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Innovating Inclusion Logo A purple dialogue box with a hand signing the letter "I" in ASL next to an I in Braille. Next to it are the words Innovating Inclusion in black.

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A couple walks on a hillside in silhouette against a sunset. The woman walks a service dog, and the man holds a cane.
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Build What Belongs!

From Insight to Impact
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Our Program

Innovating Inclusion is an entrepreneurship and career development program that empowers aspiring change-makers to build solutions with the discipline of human-centered design.

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Through project-based learning, students engage in hands-on design challenges to strengthen skills such as empathy, collaboration, and rapid prototyping.

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Select participants also have the opportunity to complete micro-internships or apprenticeships with mission-driven organizations in our partner network. Others may be awarded a fellowship or scholarship.

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Our approach develops the competencies required for emerging careers that demand strong foundations in universal design, inclusion, and accessibility.

High school students wearing blue gloves and goggles smile around a table about to participate in a science project. The girl on the right gives a thumbs up.
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Text reads: Mentors, share your expertise with the next generation. Clicking on the image takes you to the Mentors Sign Up Page.
Text reads: Include, gain access to mentors.
Text reads: Include. Traditional entrepreneurship education does not teach the value of disability inclusion or build the skills needed to make education accessible. That is why our mentorship pairs leaners who bring lived experience and real-world expertise.
Dr. Carlos Lastra of Southern California Eye Institute instructs two students from Big Learning on how to examine eyes.
Text reads: Educators launch our program. CLICK image to go to Educators Sign Up Page.
Text reads: Intern with industry partners.
Text reads: Intern. Build your resume! Students who complete Innovating Inclusion modules are eligible to apply for micro-internships, fellowships, and scholarships within our partner network.
Students at Big Picture learning sit around a table planning for a project.
Text reads: Students, access our self-guided on-line curriculum. CLICK the image to take you to the Students sign up page.
Text reads: Invent. Criculum for Students & Educators
Text reads: Become a next generation of change-maker. Sign up to deepen your skills in entrepreneurship, universal design, and inclusive innovation.
Headshot of Saran Tugsjargal - a young Asian woman with shoulder length black hair wearing a tan sweater. She smiles and crosses her arms.
Text reads: Contributors, apply to be highlighted on our podcast or serve as a judge. CLICK on the Image to be taken to the Contributor sign up page.
Tap into the wisdom of our contributors.
Text reads: Influence. Influencers are shaped by authenticity and strengthened by deep, trusted networks. We leverage the powerful stories of people with lived experience to shape what our learners discover and to guide how emerging ideas are evaluated.
Fox Family Foundation Vision Fiar - On stage stand Ollie Cantos, Representative Judy Chu, Lee Fox Beauregard, and Seth Schalet
Text reads: Employers. Discover how you can support engaging innovators by hosting an internship or funding a scholarship,
Listen - What Experts Say

What Experts Say

Headshot of Diego Mariscal, dark, short hair, wearing a blue T-shirt.
"The fact that I work on supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities really highlights that as a person with cerebral palsy myself, I've fallen literally thousands of times and thousands of times I've gotten back up. And using that framework of resiliency, creativity, tenacity, we've been able to inspire thousands of disabled people to also be entrepreneurs."
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DIEGO MARISCAL
2Gether International
Headshot of Ollie Cantos wearing a black hat, glasses, and a black suit and tie. He carries a white cane.
"There's nothing shameful about any disability that any of us has. I encourage all of us to do as fellow members of the disability community, to find ways to give, not just within the disability community, but anything that you're passionate about to the world and show your talent and ability and let all of that shine and come through."
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OLLIE CANTOS
Mayor Pro-Tem, West Covina, CA
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Headshot of Saran Tugsjargel. She has shoulder legnth black hair and wears a tan sweater over a white T-shirt.
"Showing people that no matter what your disability is, no matter how much it impacts you, your disability should never hinder your ability to make the changes to become the leader you are today. Whether it's becoming an artist, there's becoming rapper, whatever it is, you can do it no matter what your disability is."
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SARAN TUGSJARGAL
Disability Advocate &
Policy Maker
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