Intro: 00:00  

Welcome to the Heard & Empowered podcast presented by National Industries for the Blind. We’re on a mission to empower people who are blind, low vision, or visually impaired to build fulfilling careers, gain personal independence, and take the next step toward achieving their own American dream. Guests from all walks of life share their journeys and how they overcame challenges they faced along the way. Whatever your interests, experience, talents, or career goals, listen to discover important connections and unlock the resources and inspiration you need to chart a new path. Ready to be heard and empowered?

Dean Thompson: 00:35  

Welcome to the Heard & Empowered podcast. I’m your host, Dean Thompson, and thank you for listening to the podcast. And as always, I’d like to ask you to do one favor before you start, find somebody else who might want to listen and get something from this. If you think it’s worthwhile, find somebody you think it’s worthwhile for and pass it on, please. Okay, now today I’m joined by Kevin Webb.

And Kevin is a man with multiple titles, which he pointed out to as we talked about before we started the podcast. So, Kevin, would you tell us all exactly who you are, where you’re from, and what you do real quickly, please?

Kevin Webb: 01:03  

Absolutely. Well, it’s a pleasure to be on Dean. Appreciate it. And I am Kevin Webb. I’m the head of sustainability and social impact for Mitsubishi Electric in the Americas region, and I have the pleasure of serving as executive director of Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, which is our corporate philanthropic arm.

We’re celebrating our 35th anniversary this year, and just really honored to be on the show to talk about how our foundation is working to empower young people with disabilities.

Dean Thompson: 01:33  

And we’re so honored to have you here and so happy that you support us. And you’re so happy you’re involved. How do you become a director of sustainability? How’d that come to pass in your life?

Kevin Webb: 01:43  

Oh, it’s a windy road, I guess so, yeah, I went to the Ohio State University a couple of times, actually had a background in international relations and then public Like administration and public administration, was always interested in sustainable economic development, sustainability issues, natural resources management. And but I got into the world of nonprofit management and worked in, again, international relations, really doing dealing with cross issues in public policy, working with US State Department exchange programs. And then I found my way to Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, or as our friends call us, MIF. And, you know, as as a foundation, I was really intrigued by the idea of how corporate philanthropy can support support missions. So I worked for the foundation for a number of years, and then about three years ago, our company really started focusing on sustainability, both environmental sustainability but also social sustainability.

So as a company, we’re really looking at ways we can create a more sustainable society through our, our products and our solutions. And then it’s really built on this, this foundation of our foundation that’s been operating for 35 years of thinking about accessibility and inclusion in society. And so that’s integrated into our our corporate values, our corporate mission. And, and what we do as a, as a foundation through our philanthropy.

Dean Thompson: 03:25  

Social sustainability is such an interesting phrase. Can you expand upon that a bit for me?

Kevin Webb: 03:29  

Yeah. Happy to. So of course, you know, many people relate sustainability to the environment and they should. But of course we want a sustainable environment to help people right, to create a future for all. And so our companies really identified these five challenge areas.

So carbon neutrality circular economy that we all know and love but also safety and security and inclusion and wellbeing, and what it takes to really create sustainable communities and sustainable, sustainable living. As we embark on our new digital age and really think about how we can and create a smart, inclusive society that is environmentally sustainable as well. So that’s kind of Mitsubishi Electric philosophy.

Dean Thompson: 04:18  

You have been funding you with the foundation, funding NSITE on and off for the last 4 or 5 years. What brought you to notice NSITE’s goals and what brought you to support them?

Kevin Webb: 04:29  

Yeah, so yeah, we’re very proud to support NSITE and its efforts to provide training to blind and visually impaired individuals. Again, our foundation’s been focused on empowering young people with disabilities for 35 years. And in the past 15 years, we’ve really focused on the idea of, You know, helping young people transition to the competitive workforce. So in general, we have an initiative called Access to Careers and Technology in the trades. So we really are focusing on technology careers, careers in manufacturing careers in, in the larger trades because there is that gap in those industries that need to be filled as baby boomers retire and, and there’s really nobody following.

Right. So I was at a conference last week for the Association of Career and Technical Education. And CTE is really focused on really making sure there’s opportunities for all segments of society to participate in career tech learning, get jobs in those fields because there is such a need and a demand. And we think about changes in technology, making sure that we’re really utilizing all the talent that’s available. So when we learned about NSITE, I knew Jonathan Lucas from a previous life, the executive director of NSITE.

And but when he approached us with this idea of really providing credentials and training for blind, visually impaired individuals to to get jobs, get certifications, work as Cisco network administrators, it was really intriguing for us because the idea of making sure that people have the experience, the experience, the training and on the job opportunities to really go into career field. So as a board, we’re always looking for job outcomes and NSITE was fitting the bill.

Dean Thompson: 06:35  

So warning I’m going to use your acronym here. How do you have skills and NSITE’s goals mesh or do they at this point.

Kevin Webb: 06:45  

You say how do MIF and NSITE’s Goals mesh. Yeah yeah. Yeah. So. They mesh incredibly well.

So we, we take this approach of, of making sure the young people that are engaged in programs, we say young people, we, we go through college age. And so that people are prepared for jobs in the workforce, making sure they have both the technical expertise that they’re working toward, but also soft skills to do job interviews and participate in the workplace. And and then think about how do you get candidates in front of employers, and then how do you make sure that employers are receptive, you know, so make sure that there’s employers are prepared for an inclusive workforce, that they have accommodations in place, accessibility in place, and are aware of how, again, how to best use the talents of employees coming in and NSITE does all those things. So that’s it really meshes very well because it’s again, it’s not just AA1 and done training program, but it’s a training program that leads to certifications and then with their career connect activities, you know, engaging employers, providing training to employers and posting job opportunities for them. You know, that’s to us that’s kind of the ideal, right?

Making sure that there’s both the supply and the demand of employees available who are trained and employers who are open to those candidates.

Dean Thompson: 08:25  

So it boils right down to trying to get somebody a good job. How important is the IT component, especially the fact that that NSITE works with folks like Cisco to, to help people become more accessible, more available. How important is that to you guys at the foundation?

Kevin Webb: 08:42  

Yeah. You know, again, it fits right in with our initiative helping people access technology. And the reason for that is, you know, really thinking about where the world is headed, right? It’s I mentioned earlier the. You know, the digitization, digitization.

I can’t say that digitization of everything. And you think about. AI coming in. Right. Wanting to make sure that our cybersecurity systems are safe.

That’s important for Mitsubishi Electric as a company. It’s important for all companies. It’s important for society. It’s important for individuals for their privacy. So the idea that, you know, NSITE is really focused on IT training.

And again, that that Cisco certified networking credential is we just there’s a need for that. Right. Making sure there’s enough employees who have that certification. So it fits right in with what society needs at this moment especially. So the fact that NSITE’s working with people to make sure they have basic IT skills.

Certified in that working their way up to network administrators and beyond and working with those recognized credentials is incredibly important. And one of the things that I, I particularly admired about what NSITE did was in putting this program together, you know, and when the program first started, you know, they were doing the training, but you had to go get credentialed, you had to go do the test. And of course, the testing centers, you it was I think they were still pen and paper and, you know, line of visually impaired people trying to take a Cisco certified networking administrator course. And it may have been I’m not positive, but the point is it wasn’t accessible. So NSITE really worked with Pearson VUE to get themselves to be a Pearson VUE testing center so they could provide appropriate accommodations for somebody who’s blind or visually impaired, because there are accessibility features that are offered that a blind or visually impaired person can do that job.

And I thought that was just recognizing what the challenge was. And it was an artificial barrier, right. So NSITE really worked to knock that barrier down. And I think that, you know, of, of all the, of all the things we could do, I think that was one of the most important things NSITE did was making sure that we’re taking down that barrier to provide, you know, level playing field for for training so people can get that credential and go on and get jobs because there’s a need for it, for sure. So.

Dean Thompson: 11:29  

So much wonderful common sense. It’s very nice. Thank you. So it is Mitsubishi Electric America’s Foundation. So how important is a broad reach?

How a nationwide or continental wide reach to you folks is important to talk to people every place. Get people involved.

Kevin Webb: 11:45  

Yeah, so? So Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation is a national funder in the United States. We actually represent eight different US based companies that make up part of the Mitsubishi Electric Group. So national reach for us is imperative. You know, we want to make sure that we’re reaching communities where our employees live and work, where our business is doing business, and more importantly, just making sure that people throughout the country have access to opportunities.

So the fact that NSITE is working in, in 45 states currently is, you know, very impressive to us. They’ve been able to expand that reach.

Dean Thompson: 12:27  

Let’s talk about the people aspect for a moment. How important is it? Is it to you and how have you seen programs such as NSITE affect young people, affect them as they begin careers. Tell me a bit about can you.

Kevin Webb: 12:40  

Yeah. You know, it. It all really does. I when I was talking about me from the very beginning and Mitsubishi Electric at large again, it’s all about community, right. Make creating greater community.

And it really does come down to the individual. You know, it’s we we stand up at the end of the year and say, oh, our program served 4000 people this year and that type of thing. But to me personally and everything else, it’s the individual, right? Our mission at the foundation is empowering young people with disabilities. We want an empowered person, a person who can has agency and can take charge of their own, their own, their own career path.

We’re not just interested in, you know, a job. We’re interested in preparing young people to lead into a career. So I know I’ve had the, you know, over the years I’ve watched several of the people that have gone through NSITE’s trainings and their video podcasts and so forth. And, you know, talking about just being able to get that credential going out and getting their first job. That’s so important.

And I’m going to go back to an example from several years ago we did a many years ago. We won’t say how many years, but maybe 20. But we did a a a youth summit. We brought together youth with and without disabilities. So this is before NSITE.

But they were 14 to 18 years old and their charge was there was a documentary film called Including Samuel that was out there. And how do you use this film to help share it with other youth to learn about inclusion? And we brought these young people together and one of the young women on the team. She had cerebral palsy and she was 14 years old. But she was very active, very engaged.

And in 36 hours, these 20 young people put together two public service announcements, created a campaign that was actually used and put it out there. And the reason why I bring her name was Tia. The reason why I bring Tia up is again, she was 14, cerebral palsy. She latched onto this campaign, used it, but she’s now an adult and she’s working in the IT sector. She got her.

She worked for Microsoft for a while now, working for another company as a technical consultant. And she’s married. She has, you know, has a house. But that’s what it’s all about, right? Helping a young person like Tia get that experience, get that exposure, get that those opportunities to get those credentials, go out and get a job.

That’s what NSITE does through their IT training. And so, you know, we like to see big numbers of people going out and getting jobs. But at the end of the day, it’s that one person getting that one job going on building their career and living independent lives that were, that were all about. So that’s why we believe in supporting NSITE and, and all of our grant projects to to help those young people be empowered and go out and get jobs.

Dean Thompson: 15:58  

It’s the confidence and dignity that a job under here brings to somebody. It’s amazing. Good for you. How does it make you feel as as a person, as an executive, somebody who works there to to know you do that? Seriously, I’m not just trying to suck up to you, but I want to know how you feel about that.

Seriously.

Kevin Webb: 16:14  

I feel great about it. So, you know, I always say I used to run a nonprofit. Of course, the foundation is a nonprofit, but now I kind of just sit in the background and read proposals and write checks and read reports. So I kind of live vicariously through our grantees and those personal stories really are what keeps me going every day. But my colleague Tara and I, you know, we.

Engage with our grantees and see those outcomes and see what people are doing to create more accessible workplaces and, and job opportunities and filling that tech talent gap. It motivates us to build those collaborations and bring people together because we know that we’re affecting young people’s lives. And that’s what, at the end of the day, it’s all about for me. You know, when I grew up, my aunts had an intellectual disability and my grandfather was very involved in, in, in her life. And that’s really kind of what, what comes back to me because we were always very included.

She lives independently. She had her own job and that. See, my grandfather worked with her and watching her have a 30 year career is what made me want to work for the foundation and do the same thing. So yeah, I love to hear a young person’s story about how they broke through those barriers and, and went on to lead a productive life. That’s what that’s what it’s all about for me.

Dean Thompson: 17:55  

Kevin, again, thank you so very much for being on the podcast, for your time and for your support of NSITE and programs like this. Overall, I appreciate you being here. If others like you or are listening to the podcast and want to get a hold of you, is there a way they can reach out to talk to you?

Kevin Webb: 18:09  

Yeah, well, it’s been a great pleasure to be here and to get a hold of us. So first of all, you can learn more about the foundation on our website at meaf.org. That’s Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, meaf.org and check out what we’re doing there. And then LinkedIn is a we’re we’re we post quite often on there.

You can find us there. Find me there as well Kevin Webb on LinkedIn. And yeah happy to connect and think about how we can work together and collaborate for the future to help empower young people with disabilities, because we’re very excited about that. And it’s, again, been a great pleasure to be here to talk about NSITE, the great work they’re doing. And, you know, think about how we can continue to empower young people with disabilities.

Appreciate it. Dean, thanks.

Dean Thompson: 18:57  

Yeah, thanks so much for your time and take care.

Outro: 18:59  

Thank you for listening to the Heard & Empowered podcast. Please make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. For more information, visit heardandempowered.org. That’s heardandempowered.org. Join us again next time.