Gustavo Serafini, patient advocate

I was born with PFFD (proximal focal femoral deficiency) in 1976. At the time, there were only 12 other documented cases in the world. At 2, we moved to the US to give me the best chance to live out my potential. I had years of physical therapy and terrific doctors, who helped set the groundwork that I could build on. My parents fought to get me into regular schools, where I learned how to adapt to the world around me, make friends, and start fostering my resilience. I have two degrees from the University of Chicago and a law degree from George Washington. My academic life taught me critical thinking and the power of ideas to change ourselves and the world around us. As I grew older, the entrepreneurial world called to me. It was a place where I could build something bigger than myself and test my resilience, problem solving, and adaptation skills while also creating a company I would be happy to work for. 15 years later, my company is thriving and growing. More recently, I started a podcast called Enabled Disabled in order to empower people with a disability to share their stories and their adaptations. The purpose is twofold: we want to change the hearts and minds of the non-disabled and shine a light on our potential, and just as importantly, we want to dive into our vulnerabilities as people, with the hope that we find more strength in ourselves and each other.