Unified At Work

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's  Unified at Work Series Season 7, Episode 4, Host Daniel Smrokowski sits down with Jimi Allen, founder of TalkLab and agency owner of Bureau Gravity, for a conversation rooted in connection, creativity, and inclusion. Jimi shares the story of how he became a longtime listener and follower of Special Chronicles, how he and Daniel first connected,...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast’s Unified at Work Series Season 7, Episode 3, Daniel Smrokowski sits down with Joanne Starkman, co‑founder of Innersense Organic Beauty, and her daughter Morgan Starkman, the company’s beloved Director of Joy. This heart‑centered conversation explores how Innersense is raising clean hair care to a higher standard through ingredient integrity, respo...

On this Season 7, Episode 2 of Unified at Work: a Special Chronicles Podcast Series, we feature a re‑released excerpt from our 2025 conversation with Bill Dwyer, CEO of Helping Hand, joining host Daniel Smrokowski to discuss the future of meaningful employment for people with intellectual disabilities. Together, they explore how High School Transition pathways, inclusive work initiatives, and incl...

In this special crossover episode of Special Chronicles’ Unified at Work Series and Mental Health Series, host Daniel Smrokowski welcomes fellow United Airlines employees Melinda Riddle and Donna Paggi for a powerful conversation about grief, resilience, mental health advocacy, and hope. Melinda Riddle, Assistant Manager of Inflight, co-founder of UMatter, and volunteer with the American &#8...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9MDrXgExe4  Join host Daniel Smrokowski LIVE From United Airlines headquarters as he sits down with David Kinzelman — Chief Customer Officer & Senior VP of Airport Operations at United — for an inspiring conversation during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). They explore how United’s SOSA program and its broader accessibility initiativ...

On this all-new episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S6:Pt9: Host Daniel Smrokowski welcomes back Emmy Award-winning journalist, consultant, podcaster, and Special Olympics Illinois Board Member Rob Johnson. Rob joins us to talk about his brand-new book, Overcommunicate: A Guide for Business Executives and Aspiring Leaders. Most leaders confuse saying something with b...

In this compelling episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S6:Pt8—originally aired on Disability Beat Radio on WEFT 90.1 FM in Champaign, IL—host Vicki Niswander sits down with Nicholas Wyman, President of IWSI America, to unpack their groundbreaking 2023 report that’s reshaping how we think about workforce inclusion. 🎙️ Discover why embracing disability inclusion isn’t...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast, host Daniel Smrokowski celebrates International Podcast Day with the 800th Episode of this podcast! We share an ALL NEW speech he recently gave to the regional marketing staff of Special Olympics about his lessons as a Podcasting Legend within the Special Olympics Movement. Then, Daniel transitions into an encore conversation with fellow Special O...

In this all-new Unified at Work Series episode, host Daniel Smrokowski sits down with Nefertiti “Neffie” S. Fisher, HR Operations Assistant Manager at United Airlines and ORD Bridge Disability BRG Director, to talk about The Arc’s Wings for All® event hosted at Chicago O’Hare on August 16, 2025. Neffie shares highlights from the day, powerful behind-the-scenes stories, and the heartwarming moment...

In this heartwarming episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast, host Daniel Smrokowski is joined by United Airlines Captain Tait Wasser to reflect on the powerful impact of The Arc’s Wings for All event held on August 16, 2025, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Captain Tait shares what it was like to participate in this inclusive airport rehearsal program designed for individuals with...

✈️ In this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast’s Unified at Work Series, host Daniel Smrokowski welcomes Samantha Alloway, Executive Director of The Arc of Illinois, for an inspiring conversation about the Wings for All program. Recorded following the August 16, 2025 Wings for All event at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in partnership with United Airlines’ Bridge Disability Busin...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast Series: “A Recap of Turin 2025,” Daniel Smrokowski sits down with Carly Pietrzak, Chief of Staff at Bridge Business Resource Group, and John Kloosterman, Vice President of Bridge BRG at United Airlines. Together, they reflect on their powerful experience at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025and the impact of United Airlines’ ongoing...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S6:Pt2: Paul White, CEO of Hidden Disabilities Sunflower sits down with Award-winning Podcaster Daniel Smrokowski for a thorough understanding of the Sunflower initiative, its importance for people with hidden disabilities, and tune in to the final segment for an exciting new development of the Sunflower Extra Cards! Creati...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Presents Unified at Work Series S6:Pt 1: Amanda Spies from Special Olympics Illinois joins us for a presentation to Ingredion. Join us for an inspiring episode with Daniel Smrokowski, a pioneering advocate and original Special Olympics Service Ambassador at United Airlines. Host of the award winning podcast Special Chronicles, with over 750 episodes, and r...

This Week on the Special Chronicles Podcast: We are so excited to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October with the Season 5 Finale of our popular Unified at Work Series, celebrating the 5 Year Workiversary of United Airlines’ Special Olympics Service Ambassador (SOSA) Program. Join Award-winning Podcast Host and ORD SOSA Daniel Smrokowski as he recounts the Origin Story...

This Week on the Special Chronicles Podcast’s  Unified at Work Series S5:P10: We're On The Job with IAD Service Ambassador Sophia Gheblawi sits down with ORD Service Ambassador and Award-winning Podcaster Daniel Smrokowski for an engaging conversation about: Becoming a Special Olympics Virginia Athlete, Journey Coming to United Airlines, and we hear about her first year of inclusive employment as...

This Week on the Special Chronicles Podcast’s  Unified at Work Series S5:P8: We're On The Job with IAD Service Ambassador John Gionfriddo sits down with ORD Service Ambassador and Award-winning Podcaster Daniel Smrokowski for an engaging conversation about: Becoming a Special Olympics Virginia Athlete, Journey Coming to United Airlines, and we hear about his first year of inclusive employment as a...

This Week on the Special Chronicles Podcast’s  Unified at Work Series S5:P8: We're On The Job with IAD Service Ambassador John Gionfriddo sits down with ORD Service Ambassador and Award-winning Podcaster Daniel Smrokowski for an engaging conversation about: Becoming a Special Olympics Virginia Athlete, Journey Coming to United Airlines, and we hear about his first year of inclusive employment as a...

This Week on the Special Chronicles Podcast’s  Unified at Work Series S5:Pt7: We're On The Job with IAD Service Ambassador Margaret Goodman sits down with ORD Service Ambassador and Award-winning Podcaster Daniel Smrokowski for an engaging conversation about: Becoming a Special Olympics Virginia Athlete, Journey Coming to United Airlines, and we hear about her first year of inclusive employment as...

On this special solo episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast’s  Unified at Work Series S5:Pt6: ORD Service Ambassador and Award-winning Podcaster Daniel Smrokowski recaps the 2024 SOSA Summit, where last week United Airlines' 18 Service Ambassadors (SOSAs) traveled to ORD for a day of networking and professional development. United’s Airport Operations SVP kicks off the summit, followed with a s...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast’s  Unified at Work Series S5:Pt5: ORD Service Ambassador Daniel Smrokowski also doubles as the host of this award-winning podcast "Special Chronicles." This week, he sat down with United Airlines Chief Customer Officer & EVP Linda Jojo to chat about inclusive service, first-ever accessibility showcase, how United’s Service Ambassadors benefit...

https://www.youtube.com/live/UWElttSN-o4?si=YEKr3whEAFz-FqX8 On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's  Unified at Work Series S5:Pt4: Special Olympics Illinois Athlete Leader Bella Kurash and her mom Christine sit down with Sargent Shriver Global Messenger Alum and Award-winning Podcast Host Daniel Smrokowski for a cheerful conversation about the Stepping Stones to Inclusive E...

https://youtu.be/Hmh33c3XMgo?si=XC1ZmlT4LqFbJ5qX On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S5:Pt3: In celebration of the 8 Year Anniversary of Bitty & Beau's Coffee and with our recent visit a month ago to their Savannah location, we are celebrating a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop where people with intellectual and developmental …...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S5:Pt2: John and Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks sit down with Award-winning Podcast Host Daniel Smrokowski for a candid and honest conversation about their father & son business, spreading happiness through socks, Supporting Special Olympics, The Spreading Happiness Podcast, and we dive … Continue...

On this episode of the Special Chronicles Podcast's Unified at Work Series S5:Pt1: Shannon Maher, Manger of NextGen Leader Initiatives at Disability:IN sits down with Award-winning Podcast Host Daniel Smrokowski for a candid conversation about Disability:IN's NextGen Leadership Program and how students with disabilities are connected with Fortune 100 companies! New episodes drop every Mo...