change” by HuffPost (2015), and an “ABC7 Star” by KGO-TV (2016). He was also honored as the first blind Grand Marshal at San Francisco’s 45th Annual Gay Pride Parade.

He lives in St. Louis Park, Minnesota with his partner, James, and his guide dog, Oslo.

Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, Belo shares his story about the harrowing night which took away his eyesight. He also discusses the mission and purpose of his companies Oleb Books and Oleb Media, how he is the spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, finding inspiration to write his memoir, and  his role as a disability and LGBTQ+ advocate. “People with disabilities, at the end of the day, are just like everybody else,” Bello quotes. “We have desires, dreams and goals. We also have fears. The only difference is we negotiate life differently, but that doesn’t mean that our lives are any less valid.”