Our Vision
The National Center for Disability Entrepreneurship (NCDE) at The Viscardi Center is a strategic pathway to combat the many barriers which lead to widespread unemployment and underemployment within the disability community. View our infographic on Employment and the Disability Community. NCDE through its world-class program modules, trainers, and mentors, as well as a deep and unique understanding of people with disabilities, is an extraordinary resource that educates, transforms and empowers its members to achieve self-employment success. View our NCDE program infographic and watch this brief video about our program. To see the program live and in action, Save Your Seat for NCDE’s Annual PitchFest Competition, Friday, November 19!
The Viscardi Center
Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who wore prosthetic legs and possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, served as a disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents and became one of the world’s leading advocates, The Viscardi Center established the NCDE as an extension of its mission to educate, employ and empower people with disabilities. Learn more about Dr. Viscardi, an entrepreneur himself, and the origin of The Viscardi Center.
This important effort builds upon the employment-related services for youth and adults with a wide variety of disabilities offered by The Viscardi Center . The Viscardi Center also assists businesses in diversifying their workforces and developing and advancing inclusive cultures in their workplaces on a national level. The Viscardi Center is a powerful, renowned hub of services, expertise and connections to support the NCDE and the next generation of entrepreneurs with disabilities.
The NCDE Team
The NCDE Team is comprised of members of the Executive Management Team of The Viscardi Center, an Entrepreneur in Residence, a Managing Executive Director and an E-Advisory Council.
NCDE Team
- Sheryl P. Buchel, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
- Victoria Rodriguez Minowitz, Managing Executive Director, NCDE
NCDE E-Advisory Council
- Erica Chase, Regional Director, Small Business Development Center
- Amy Marks Dornbusch, General Partner, Willowtree Venture Fund LP
- Greg Galdi, Founder & CEO, Custom Computer Specialists
- Michael Gibbons, Expert Advisor & Angel Investor
- Carmen Daniel Jones, President & CEO, Solutions Marketing Group
- Jay Goldberg, Proprietor, Bergino Baseball Clubhouse
- Sharon Goldsmith, Senior Associate Dean for the Center of Entrepreneurship, HOFSTRA University
- Robert Hussey, Co-Founder, Sterilux LLC
- Emily Ladau, Founder & Owner “Words I Wheel By”; Writer, Disability Advocate, Communications Consultant
- John Pellitteri, Partner, Grassi & Co.
- Phil Rugile, Innovation Consultant
- Michael Zacchea, Director and Founder, UConn’s Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans