And…we’re live!

We’re excited to share that we have a beautiful new website! But websites are launched every day, it isn’t really news, is it?

For us, the news is the story of the person who designed and developed our new site. He speaks right to the heart of the Integrate for Good mission and THAT is what we want all of you to know about this new site.

In 2017, I was looking for someone to help me create a video for a project. It was 18 months before Integrate for Good would become a nonprofit organization. I had big ideas and no budget.

Everywhere I went, I asked if anyone knew a videographer who could help with video production. I couldn’t afford to pay much at all, but I promised that if my dream took flight, there would be more work ahead. As you can imagine, people weren’t lining up!

I was speaking to an auditorium of parents at Montgomery County Community College and thought I’d give it one last shot. After my presentation, a mom named Kelly Weiss came up to me with enthusiasm I could feel before she even introduced herself. She said, “I know someone who needs to talk to! He’s nineteen and amazing!”

Four years later, we would be honoring Kelly, her husband and two sons who both live with autism as our 2021 Community Heroes of the Year.

I connected with Nick, and immediately knew Kelly was right. Nick was someone I was meant to meet and would elevate the impact of our work exponentially.

The video was stunning. It captured ability in action. It celebrated the transformation that happens when we bring true community inclusion to life. That video would go on to reach thousands of people in corporations, nonprofit organizations, faith communities, schools, colleges and universities and on our social media platforms.

I shared it at conferences and attached it to grant applications. It brought my dream to life and invited other people in. It was the beginning.

Just a short time later, I was struggling to create our website.

Nick offered to help. I quickly realized that his technical genius and artistry go far beyond videography. Nick spent years having his intelligence underestimated. To us, his untapped talent was a gift, and we were thrilled to capture it. He shows us what happens when we harness the power of neurodiversity.

I sat next to Nick while he coded our website. It was like watching someone speak fluently and eloquently in another language. His lines of code transformed into imagery and stories. His work on our original website brought us our first volunteers and supporters. It was the place our community could come and learn where they could volunteer and how they could build a more inclusive community with us.

As we grew and expanded, so did Nick’s involvement with us. He became an integral part of our Empowerment Lab, creating the digital portfolios we produce to highlight the ability and talent of students with disabilities. In January of 2022, we were honored when Nick accepted our offer to be our Director of Technology.

Our new, accessible website is his first outstanding accomplishment in this role, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds with Nick leading our team!

Although we officially welcomed Nick to Integrate for Good five years ago, we are so excited to welcome him into this new and incredibly well-deserved role. Join us in celebrating Nick and his work by visiting www.integrateforgood.org.

Your donation will empower us to hire more incredibly talented people who can move our mission forward.

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