Ep.114 - Disability, Capital & the Billion-Dollar Gap
Wed Feb 04 2026
The disability economy is massive—but still ignored. 💸
Aarti Sahgal explains how capital, credit, and confidence can unlock real opportunity . 🚀
✅ Why disability and money are rarely discussed in the same breath
✅ How stigma—not talent—keeps founders with disabilities underfunded
✅ The hidden power of microbusinesses in the U.S. economy
✅ Why 99% of businesses are overlooked in policy and finance
✅ What it means to be “credit invisible” in the disability community
✅ How banks misjudge disability as risk instead of opportunity
✅ The role of networks in entrepreneurial success
✅ Why designing for disability improves systems for everyone
✅ How Synergies at Work supports founders beyond charity
✅ What a disability-first CDFI changes about access to capital
When disability meets capital markets, innovation follows—and everyone wins 💡
Website: https://synergieswork.org/
Website: https://synergiesfund.org/
Aarti Sahgal is the founder of Synergies Work, the largest startup hub dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs with disabilities to build scalable and sustainable ventures. Expanding this mission, she also leads Synergies Seed Fund, a rising Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on closing the financial gap for disabled founders by providing accessible capital and financial inclusion solutions.
Aarti’s passion for this work is deeply personal. As the parent of a young man with Down syndrome, she has spent over two decades challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations that too often limits people with disabilities from reaching their full potential. Her work is rooted in fostering economic empowerment and inclusive ecosystems that recognize disability as a vital part of diversity.
Prior to founding Synergies Work, Aarti spent 14 years in advertising and marketing, bringing a strategic approach to brand-building and audience engagement. She holds a master’s degree in business management from one of Mumbai, India’s top business schools.
A sought-after thought leader, Aarti actively collaborates with corporations, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to advance disability inclusion in the workforce and entrepreneurship. Her work is redefining the landscape of disability inclusion—bridging the gap between talent, opportunity, and capital to create one world where people with disabilities belong.
Website: Disability Employment Solutions
Ⓒ 2026 PodPro Entertainment
#SaveAsAbility #Ability #Inclusive #Inclusivity #LaborForce #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #ReasonableAccommodation #Accommodation #DisabilityEconomy #InclusiveCapital #DisabilityInBusiness #SocialImpactInvesting #AccessibleFinance #DisabilityInnovation #Microbusiness #CDFI #Entrepreneurship #InclusionMatters #ImpactEconomy #DisabilityAdvocacy #EquityInAction #PurposeDriven #FinancialAccess #SystemicChange #EconomicJustice #TheNewRadio
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The disability economy is massive—but still ignored. 💸 Aarti Sahgal explains how capital, credit, and confidence can unlock real opportunity . 🚀 ✅ Why disability and money are rarely discussed in the same breath ✅ How stigma—not talent—keeps founders with disabilities underfunded ✅ The hidden power of microbusinesses in the U.S. economy ✅ Why 99% of businesses are overlooked in policy and finance ✅ What it means to be “credit invisible” in the disability community ✅ How banks misjudge disability as risk instead of opportunity ✅ The role of networks in entrepreneurial success ✅ Why designing for disability improves systems for everyone ✅ How Synergies at Work supports founders beyond charity ✅ What a disability-first CDFI changes about access to capital When disability meets capital markets, innovation follows—and everyone wins 💡 Website: https://synergieswork.org/ Website: https://synergiesfund.org/ Aarti Sahgal is the founder of Synergies Work, the largest startup hub dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs with disabilities to build scalable and sustainable ventures. Expanding this mission, she also leads Synergies Seed Fund, a rising Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on closing the financial gap for disabled founders by providing accessible capital and financial inclusion solutions. Aarti’s passion for this work is deeply personal. As the parent of a young man with Down syndrome, she has spent over two decades challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations that too often limits people with disabilities from reaching their full potential. Her work is rooted in fostering economic empowerment and inclusive ecosystems that recognize disability as a vital part of diversity. Prior to founding Synergies Work, Aarti spent 14 years in advertising and marketing, bringing a strategic approach to brand-building and audience engagement. She holds a master’s degree in business management from one of Mumbai, India’s top business schools. A sought-after thought leader, Aarti actively collaborates with corporations, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to advance disability inclusion in the workforce and entrepreneurship. Her work is redefining the landscape of disability inclusion—bridging the gap between talent, opportunity, and capital to create one world where people with disabilities belong. Website: Disability Employment Solutions Ⓒ 2026 PodPro Entertainment #SaveAsAbility #Ability #Inclusive #Inclusivity #LaborForce #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #ReasonableAccommodation #Accommodation #DisabilityEconomy #InclusiveCapital #DisabilityInBusiness #SocialImpactInvesting #AccessibleFinance #DisabilityInnovation #Microbusiness #CDFI #Entrepreneurship #InclusionMatters #ImpactEconomy #DisabilityAdvocacy #EquityInAction #PurposeDriven #FinancialAccess #SystemicChange #EconomicJustice #TheNewRadio