Richard Ellenson, Founder of Talk Suite, has spent two decades sharing a vibrant and innovative voice in the disabilities space. Over the past two decades, he has brought enormous vision and energy to the field of Assistive Technology and also the Not-For-Profit space, holding positions as the CEO of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Founder and CEO of Blink Twice, and serving on Boards, such as ATIA and CSUN. He has received two grants from the NIH and sat on NIH Advisory Councils for both the NIDCD and the NCMRR, and has given keynote address on three continents, including at the American, Australian, and European Academies of Cerebral Palsy, as well as the first ever keynote at Closing The Gap. 

Prior to his work in the disability space, Richard was an advertising executive who created memorable campaigns for brands such as American Express and Remy Martin, and who penned the classic line, “It’s Not TV. It’s HBO.” This experience has been instrumental in tireless efforts to create awareness of all people with disabilities and to share stories about their spirited and determined lives.

Richard is the father of a 23-year-old, Thomas, who has Cerebral Palsy. Together, they have been featured as ABC World News People of the Year, in a New York Times Sunday Magazine cover story, on many local news segments, and as a feature segment on ESPN’s E: 60. Thomas has developed a wonderful portfolio in his own right, writing and performing plays and building relationships in the NYC Theater community. You can see Tom’s work at thomasellenson.com.  

Richard is a graduate of Cornell and holds an MBA from The Wharton School. He lives in New York City with his wife Lora, Director of Gynecologic Pathology at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell, and has two very special children, Thomas and Taite