Sessions & Activities
Ready, Set, Expo!
10:00-10:10 am (Independence A, Main Stage)
Start the day off strong with a warm welcome from Victor Wear, and the sponsors that helped to make the Expo possible. Get tips on how to best navigate your day, access support, and make the most of exhibitor, breakout sessions, and more. Don’t forget to pick up your Expo Passport for prizes and follow @victorwearco / @victorwear for live giveaways. Let’s turn inspiration into opportunity.
Speakers
Tiffany & Isaiah Hamilton, Co-Founders, Victor Wear LLC
Sponsors: Hyatt, Our Stomping Ground, ECNV
Mock Interviews & Résumé Reviews (Drop-In, 10:20–12:00 PM ET)
10:15-11:45 am (Conference Theater, Ballroom Level)
Sharpen your résumé and your story with one-on-one time from hiring and interview specialists—get fast, practical edits and practice your interview answers and elevator pitch. Drop in anytime during the window and leave with actionable tweaks + fresh confidence to land your next role.
Expo Browsing Break 1
10:15 am - 10:55 am (Independence A)
Stretch your legs and make moves: explore employer booths to talk real job opportunities, discover products and services from disabled-led businesses, snap a memory at the Victory Photo Booth, and add your voice to our Different But Not Less wall. Meet people, make connections, and leave with leads, inspiration—and a great pic.
College, Unlocked: From School to Campus
11:00-11:30 am (Independence A, Main Stage)
Join us to hear candid stories from students and parents of individuals with disabilities who successfully transitioned to college. Learn about the supports, programs, and mindsets that transformed their journey from “maybe” to “we can.” You will leave with practical steps regarding applications, accommodations, and campus life—empowered with the knowledge that college is within reach. (Several panelists are alumni of The Katherine Thomas School (KTS), whose mission is to improve lives and expand possibilities for individuals with disabilities. KTS is Victor Wear Co-Founder Isaiah Hamilton's alma mater.)
Speakers:
Shelley McGinness, High School Job Internship and Parent Education Coordinator, The Katherine Thomas School (KTS)
Arnikka Robinson, High School Transition Support Specialist, KTS
College Students with Diverse Abilities and their Parent
Expo Browsing Break 2
11:30 am - 11:55 am (Independence A)
Visit employer booths and make connections—shop products and services from great disabled-led businesses.
Build Your Own Door: Entrepreneurship for Every Ability
12:00-12:45 pm (Independence A, Main Stage)
Two disability-led business founders—Victor Wear and 2Gether-International’s Diego Mariscal—share how entrepreneurship can turn workplace barriers into opportunity. In a candid fireside chat, they’ll cover why starting small is powerful, what resources (like 2GI) are available, and the mindset that helps you move from curiosity to first customer. You’ll leave with one tiny step to try this week and resources to back you.
Speakers
Diego Mariscal , Founder, CEO & Chief Disabled Officer, 2Gether International
Tiffany Hamilton, Co-Founder & CEO, Victor Wear LLC
Inclusive Hiring Practices for Autistic Talent
12:00-12:45 pm (Conference Theater, Ballroom Level)
Get practical, proven tactics to recruit, onboard, and advance neurodiverse talent. Walk away with tools you can use Monday: accessible role design, bias-resistant interviews, smooth accommodations, and manager habits that boost retention, performance, and pride.
Speakers
Kristen Essex, Executive Director, Organization for Autism Research
Ben VanHook, Community Support Coordinator, Organization for Autism Research
Flip the Script: A Celebration of Talent, Dignity & Possibility
12:50-1:10 pm (Independence A, Main Stage)
Take a breath and join us for a powerful reset that flips old disability narratives on their head. In this 20-minute inspiration break, you’ll hear Katy Schnitger’s (Brain Injury Services) story of turning a life-changing challenge into purpose, feel possibility through a live violin performance by Victor Wear ambassador Aidyn Ellis-Otovo, glimpse creative strength via a quick game teaser from Isaiah Hamilton, and get practical self-care wisdom for parents from coach Lynnette Baxter. Walk away with one clear idea: talent is everywhere—and dignity, access, and employment should be too. Leave inspired, then take the next step: from inspired to hired.
Speakers
Tiffany and Isaiah Hamilton, Co-Founders, Victor Wear LLC
Lynnette Baxter, CEO, Baxter Coaching Services
Katy Schnitger, Manager of Marketing, Development & Advocacy, Brain Injury Services
Aidyn Ellis-Otovo, Violinist, Student, DC International School
Expo Browsing Break 3
1:10 pm - 1:25 pm (Independence A)
Visit employer booths and make connections—shop products and services from great disabled-led businesses.
Train Today, Work Tomorrow: Melwood’s Services that Support the Whole Journey from Job Training to Placement
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm (Independence A, Main Stage)
This session explores innovative programs that create seamless pathways to employment for individuals with diverse needs. Through personal testimonials, discover how Melwood's workforce development approach, abilIT training program, and the Building Paths career development framework create sustainable employment outcomes. Our presenters will share real-world experiences and discuss how integrated workforce models address the full spectrum of participant needs—from foundational skills to ongoing career advancement.
Speakers:
Larysa Kautz, CEO, Melwood Inc.
Nathan Gumowskyj, Melwood Inc.
Cesar Almonte-Alvarez, Jr., Melwood Inc.
Independence in Your Pocket: The Arc of NOVA’s Tech for Independent Living
1:30-2:00 pm (Conference Theater, Ballroom Level)
Discover how The Arc of Northern Virginia’s Tech for Independent Living program puts personalized coaching in your pocket with Arc2Independence—an app offering 300+ customizable lessons across transportation, daily living, employment, and safety. Learn how free, virtual, one-to-one support and provider memberships help people with IDD (and the organizations that serve them) build skills, practice routines, and thrive in the community.
Speakers
Ashley Africa-Osborne, Program Manager, ARC of NOVA
Ryan McNulty, Program Specialist, ARC of NOVA
Expo Browsing Break 4
2:00 pm - 2:20 pm (Independence A)
Visit employer booths and make connections—shop products and services from great disabled-led businesses.
Wear Your Victory: The Victor Wear Runway Story
2:20 pm - 2:45 pm (Independence A, Main Stage)
Step into a 25-minute, high-energy fashion show and live storytelling experience with mother-son founders Tiffany and Isaiah Hamilton, where bold designs meet real talk about resilience, acceptance, and inclusive employment. Watch signature looks come to life—from the VW Flame to “Be All In, Go All Out”—as they share how Victor Wear is building an annual Expo that will scale across the U.S. Join the movement: follow @victorwearco, shop victorwear.com, and help spread the word so every ability is seen,
hired, and victorious.
Speakers
Tiffany & Isaiah Hamilton, Co-Founders, Victor Wear LLC
Models with Diverse Abilities
Keynote Speech by Temple Grandin: Great Minds Are Not All the Same
2:50 pm - 3:40 pm (Independence A, Main Stage)
There are three basic ways that people think differently when solving problems. They are photo realistic, visual thinking like me, pattern mathematical, which is the way most engineers think and word verbal thinking. When projects are being designed, people with different ways of thinking have complementary skills.
Temple Grandin draws from her own experience with autism spectrum disorders and her professional career. She speaks on how to nurture and turn talents and special interests into paid work, jobs that are particularly suited to individuals on the autism spectrum, and those with other disabilities, and much more. She provides first-hand accounts of job experiences and advice from individuals representing a broad range of careers particularly suited for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Speakers: Dr. Temple Grandin
Book Signing with Temple Grandin
(Independence A)
Meet the world-renowned autism activist, author, and animal welfare and behavior expert, right after her keynote. Purchase one of Temple Grandin’s books on-site and get it personally signed. Don’t miss this chance for a quick hello, plus a keepsake that will inspire you long after the Expo.
Expo Browsing Break 5
4:10 pm - 4:30 pm (Independence A)
Visit employer booths and make connections—shop products and services from great disabled-led businesses.
That’s a Wrap!
4:30-4:45 (Independence A, Main Stage)
We’ll close out the day with words of gratitude to all sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, volunteers and YOU, our fabulous guests, for supporting our inaugural Expo. We look
forward to seeing you next year.
Speakers
Victor Wear & Sponsors
**Schedule may be subject to change.
More to Explore
Don’t miss these fun activities throughout the day.
Expo Passport Raffle
Explore 5–6 exhibitor booths AND follow @victorwearco on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn to enter our on-stage raffle during Temple’s intro. Win a Victor Wear prize bundle signed by Temple Grandin—fuel your wardrobe and the mission.
#DifferentButNotLess Wall
Add your voice to our giant community wall: write what “Different But Not Less” means to you, then snap a pic and share it. Your words—and our Victor Wear branding—turn this into a living mural of acceptance.
Sensory Room (Available 10am – 5 pm)
Need a reset? Slip into our low-light, quiet Sensory Room stocked with calming tools and friendly volunteers—perfect for decompressing between sessions. Step out refreshed, regulated, and ready to enjoy the day.
Victory Photo Booth
Capture your victory in an immersive 3D photo moment—strike a pose, grab a friend, and make it pop. Share and tag @victorwearco + #DifferentButNotLess to show the world what inclusion looks like.