Program and Speakers 2025

“Disabilities and Futures”

We have an amazing program set up for you! Below you can find out what we have planned for each of the five days. This year’s Spring Institute will focus on futures, future making and technology . This Spring Institute employs an allyship model of research in which disabled and non-disabled researchers work together. Many of our faculty members are disabled themselves or are carers of disabled family members.

Every day, sessions will run from 1-5pm UK time. The entire event is free of charge and virtual and will be hosted via Zoom. .

Co-Founders

Upper body photo of Anica Zeyen who has dark blonde hair and is a white woman. She has sunglasses on her head and leans against a Victorian style column. Her dress is black and white patterned
Anica Zeyen

Vice Dean Equality, Diversity and Inclusion & Professorin Entrepreneurship and Inclusion, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway University of London (UK)

Dr. Anica Zeyen is a registered blind academic who specialises on the intersection between entrepreneurship, organizing and disability research. She leads multiple research projects in the Global South and North on disability, She employs inclusive and qualitative research methods. Anica is also a disability activist. K. More on her work on her blog and web page.

upper body shot of Oana Branzei, a black-haired woman wearing a dark top and a white jacket.
Oana Branzei

Professor of Strategy, Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada

Dr. Oana Branzei is a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the Ivey Business School, Western University. Her areas of expertise include social innovation, social enterprise, and organizing for self-, society-, and system-transformation in response to grand challenges. She has held editorial positions on the boards of the ‘Academy of Management Review’, ‘Journal of Management’, ‘Journal of International Business Studies’. She is completing her second full term as field editor of the Journal of Business Venturing and co-edited several recent special issues on prosocial, regenerative, place-based and inclusive organizing.

Pre-Session 24 March

This session takes place before the Spring Institute and will help you prepare.

During this 90-minute session (1 – 2:30pm UK time), we will introduce you to the Spring Institute Format, provide you with all the necessary information to get the most out of the Spring Institute.

Spring Institute 2025

Monday, 31 March 2025

Developing your Disability (Research) Future

Upper body photo of Anica Zeyen who has dark blonde hair and is a white woman. She has sunglasses on her head and leans against a Victorian style column. Her dress is black and white patterned
Anica Zeyen

Vice Dean Equality, Diversity and Inclusion & Professorin Entrepreneurship and Inclusion, School of Business and Management, Royal Holloway University of London (UK)

Dr. Anica Zeyen is a registered blind academic who specialises on the intersection between entrepreneurship, organizing and disability research. She leads multiple research projects in the Global South and North on disability, She employs inclusive and qualitative research methods. Anica is also a disability activist. K. More on her work on her blog and web page.

Diving into Disabilities and Futures

upper body shot of Oana Branzei, a black-haired woman wearing a dark top and a white jacket.
Oana Branzei

Professor of Strategy, Ivey Business School, Western University (Canada

Dr. Oana Branzei is a Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the Ivey Business School, Western University. Her areas of expertise include social innovation, social enterprise, and organizing for self-, society-, and system-transformation in response to grand challenges. She has held editorial positions on the boards of the ‘Academy of Management Review’, ‘Journal of Management’, ‘Journal of International Business Studies’. She is completing her second full term as field editor of the Journal of Business Venturing and co-edited several recent special issues on prosocial, regenerative, place-based and inclusive organizing.

Practical Wisdom & Disability

head shot of Blaine a white man with a beard and very short hair. He are a black jacket and a white shirt.
Blaine J. Fowersi

Professor of Education and Law, University of Miami, United States)a

Blaine Fowers, Ph.D. is Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Miami. He conducts theoretical and empirical investigations of virtue and flourishing, having written eight books and edited a nineth book. He teaches undergraduates and graduate students and has supervised over 30 doctoral dissertations. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. 

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

This day will feature change makers from different parts of the world

Creating Disability Futures in India

headshot of Malikajurna Iytha who has short dark hair and a full beard
Malikajurna Iytha

Founder & CEO @ IDEA  (India)

Mallikarjuna Iytha is a social entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of Inclusive Divyangjan Entrepreneur Association (IDEA), an enterprise that creates opportunities and livelihoods for people with disabilities. With over two decades of experience in the development sector and fair trade, he has a proven track record of empowering marginalized communities and promoting sustainable consumption.

Creating Futures one Bread at a time in Canada

headshot of Neil who has light skin and blonde hair and a short beard. He wears a blue shirt and smiles broadly
Neil Hetherington

Chief Executive Officer at Daily Bread Food Bank, (Canada)

Neil Hetherington has been the CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank since January 2018. He leads Canada’s largest food bank, serving over 330,000 client visits monthly. Neil’s career began in project management at Tridel Construction, and he is dedicated to combating food insecurity and povert

Creating Futures through Tourism and International Collaboration in Romania

headshot of Cristina who has wavy dark blonde hair and wears glasses
Cristina Căluianu

National Expert Romania@AccessibleEU Centre | Accessible Tourism | Management Consulting (Romania)

I am the National Expert from Romania at AccessibleEU, the Europe-wide Resource Centre on Accessibility that supports public and private sector organizations and professionals in implementing EU accessibility policies and legislation. I joined this project in February 2023, leveraging my eight-year expertise and passion for accessible tourism, a field that aims to make tourism destinations, products, and services accessible and inclusive for all people, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

Wednesday, 2April2025

Disability & Future of Stories

photo of Hazel, A white person with short, brown, curly hair wearing a black jumper and holding a lyre. They are besides a lake.
Hazel Dixon (she/they)

Inclusion and Ethics Research Fellow at CoSTAR National Lab (UK)

Hazel’s research focuses on building inclusion and equity into the process of designing emerging technologies within screen, performance and live events. They have a background in escape room design and user experience research and use this to focus on playful uses of technology that can work for everyone.

A waist-up portrait of a person with short, dark brown hair, olive skin, and a neutral expression with a subtle smile. They are seated against a grey background, wearing a black turtleneck and grey trousers, with their hands clasped in their lap.
Maruša Levstek  (she/they)

StoryFutures Research Fellow in Technology and Culture, CoSTAR National Labt (UK)

Maruša (she/they) brings together trans-disciplinary background in psychology, social sciences, and data science as a Research Fellow in Technology and Culture, specialising in audiences and users. With specific interest in social impact, Maruša has worked on a range of immersive projects, notably the BBC-Factory42 Green Planet AR Experience, The National Gallery’s The Keeper of Paintings app, and the StoryTrails project with the BFI, Niantic, and the BBC.

photo of Andy who is Bald white person with glasses, with a short dappled brown / grey beard, and wearing a black t-shirt. They are against a grey background.
Andy Woods (he/they)

Senior Research Engineer Psychologist, CoSTAR National Labt (UK)

Andy is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Technologies at the CoSTAR National R&D Lab for Creative Technologies, Royal Holloway, University of London. They lead interdisciplinary, inclusive research that combines UX testing and insights with cutting-edge technological solutions. Drawing on their background in multisensory perception (PhD) and software development, they design and conduct research across academia, industry, and the startup ecosystem.​

A smiling person with shoulder-length straight black hair, wearing a cream-coloured V-neck jumper, standing against a textured stone wall backdrop.
Haiou Zhu (she/they)

Lecturer in Inclusive Design (50%) at UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in AI for Digital Media Inclusion at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Post-Doctoral Researcher  (50%) at Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford. (UK)

Haiou develops and delivers training and research initiatives at the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in AI for Digital Media Inclusion. They also work on the co-design and development of innovative nature-based and arts-based mental health interventions at the University of Oxford. Haiou’s interdisciplinary research approach integrates inclusive design, behavioural science, mental health, and digital media to to deliver evidence-based and creative solutions.

Allyship & Disability Futures

I am a Black woman with long, natural black locs, who is smiling in this photo. I am wearing a black blazer over a black top. I am wearing a necklace featuring pearl-like stones in the shape of flowers with petals. The background shows a softly blurred indoor-outdoor setting with large windows and natural light.
Stephanie J. Creary

Assistant Professor, Walton Business School, University of Pennsylvania (United States)

Stephanie Creary, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Her research explores identity, diversity, inclusion in organizations. She is particularly interested in how relationships across differences are formed and how they affect workplace dynamics. 

Allyship and Growth through Identity Threat

Photo of Brent who is a light skinned man with very short hair. He wears glasses and a navy grey jumper with alternate squares in each colour.
Brent Lyons

Associate Professor, Schulich School of Business, York University (Canada)

Brent Lyons is an Associate Professor of Organization Studies at the Schulich School of Business. His research involves the study of stigma and its consequences for the work, careers, and well-being of members of nondominant social groups, such as disabled employees. Brent has published his work in journals such as Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. His research has also been supported by multiple grants from SSHRC. Brent serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 

Thursday, 3 April 2025

Restorative breaks, kindness & well-being

headshot of Bonnie. Bonnie is a woman of East Asian ethnic background with long black hair. She wears a black dotted white top. Her hair falls don one shoulder.
Bonnie Hayden Chang

Associate Professor, Hong Kong University Business School (Hong Kong)

Dr. Cheng obtained her PhD degree in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. Her research is dedicated to helping employees achieve and maintain well-being in the workplace. This includes understanding how and when workplace anxiety can enhance performance, recovering from daily job demands, and maintaining proactivity in the workplace. She has published in journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Her research has been featured in leading media sources such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, and Harvard Business Review.

Methodological Insights & Barriers – Researching PwDs

Portrait of a woman - Prof Kokil Jain, with long dark hair, wearing a grey checkered blazer over a white shirt. She has a warm smile and a confident expression. The background is a neutral grey
Kokil Jain

Dean of Research & Outreach, Fortune Institute of International Business (India)

Prof. Kokil Jain, Dean of Research & Outreach and Professor of Marketing at FIIB, New Delhi, brings over two decades of academic and research expertise. She leads FIIB’s Thought Leadership, DEI initiatives, and research ecosystem. A globally recognized scholar, her work on consumer psychology and inclusion in marketing is published in top-tier journals.

Portrait of a woman - Snigdha Malhotra, with long brown hair, wearing a mauve wrap-style blouse. She has a warm smile. The background is a neutral grey.
Snigdha Malhotra

Head – Center for Responsible Management,, Fortune Institute of International Business (India)

Snigdha Malhotra leads initiatives at FIIB’s Center for Responsible Management, New Delhi. She specializes in, DEI, and disability inclusion and HR analytics with her research on inclusive workplaces and technology-driven HR published in top journals.

Disability Reform in Brazil

Headshot of Leandro Nardi, a white man with short brown hair. He wears a blue suite and a white shirt, standing in front of a blue wall. He smiles
Leandro Nardi

Assistant Professor, Strategy and Business Policy Department, HEC Paris. (France)

Leandro Nardi is an assistant professor in the Strategy and Business Policy Department at HEC Paris and a research affiliate at the S&O Institute.  His research spans the vast intersection of strategic management and social performance, including topics such as strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR), socio-environmental impact, stakeholder strategy, social and public value creation, and sustainability. 

Neurodiversity & Employment

eadshot of Maira Ezerins in a suit smiling broadly in front of a blurred stone wall.
Maira Ezerins

Doctoral candidate, University of Arkansas (United States)

Maira Ezerins is a doctoral student studying Management (OB/HR) at the University of Arkansas. She has published in premier academic journals, written several book chapters, and her work has received popular press attention from outlets such as CNN, BBC News, and Harvard Business Review. In practice, she has consulted with Fortune 500 and multinational organizations. Her areas of expertise include neurodiversity, workplace relationships, and safety.

Friday, 4 April 2025

CONNECT

photo of Kanika who has long wavy hair and wears a light top.
Kanika Gupta

Artist & Documentary Maker (Canada)

Kanika is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur who uses her practice to build a more inclusive world. She uses art and storytelling to create dialogue and foster deeper human connections. Through multi-modal and sensory based work, Kanika is passionate about engaging public audiences in ways that are meaningful and inclusive to them. Named among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Kanika’s work has been profiled internationally. Learn more at http://www.byKanika.com.

head shot of two women, one black and one brown, smiling brightly at the camera . they seem to be on a shopping street or in a city centre
Jenelle Rouse

Documentary Maker (Canada)

While living and working on the lands of Anishinabewaki, Attiwonderonk and Mississaugas in Ontario, Jenelle Rouse creatively advocates for accessible sign language resources and authentic connections. Other than teaching, she has been involved in various non-traditional projects including Multi-Lens Existence (multilen5), Black Deaf Canada (research.bdc), and Just Keep Going Reel. 

How to Make A Disability Future