Can you tell us about the work you do through the Team Peri Foundation?
The Team Peri Foundation strives to make our world a more connected and inclusive place for all. Our mission is to educate others on the power of inclusion, disrupt the stereotypical views revolving around disability, and encourage our ‘Step Out of Line’ movement. Launched in September 2023, our first project was to reach our $1,000,000 fundraising goal (which we achieved and surpassed in January 2024) for the nonprofit organization Chai Lifeline. This feat was fifteen years in the making to give back to the nonprofit organization for all that they have done for my family.
Since that milestone, we launched the Julie Hait Adler Scholarship fund in April 2024 in partnership with Adelphi University, my alma mater. The scholarship was created in memory of Julie Hait Adler, a close family friend of Team Peri, with all of the funds being allocated to Adelphi’s Levermore Global Scholars program.
I also regularly speak to educate those in academia, the corporate world, and hospital physicians about the power of inclusion.
You are quite the prolific podcaster! Can you share more with us about your podcasting process and the goal of your show?
Since launching in 2020, the “Team Peri Step Out of Line” podcast has had over 107 guests including actors Alex Borstein and Mayim Bialik, author David Simon, a number of people from the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, and more. My mom and I host the podcast together, and we like to say that each episode is simply a conversation between friends.
In the beginning, when I spoke to my mom about how I wanted to have a podcast with her, we were both wondering whether or not our guests would be able to understand my speaking voice and how I would be able to participate on a podcast. Having that self-doubt at the jump only lit a fire in me, so I taught myself how to produce and edit, as well as to clarify the sound of my voice in podcast episodes so that it can be heard.
The main question that we ask every guest is how they have stepped out of line, whether it be personally or professionally. Throughout our podcasting journey, we’ve each learned something new from every single one of our guests, which in turn, we carry into our own lives. We aim to create authentic conversations that pull at your
heartstrings, all while educating and inspiring our listeners and community. Four years later, we have found our voices and are shifting mindsets and creating change through this podcast.
What advice do you have for disabled people who want to start their own nonprofit organization?
Follow your heart and your passions, and just go for it. Don’t listen to the naysayers and move past your preconceived notion of limitations. You should not allow your disability to be the totality of who you are as a person. Find a niche. In my case, I decided that I would do something extremely meaningful and important to me.
I would give the same advice to anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur, whether you have a disability or not. Having a disability should not be considered the main factor in the equation. You have to be able to work hard, not be afraid to seek advice and help from others in your network, and learn how to accept failure with grace and move on.
What disability rights issue is your biggest advocacy priority right now?
The answer is simple: the power of inclusion. Everyone deserves to be respected, accepted, and included, period. This is the essence of the Team Peri Foundation as our main pillar is to educate on a global scale and to advocate for change, all while stepping out of line.
Looking ahead, where do you see your journey taking you?
I see myself doing my first-ever TEDx talk. Throughout the next few years, I hope to further develop my speaking engagement endeavor by tapping into the corporate world, establishing more of a social media presence by sharing more of my life and journey, writing and publishing my book, and taking my podcast to new heights. My ultimate dream is to build my brand and make my mark on the world by rolling in and out of the lines.
To learn more about the Team Peri Foundation visit teamperi.org.