About Your Presenter(s)
Moderated by Tom Iland, CHPC, AS
Owner, Come to Life Coaching
Thomas Iland (pronounced like “island”) was diagnosed with autism at 13 years old. Since accepting his diagnosis, Thomas has been recognized as an award-winning author and thought leader.
He left his career as a certified public accountant in 2015 to become a keynote speaker, certified human potential coach, and diversity, equity & inclusion consultant.
He is now the owner of Come To Life Coaching, which is based on the title of his bestselling book, “Come to Life! Your Guide to Self-Discovery.” His mission is to empower individuals on and off the autism spectrum to live the life of their choice.
Thomas has spoken at the United Nations, gave a TEDx talk titled, “How To Come To Life,” and is one of only 95 Toastmasters International Accredited Speakers in the world and the only person on the autism spectrum to achieve this designation.
Thomas currently lives in Santa Clarita, California, USA, with his fiancée, Rosetta, recently received Junior Chamber International’s prestigious “Ten Outstanding Young Americans” (TOYA) Award, has finished seven marathons, two half-Ironman triathlons, two full Ironman triathlons, and recently broke his own Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest person with autism to finish a full Ironman triathlon!
Tara M.P. Havlicek
Program Manager, MEAF
With over 15 years of experience in corporate philanthropy, Tara MP Havlicek is Program Manager for the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) where she focuses on national grantmaking and corporate employee volunteer programs. She is a disability advocate and upholds MEAF’s vision to empower youth with disabilities through increased employment.
She is an advisor with the National Disability Mentoring Coalition and served as a mentor with the Psychology Department at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She volunteered with PEAK Grantmaking’s Midwest Region as Regional Co-Chair from 2020-2023 and is now serving on PEAK’s Board of Directors. Her passion for philanthropy and disability inclusion has led her to speak to university graduates, the Japan America Society of Chicago, PEAK Grantmaking, Philanthropy Northwest, Philanthropy Southwest, and ACTE (Association for Career & Technical Education).
Prior to her role at the Foundation, she worked in HR and Administration with Mitsubishi Electric Automation in Vernon Hills, IL, where she was responsible for employee relations and organizing corporate social and philanthropic events. She also served on the MEAF Board of Directors and in 2016 was Co-Chair of the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) Chicago chapter where she engaged with aspiring philanthropic leaders.
Tara graduated with a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a professional certificate in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Strategy from Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado Boulder and the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility. She lives with her husband and two adopted cats, Sylvester and Oslo, in Northern Illinois. In her spare time, you can often find her reading books, writing poetry, and drinking tea.
Thomas D’Eri
Co-Founder and COO, Rising Tide Car Wash
Tom D’Eri has dedicated his career to unleashing human potential by creating organizational systems and culture that empower people to grow. Tom is the Co-Founder and COO of Rising Tide Car Wash, an organization that employs over 90 individuals with autism in a successful car wash business. Tom is a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur and is the author of the bestselling book, The Power of Potential: How a Non-Traditional Workforce Can Lead You to Run Your Business Better.
Sam Morris
CEO, Blue Star Recyclers
Sam Morris is the Chief Executive Officer for Blue Star Recyclers, a Colorado-based social enterprise founded in 2009 with a mission of recycling electronics to create jobs for people with autism and other disAbilities.
Sam joined Blue Star in 2015 as Director of Operations, based out of the Colorado Springs recycling operation. In 2019 he took over as CEO with overall responsibility for the four Blue Star locations in Colorado and the expansion location in Chicago.
Sam is an advocate for giving customers a simple model to embrace environmental accountability while investing in their local communities.
Recent professional accomplishments for Sam and Blue Star include Nonprofit of the Year (2018) and recognition as a ColoradoBiz Top 25 Young Professionals (2020).
Robin Kacyn
Director of Inclusion and Outreach, Aspiritech
I come from a background of theatre, food, and education, and apply knowledge from all of these disciplines in meetings with employees, accommodation suggestions, and consultation with our operations and leadership teams. I work closely with our largely neurodivergent staff to address concerns and assist in communicating across departments when necessary. In an increasingly virtual world, I strive to foster connection and community. As a 10+ year employee at Aspiritech I am committed, first and foremost, to ensuring a safe, equitable, and empowering space that celebrates our employees' many successes and contributions.
Christopher Horning
Senior Analyst, Aspiritech
I've studied music and theatre since early childhood and became a certified Luthier and Guitar technician in 2003. Prior to working at Aspiritech I spent 10 years under/unemployed, as I always seemed to run up against the same roadblocks. I finally started to realize certain things about myself and this led to getting an autism diagnosis later in life. Aspiritech has provided the support I needed to succeed. They work with my life experiences and put my strengths and skill sets to use. It’s been a transformative experience.