New Mobility writer Reveca Torres interviewed LiveEquipd founder Andre Johnson as part of her article on successful individuals with disabilities working in the tech industry. 

Johnson talks to Torres about how he discovered a need for a single multi-sided platform that connects people with disabilities to innovative products and assistive technology. He also describes his experience as a disabled student, and how having a paralysis disability impacted his career pursuits.

Johnson, who studied electronic engineering, states that after graduation he expected to pursue a traditional 9-5 job in his field, but he did not consider the challenges that this would present. As graduation neared, Johnson was invited to take part in Campus 1871, an annual weekend-long event sponsored by Chicago startup incubator 1871. The program is designed to simulate the process of launching a business from the ground up. Students are provided with extensive coaching and mentoring, and finally pitch their company in front of some of the city’s most innovative tech developers.

Johnson explains that the unique experience offered to him by 1871 positioned him to network and build the foundations for LiveEquipd.

The article by Torres, called Tech Jobs: the Future is Now, was featured in the April 2018 addition of New Mobility. It is available on the New Mobility website here: https://www.newmobility.com/2018/04/tech-jobs-disabled/

New Mobility began in 1989 as a quarterly magazine dedicated to connecting wheelchair users who wanted to lead active lives. In 1994, the company was purchased and the magazine switched to a monthly format. The publication was acquired by the United Spinal Association in 2010.

LiveEquipd is a multi-sided platform that empowers people with paralysis related disabilities and their support system to quickly and efficiently navigate the product landscape to find the innovative products and assistive technology they need. For more information, contact andre@liveequipd.com.