The Hidden Workforce

This week, we’re continuing our series of shows from the NABIS Live collaborative podcast series on Episode 228 of The Hidden Workforce! Let’s welcome back Dr. Johnny Lifshitz! In this episode, Dr. Lifshitz shares with us about a difficult yet important topic to address in the field of Brain Injury- Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence related Traumatic Brain Injury. “Jonathan Lifshitz, PhD, lea...

This week, we’re kicking off our first show from the NABIS Live collaborative podcast series on Episode 227 of The Hidden Workforce! Let’s welcome Dr. Johnny Lifshitz! In this episode, Dr. Lifshitz shares with us about the future of brain injury research, service delivery, and the new era of innovation in the field of brain injury research. “Dr. Johnny Lifshitz, PhD, has an extensive background in...

This week, we get to talk about a new series of shows we’ll be sharing on Episode 226 of The Hidden Workforce! Our show’s host, Lisa chats with co-host Maggie about the NABIS Live series. Back in March, our team traveled to Washington DC, invited by the North American Brain Injury Society collaborating with Craig Hospital to feature some of the world’s leading experts on Brain Injury research, tre...

This week we welcome another candidate, this one running for Oklahoma Attorney General in Episode 225 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Candidate, Nick Coffey! Nick shares with us about why he is running for office, his experiences that have shaped him to run for office such as being a former Federal Prosecutor under both President Trump’s 1st administration as well as former President Biden’s admi...

This week, we have a special education-filled show on Episode 224 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Sherri Coats, Director of Special Education Programs and Lori Chesnut, Secondary Transition Specialist from the Oklahoma State Department of Education Special Education Services! Sherri and Lori share all about the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Special Education Services- who they are, wha...

This week’s show is sure to give you a jolt of energy and joy on episode 223 of The Hidden Workforce! We’re welcoming back our friends, Mrs. Jenny Allen-Price and her Dragon Brew Crew to The Hidden Workforce! 🐉☕️ Dragon Brew is a student-led start-up business made possible through a generous grant from the Purcell Public Schools Foundation. This is part of their Transitions program led by Mrs. J...

This week, we have our show’s official nonprofit partner, Open Ears Open Opportunities on Episode 222 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome the Executive Director, as well as our show’s co-host and producer, Maggie Bond! “Open Ears Open Opportunities, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit offering a customized approach to giving people with disabilities a voice and skill-building opportunity through various disc...

This week, we have our show’s Title Sponsor, Rise Staffing on Episode 221 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome our Host as well as the founder, owner, and CEO of Rise Staffing, Lisa Toth! Lisa started Rise Staffing 22 years ago. She and her team have evolved the company to a multi-program Home and Community Based Provider Agency offering programs such as Residential Support Services, Vocational Servic...

This week we welcome another candidate, this one running for 2026 Oklahoma Congressional District 1 in Episode 220 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Candidate John Croisant! John shares with us about why he is running for office, his experiences that have shaped him to run for office, and with some questions inspired by the Developmental Disability Council of Oklahoma’s candidate questionnaire, we...

This week, we welcome 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate and current Oklahoma Attorney General, Gentner Drummond! Gentner joins us to share about his journey to running for Governor of the State of Oklahoma. With questions inspired by the Developmental Disability Council of Oklahoma’s candidate questionnaire, we explore specifically how Gentner will address helping and serving constituents of Oklahoma w...

This week, we have a resourceful show for the workforce and schools on Episode 218 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Natasha McDaniel and Hailey Sharp from the University of Oklahoma’s Pre-Employment Transition Services through the National Center for Disability Education and Training! OU Pre-ETS collaborates with schools and community employers/partners with both their school-year and summer progr...

At the end of last year, we shared a series of Oklahoma legislators who have been doing some amazing work advocating for people who live with disabilities at our Oklahoma State Capitol. This week, we’ll hear from an Oklahoma House Representative as we have a great open dialogue about inclusion for people who live with disabilities and build bridges with our legislators, so all sides of the aisle g...

This week, we have a show that is sure to feel like home especially if you’re deaf/blind on Episode 216 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Jeri Cooper from Jeri’s House! Jeri is the founder and Executive Director of Jeri’s House. Jeri’s House is an Oklahoma-based faith-based nonprofit organization that serves as a residential training facility for Deaf/Blind adults. They offer personalized, hands-on...

We have a special show that shows how hard parents will fight and how far they will go for their kids on Episode 215 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Jimmy and Julie Beard! Jimmy and Julie share with us the incredible story of their son Mason. When doctors said that Mason would never walk, talk, crawl, drive, graduate or work, Jimmy and Julie didn’t accept that diagnoses and dug deep to find answe...

We’re talking about some super STARS on Episode 214 of The Hidden Workforce! Tune in THIS weekend to hear all about Stars on Stage! BAPS’s Stars on Stage is an inclusive musical theater group that includes kids with and without disabilities who put on a full musical. This year, we’ll hear from father to a Stars on Stage Artist, Mickey Uphold! Mickey shares with us how Stars on Stage has impacted a...

We have a full circle show that is full of inclusion in the workforce on Episode 213 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome McDonalds Store Owner, Nicole Tansey! Nicole shares with us her full circle story of working her way up through the McDonalds workforce from an entry level position in high school, moving up and working there through college and graduate school, to making a career out of it and now...

We have a motivating show that is sure to inspire you to action on Episode 212 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome motivational speaker, certified life coach, entrepreneur, ironman athlete, and prominent Oklahoma and National self-advocate, Bryce Wooten! Bryce shares with us his story of becoming a certified life coach, how he has grown in his advocacy journey, how he became an ironman athlete, his e...

We have a myth-busting show for you on Episode 211 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Tammy Braddock! Tammy shares with us 6 myths people often believe about people with disabilities and her personal experience with disability. An exciting fact behind this episode is one of our show’s listeners and fans brought us the suggestion to feature Tammy on our show. They are a colleague of Tammy’s, and when...

We have a HAPPY and inclusive feature for you with our first show of 2026 on Episode 210 of The Hidden Workforce! Welcome Jan Pride, Executive Director of Happy Hands Education Center! Happy Hands Education Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is a Christian, non-profit, accredited school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, serving infants as young as six weeks through kindergarten. They al...

We’re excited to bring you The Hidden Workforce’s “A Year in Review 2025” for Episode 209! We’re counting down our top 6 most listened to, best shows of 2025! Our number 1 most listened to episode of 2025 was: Pathways Adult Learning Center! Followed by: No. 2 Speller Jake Wright on his segment about Spelling to Communicate and how it changed his life. No. 3 Elizabeth Vosseller, founder of Spellin...

🎄We have a special Holiday Edition on Episode 208 of The Hidden Workforce, “A Hidden Workforce Christmas!” 🎄 In this episode, co-host Maggie interviews members of The Hidden Workforce Community as they share their experiences and memories from Christmases throughout their lives and why this season means so much to them. Self-Advocate, Tyler Bond, also gives us insights on how we can make our cel...

We are continuing our series of interviews highlighting some of our Oklahoma State Legislators and the work, advocacy, policy collaboration, and/or learning they are doing for Oklahomans with disabilities! This week, we welcome current 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate and soon to be former District 85 Oklahoma House Representative, Cyndi Munson! Cyndi joins us to share her journey of running for Gover...

We are continuing our series of interviews highlighting some of our Oklahoma State Legislators and the work, advocacy, policy collaboration, and/or learning they are doing for Oklahomans with disabilities! This week, we welcome (newly former Representative) Forrest Bennett! Forrest Bennett represented Oklahoma State House District 92 for 9 years. He was intentional about bridging relationships and...

We are continuing our series of interviews highlighting some of our Oklahoma State Legislators and the work, advocacy, policy collaboration, and/or learning they are doing for Oklahomans with disabilities. This week, we welcome Representative Ellyn Hefner! Representative Hefner represents Oklahoma State House District 87. Her name may sound very familiar and that is because she was featured in the...

We are continuing our series of interviews highlighting some of our Oklahoma State Legislators and the work, advocacy, policy collaboration, and/or learning they are doing for Oklahomans with disabilities! This week, we welcome Representative Jacob Rosecrants! Representative Rosecrants represents Oklahoma State House District 46. He is intentional about fostering relationships and working across t...