Alycia Anderson welcomes Peri Finkelstein: Emmy-winning marketing consultant, keynote speaker, recent TEDx speaker, marathon participant, and founder/CEO of the Team Peri Foundation. Peri explains how assistive communication evolved from Proloquo4Text to 11 Labs AI voice technology, helping her be understood on podcasts and stages despite bias and past bullying. She shares growing up with nemaline rod myopathy, navigating surgeries, pain, fatigue, and a nontraditional childhood, and credits her mom as her primary support and collaborator. Peri describes how her May 2025 TEDx talk sparked a new commitment to vulnerable storytelling through Substack and a memoir. She also details the foundation’s scholarship and Peri Project, which provides caregiver kits in pediatric ICUs and plans hospital expansion through 2026. She closes with motivation to embrace differences, find what you love, and create your own path.

The Entrepreneurial Throughline

🎤 From Communication Device to TEDx Stage

💪 Growing Up with Muscular Dystrophy

🌟 Disability Doesn’t Define What You’re Capable Of

🤝 The Strength of Support Systems

🚶‍♀️ Stepping Out of Line: A Movement for Change

🏆 Achieving Milestones and Making a Difference

💬 “My Story Was Bigger Than Just Me”

🧠 Navigating Invisible Challenges

🚫 Dismantling Ableism & Ending Caregiver Burnout

✨ A Message of Empowerment and Authenticity

🗝️ Your Differences Are Your Secret Weapon

📏 Stop Shrinking Yourself

Quotes from Peri

“ Your differences are your secret weapon.” ~ Peri Finkelstein

“ You have to find something that you love enough to make all of the noise fade into the background.” ~ Peri Finkelstein

Timecoded Table of Contents

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:25 Meet Peri Finkelstein

01:59 AI Voice Technology

07:39 Growing Up Disabled

12:10 Support Systems

15:53 Finding Her Voice

20:45 Step Out of Line

23:35 Million Dollar Impact

26:23 Marathon Mindset

30:06 Building a Nonprofit

33:12 Peri Project Mission

35:36 Behind the Scenes

38:47 Pushing Forward Message

41:23 Closing Thanks

Connect with Peri Finkelstein

Peri’s Website | Peri’s LinkedIn | Peri’s Instagram | Peri’s YouTube | Peri’s TikTok | Peri’s X | Peri’s Facebook | Peri’s Substack | Team Peri’s Instagram | Team Peri’s LinkedIn

Follow Up with Alycia

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