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Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & James Berges
Learn from global disability-focused leaders about high-profile topics and how they are truly making a difference. Mai Ling and James give you front row access to intimate conversations with people who are shaping the way the world is created and how we are supporting people with all abilities. They share their intimate experiences— so you can start, grow, and expand your impact.
New to Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & James Berges?
Here are some great episodes to start with. Or, check out episodes by topic.
Recent Episodes
191
Aug. 3, 2026
Launching Iluria: Looking in on the Early Stages of a Startup with Hagay Levy
Startup founder and father to four children with ADHD/ADD, Hagay Levy joins the show today to share his entrepreneurial journey thus far. As a man who also has ADHD himself, he knows much about the unique needs of folks in that community, of which our host, Mai Ling Chan, is also a member. Hagay speaks with Mai Ling about his quest to start Iluria, a new tool for measuring the efficacy of medication for people with ADHD/ADD. They talk about identifying the problem, building a solution to the pro
190
July 6, 2026
Play From Your Heart: Advocacy On and Off the Field with Scott Martin
Today, James sits down for a timely conversation with celebrated soccer coach Scott Martin. In addition to a decades-long career in, and advocacy for, the game of soccer, Scott has also worked as an advocate for the disability community. He shares with James the story of his experience with disability as an amputee, his love of soccer, and how he pushed through the challenges in life to pursue his dreams. You don’t want to miss this conversation, especially if you’re a soccer fan. You can read m
189
June 1, 2026
The $18 Trillion Market VCs Keep Ignoring with Rich and Brittany Palmer
Today, Mai Ling sits down for an in-depth discussion about how to get outside investment for your disability-focused ventures with husband-and-wife entrepreneur team, Rich and Brittany Palmer. Leaning into their previous experiences with the startup world and the disability community, they founded Adaptation Ventures, a pioneering pre-seed fund and investor community dedicated to fueling tech innovation in disability, neurodivergence, and accessibility. Brittany and Rich share their individual s
188
May 4, 2026
From TBI to SLP: How an Injury Set a Career Trajectory with Joyce Ko
Our hosts kick off this episode with some important tips and information for folks working in the disability community. This is followed by a fascinating discussion between Mai Ling and our guest, Joyce Ko, who joins the show to talk about her experiences as a disabled clinician. Joyce shares her very personal story of a traumatic brain injury as a child and the journey that led her to a career as a speech-language pathologist. She is transparent about the challenges she faced post-injury, both
187
April 13, 2026
What Corporate America Gets Wrong About Blind Professionals with Kirk Adams
Today, James shares a great conversation with Dr. Kirk Adams, PhD, with us on the podcast. Kirk Adams is the founder of Innovative Impact LLC, through which he consults with corporate clients on diversity, inclusivity, and equity with a focus on the employment of people with disabilities. James talks with him about his own experience with blindness, the struggles he faced to enter the workforce, and how that led him to his work of advocacy for employment for people with disabilities.
186
March 2, 2026
Building a Medical Specialty in Egypt from the Ground Up with Tamer Abou-Elsaad
Our guest for today’s episode of the Xceptional Leaders podcast is one who undoubtedly exemplifies that label, Dr. Tamer Abou-Elsaad. He is a professor of Phoniatrics at Mansoura University in Mansoura, Egypt. He joins Mai Ling for a conversation to share the story of how he built a medical specialty from nothing in his country. He also talks about why Egyptian insurance covers 12 speech therapy sessions per month, his efforts to stop unlicensed practitioners from treating patients, and explains
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About the Hosts
Martyn Sibley
Co-host, best-selling author
My name is Martyn Sibley. I am a regular guy who happens to have a disability called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This means I cannot walk, lift anything heavier than a book or shower myself. Nonetheless I run Disability Horizons, am the author of 'Everything is Possible', I have a Degree in Economics & a Masters in Marketing. I love adventure travels (including an epic visit to Australia), I have great people in my life (including my soul mate), I drive my own adapted car, run my own business, have flown a plane, enjoyed skiing & SCUBA diving, and live independently on earth.
James Berges
Speech-Language Pathologist | Growth & Content Marketing in Health-Tech | Cohost of Xceptional Leaders Podcast
Your brain is hardwired to love a good story, so I'll tell you the short version of mine. My background in psychology, speech and hearing sciences, combined with content marketing and editing experience makes me equal parts empathetic, analytical, and creative. I am grateful to be part of a field that helps people communicate. In my spare time, I enjoy communicating research findings through content development and strategy.
Mai Ling Chan MS, CCC-SLP
Co-host, best-selling author, SLP
Mai Ling is a speech-language pathologist and tech enthusiast! She also loves spotlighting amazing people who are serving the disability community in unique and wonderful ways. These days she's busy interviewing guests for the podcast or FB live shows, supporting disability-focused businesses as an executive consultant, and starting the creation of a disability accelerator non-profit organization. Whew! Thank goodness it's all FUN!