Ashlea Lantz has specialized in disability employment initiatives for the past 20 years, leading services, consulting on state and federal contracts, and building long-term partnerships with organizations across the public and private sectors. She has provided strategic advisory services to a range of organizations and decision-makers to enhance disability employment outcomes and drive systemic change.

Her expertise spans business consulting, rehabilitation services, supported self-employment, and disability benefits planning. With her extensive experience in rehabilitation counseling, supported employment, and accessibility, Ashlea helps businesses tap into an often-overlooked talent pool and build sustainable, inclusive hiring practices.

Ashlea delivers customized consulting services to corporations, empowering them to refine and strengthen their disability-hiring initiatives. She has partnered with organizations such as CareSource, the Council for State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, Econsys (as a Subject Matter Expert on U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy projects), Griffin-Hammis Associates, The Center for Self-Employment, Business Ownership and Telecommuting (a Rehabilitation Services Administration Innovation and Training grant),in addition to other state and local partnerships.

Her expertise includes Customized Employment, Supported Employment, Certified Benefits Planning, supported self-employment, and agency capacity building. She has provided hundreds of trainings nationwide, supporting disability organizations in helping people with disabilities secure integrated employment. Ashlea’s experience also extends to family advocacy. She has supported her sister, Emilea, in transitioning from segregated employment to running her own business, Em’s Coffee Co., which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this December.

Internationally, Ashlea’s work has reached far beyond state lines, with her efforts in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Utah, New Mexico, and Maryland, as well as global presentations at the International Harkin Summit on Disability Employment in Belfast, the Zero Project at the United Nations in Vienna, and the European Supported Employment Conference in Tarragona, Spain. As the former Director of Employment at Candeo in Johnston, Iowa, she expanded the supported employment program significantly, tripling its size and increasing the number of job seekers served.

She has served in leadership roles, including as president of Iowa APSE and as Secretary and Vice President of the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE). Recently, Ashlea joined the Board of the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service for the Blind (IRIS) who delivers equal access to information and the arts for over 11,000 Iowans each day.

Recognized for her contributions, Ashlea has received the Rebecca McDonald Award from National APSE and the SueAnn Morrow Award from Iowa APASE. Her commitment to professional development has been demonstrated through certifications that have included certified benefits planner from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Certified Employment Support Professional, and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She also holds a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Drake University. Ashlea’s professional insights are enriched by her personal experiences with non-apparent disabilities and her close relationship to her sister Em.

Over his career, Bob Ludke has advised policymakers in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, taught at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, and provided counsel on sustainability, corporate governance, supply chain management, and environment, social, and governance (ESG) strategies for companies in the retail, oil and gas, transportation, and finance sectors.

He is the author of Transformative Markets, a book about the role of markets in fostering a more sustainable society (published in April 2020 through the Creator Institute of Georgetown University), and the creator of the Voices of Nature podcast in partnership with Global Conservation Corps.

Bob believes that demonstrating the value proposition of disability employment is mission critical to achieving competitive, integrated employment. He has authored multiple research papers demonstrating the value proposition of disability employment – to consumers, employers, and investors. Taken together, Bob’s research and publishing validates the fact that, when disability employment is treated as a driver of long-term value creation, it has a proven ability to future-proof a business by opening trillions of dollars of global markets and innovating the next generation of goods and services able to meet human needs.

He began his career in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, advising on tax, budget, and economic policy issues, developing legislation, and creating message and communications strategies as part of the Senate Democratic leadership team.

Following his time on Capitol Hill, Ludke was a lecturer at the United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya. In that position, he created and taught courses, including U.S. History, the U.S. Congress, and American foreign policy. Ludke also presented at the National Defense College in Kenya and participated in workshops with the Parliament of Kenya.

Bob was born with a dislocated right hip, a disability that has led to functional mobility limitations in his right leg, hips, and lower back.