MN APSE's If You Believe It You Can Achieve It

MN APSE's If You Believe It You Can Achieve It

by MN APSE
Non-ProfitMental Health
Season 6
S6E1: Guest Claire Braun
Host Chris Davies has a powerful and heartfelt conversation featuring Claire Braun. Claire and her late husband opened their home to 75 foster children in Ramsey County—adopting 8 along the way. Her story is one of compassion, resilience, and unwavering belief in the potential of every person.
S6 · E1
Apr 17, 2026
55:55
Season 5
S5E7: Guest Hannah Furney
Host Chris Davies is joined by Hannah Furney and her guide doge, Leger. Hannah is a self-advocate who tells her story about growing up DeafBlind, and the barriers she has faced in order to get to where she is.
S5 · E7
Nov 24, 2025
37:58
S5E6: Cow Tipping Press' Shaunte Martin and Laron Gatlin-Dean
Host Chris Davies' is joined by Cow Tipping Press' Shaunte Martin and Laron Gatlin-Dean. Shaunte, an Inclusion Associate and Gatlin-Dean, a Teaching Fellow, talk about their work at Cow Tipping Press -- an organization in Minneapolis that teaches inclusive writing classes for people with disabilities.
S5 · E6
Oct 21, 2025
46:31
Host Chris Davies is joined by Keeri Tramm, an autistic professional who is the Director of Disability initiatives at Lifeworks.
Host Chris Davies is joined by Keeri Tramm. Keeri is Director of Disability Initiatives at Lifeworks, is an Autistic professional dedicated to fostering equity and empowerment for the disability community. With a career spanning nonprofit and for-profit sectors, she leverages her expertise in business and data analysis to drive impactful outcomes. Keeri holds a degree in Special Education, CPACC certification, and serves on the board of Minnesota NEAT, where she influences disability policy and practice.
S5 · E5
Jul 3, 2025
39:30
Chris Davies is joined by Rahul Gupta, who is a Deaf individual. Rahul works at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Chris Davies is joined by Rahul Gupta. Rahul is a 27-year-old Deaf individual who works as a pharmacy technician at the Mayo Clinic, with two years of hands-on experience supporting in-patient care and pharmacy operations. Rahul, who is fluent in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English, has become a strong self-advocate who is dedicated to empowering Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), Deaf Blind, and other individuals to recognize their potential, build meaningful lives, and set and achieve their personal goals.
S5 · E4
Jun 19, 2025
23:49
S5E3: Lis Vukelich with Guest Co-Host Dupree Edwards
Chris Davies is joined by Lis Vukelich. Vukelich, who has a BS in Human Services with an emphasis in Disability Studies, has over 20+ years supporting individuals who have disability barriers. Despite her critical car accident that resulted in a TBI in July 2017, Lis is more passionate about supporting people with disability barriers than ever. She is currently the Referral & Quality Assurance Specialist at Kaposia, Inc. A special thank you to guest co-host Dupree Edwards from the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration.
S5 · E3
Apr 30, 2025
1:03:48
Chris Davies is joined by Sophie Iverson, who works at the Disability Hub MN and is a passionate advocate for disability inclusion in MInnesota.
Christ Davies is joined by Sophie Iverson. Sophie currently works as an Options Counselor at the Disability Hub MN and provides information and referrals to callers and families navigating the disability community and state agencies. With over 10 years of disability advocacy and lived experience, Sophie also founded Access 2 Advocacy LLC with a hope to share her passion for empowering others to feel confident advocating for disability policy important to them.
S5 · E2
Mar 25, 2025
56:00
Chris Davies is joined by Aaron Weikum, an Senior Labor Investigator with the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry.
Chris Davies is joined by Aaron Weikum, a Senior Labor Investigator with the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry. In this episode, Weikum shares his personal journey as an adult living with Autism, shedding light on the myriad challenges he has navigated within the workforce.
S5 · E1
Feb 2, 2025
52:32
Season 4
Host Chris Davies is joined by The Amazing Jeffo, the second of a two-part MN APSE documentary podcast special.
Host Chris Davies is joined by The Amazing Jeffo, the second of a two-part MN APSE documentary podcast special. Jeff details how he got started as a magician, the support he has had to build his act to the point where he's done over 4000 shows in nearly 30 years as The Amanzing Jeffo, America’s only multiply-disabled magician who is blind (at least as far as he can see).
S4 · E6
Nov 16, 2024
2:19:40
On the next episode, Chris Davies is joined by Jeffrey Smith, better known as, Amazing Jeffo! Jeffrey, a blind, multiply disabled magician, joins us in studio to share his story
On the next episode, Chris Davies is joined by Jeffrey Smith, better known as, Amazing Jeffo! Jeffrey, a blind, multiply disabled magician, joins us in studio to share his story. There is truly on better way to introduce the Amazing Jeffo than in his own words: - How, as a child, the legend of Houdini planted in him a seed that would grow into a dream, that just maybe, someday… - How as a 37-year-old, unemployed, disabled man still living with his parents, he fulfilled his vision of becoming a magician – traveling to 16 states, performing 4,000 presentations, and having dozens of TV appearances. - How, long magical paths, he met his wife, Devon, Mrs. Amazing. - How they live with the effects of Jeff’s blindness, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Devon’s traumatic brain injury. - How life threatening disease and disability ignited laughter, healing, and hope.
S4 · E5
Sep 30, 2024
2:16:38
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