Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & James Berges

Hosted by Mai Ling Chan & James Berges

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Episodes

193

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Learn from global disability-focused leaders about high profile topics and how they are truly making a difference. Mai Ling and James give you front row access to intimate conversations that are shaping the way the world is supporting people with disabilities. They share their intimate experiences— so you can start, grow, and expand your impact.

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60 recent

October 12, 2026Episode 19348 min

From Diagnosis to Dialogue: A New Perspective on Neurodiversity with Dr. Li-Rong Cheng

Today, Mai Ling welcomes renowned educator, researcher, and disability advocate Dr. Li-Rong "Lilly" Cheng back to the show for a thought-provoking conversation about neurodiversity, twice-exceptionality, and the ways culture shapes our understanding of disability. Drawing on her decades of international experience, Dr. Cheng discusses the importance of recognizing individual strengths, looking beyond diagnostic labels, and listening to the personal stories of those we serve. She and Mai Ling explore how cultural perspectives influence our perceptions of autism and other differences, why dialogue can be more valuable than diagnosis alone, and how professionals in the disability space can better understand and support the people they work with. Dr. Cheng also shares insights on embracing our own unique abilities, challenging long-held beliefs, and creating a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

September 29, 2026Episode 19234 min

Let AI Do the Boring Work so SLPs Can Be More Human with Izzy Montano

Today, James sits down with speech-language pathologist, Navy veteran, and entrepreneur Izzy Montano to talk about the possibilities and limitations of AI in the disability space. Izzy shares how his own frustrations with the repetitive tasks of clinical work led him to create SLPTools.ai, a collection of AI-powered tools designed to help SLPs spend less time on paperwork and more time connecting with the people they serve. He and James discuss where AI excels, why human judgment remains essential, and what entrepreneurs should keep in mind when using emerging technology to solve real-world problems. Izzy also shares lessons from his entrepreneurial journey, including the importance of developing new skills and having the tenacity to stick with an idea through the inevitable challenges along the way.

August 3, 2026Episode 19146 min

Launching Iluria: Looking in on the Early Stages of a Startup with Hagay Levy

Startup founder and father to four children with ADHD/ADD, Hagay Levy joins the show today to share his entrepreneurial journey thus far. As a man who also has ADHD himself, he knows much about the unique needs of folks in that community, of which our host, Mai Ling Chan, is also a member. Hagay speaks with Mai Ling about his quest to start Iluria, a new tool for measuring the efficacy of medication for people with ADHD/ADD. They talk about identifying the problem, building a solution to the problem, some of the challenges along the way, what's been accomplished thus far, and where Iluria is headed next.

July 6, 2026Episode 19035 min

Play From Your Heart: Advocacy On and Off the Field with Scott Martin

Today, James sits down for a timely conversation with celebrated soccer coach Scott Martin. In addition to a decades-long career in, and advocacy for, the game of soccer, Scott has also worked as an advocate for the disability community. He shares with James the story of his experience with disability as an amputee, his love of soccer, and how he pushed through the challenges in life to pursue his dreams. You don't want to miss this conversation, especially if you're a soccer fan. You can read more about his story in his book, Play From Your Heart .

June 1, 2026Episode 18950 min

The $18 Trillion Market VCs Keep Ignoring with Rich and Brittany Palmer

Today, Mai Ling sits down for an in-depth discussion about how to get outside investment for your disability-focused ventures with husband-and-wife entrepreneur team, Rich and Brittany Palmer. Leaning into their previous experiences with the startup world and the disability community, they founded Adaptation Ventures, a pioneering pre-seed fund and investor community dedicated to fueling tech innovation in disability, neurodivergence, and accessibility. Brittany and Rich share their individual stories, what brought their paths together, and how they have joined forces to help founders tap into venture capital and angel investment to fund their ventures. They clarify investment lingo, share tips and tricks, and more in this conversation.

May 4, 2026Episode 18850 min

From TBI to SLP: How an Injury Set a Career Trajectory with Joyce Ko

Our hosts kick off this episode with some important tips and information for folks working in the disability community. This is followed by a fascinating discussion between Mai Ling and our guest, Joyce Ko, who joins the show to talk about her experiences as a disabled clinician. Joyce shares her very personal story of a traumatic brain injury as a child and the journey that led her to a career as a speech-language pathologist. She is transparent about the challenges she faced post-injury, both in her educational career and in daily life, but she refused to allow them to hinder her.

April 13, 2026Episode 18735 min

What Corporate America Gets Wrong About Blind Professionals with Kirk Adams

Today, James shares a great conversation with Dr. Kirk Adams, PhD, with us on the podcast. Kirk Adams is the founder of Innovative Impact LLC, through which he consults with corporate clients on diversity, inclusivity, and equity with a focus on the employment of people with disabilities. James talks with him about his own experience with blindness, the struggles he faced to enter the workforce, and how that led him to his work of advocacy for employment for people with disabilities.

March 2, 2026Episode 18640 min

Building a Medical Specialty in Egypt from the Ground Up with Tamer Abou-Elsaad

Our guest for today's episode of the Xceptional Leaders podcast is one who undoubtedly exemplifies that label, Dr. Tamer Abou-Elsaad. He is a professor of Phoniatrics at Mansoura University in Mansoura, Egypt. He joins Mai Ling for a conversation to share the story of how he built a medical specialty from nothing in his country. He also talks about why Egyptian insurance covers 12 speech therapy sessions per month, his efforts to stop unlicensed practitioners from treating patients, and explains exactly what phoniatrics is. And he tells how hearing one lecture put him on a course to make a difference in his chosen field of study.

February 9, 2026Episode 18556 min

Helping Parkinson's Patients Regain and Retain Speech with Samantha Elandary

Samantha Elandary has worked exclusively with individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's and related disorders since 1999, and for our first episode of 2026, she joins the show to talk with James about her work. She is the founder of the Parkinson Voice Project, and she shares how she built a non-profit from her kitchen table, explains the difference between speaking with intent versus automatic speech, and gives some tips for those who are starting their own disability-focused business.

December 15, 2025Episode 18421 min

Revisiting 2025 Show Highlights with Mai Ling Chan & James Berges

For our final episode of 2025, Mai Ling and James revisit some of the highlights from the past year of excellent guests. They go over the top takeaways from all of the exceptional leaders who have appeared on the show to share their expertise and experience with our community. This great retrospective will remind you of all the great info we've heard and perhaps entice you to re-listen to some of your favorite shows from 2025.