In this episode of the PathAble Pod, host Burt Brooks (Co-founder & CEO of Pathable AI) is joined by Jake Schilling (Co-founder & CTO) for a deep dive into the intersection of technology, advocacy, and the disability community. Moving beyond simple "tech talk," the founders share their personal journeys—from Brooks’ background in nonprofit leadership to Jake’s transition from teaching to software engineering—and how their paths converged to solve systemic issues in vocational rehabilitation.

The conversation explores the "scarcity mindset" often found in service sectors and proposes a shift toward collaborative innovation. Jake and Brooks candidly discuss the "double-edged sword" of AI, addressing both the threats of algorithmic bias in hiring and the potential for ethical tools to automate administrative burnout, allowing human advocates to focus on meaningful connection.

The Mission of Pathable AI: Shifting focus from being a "tech company" to being people within the disability community solving tangible problems with specialized tools.

Overcoming Executive Dysfunction: How tangible consequences and a connection to "craft" help neurodivergent individuals find purpose and focus in their work.

The Problem with "Universal" Tools: Why massive platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot often fail the disability community and the need for "surgical," purpose-built software.

Agency vs. Independence: A powerful look at how care programs can unintentionally strip participants of their agency and how technology can restore active participation in one's own care plan.

Real-World Friction: Jake shares a personal story of how a "two-box" data entry glitch nearly cut off his family’s SNAP benefits, highlighting the high stakes of poor software design.

Join host Burt Brooks, CEO of PathAble AI, for an inspiring conversation with Marius Mathisen, CEO and co-founder of Pletly, calling in from Norway. Discover how a stepdaughter's journey with intellectual disabilities sparked the creation of a revolutionary care coordination platform that's changing lives across two continents.

Marius shares the powerful moment his stepdaughter said "mama" for the first time after seven years, catalyzed by iPad-based training—igniting his mission to leverage technology for the disability community. Learn about Pletly's family-centric approach to care coordination, the stark differences between European and American healthcare innovation, and why transparency in disability care remains controversial.

From co-designing solutions with universities to launching Empathy Tech events at Lincoln Financial Field, Marius reveals the challenges of building impact-driven companies while navigating resistance from some providers. The conversation tackles uncomfortable truths about accountability, the power of person-centered design, and why seeing people with disabilities as full humans—not spreadsheets—changes everything.

Key Topics:

• Building accessible technology from lived experience
• Care coordination for people with cognitive disabilities
• International market differences in disability services
• Transparency and accountability in caregiving
• The intersection of family support and professional care
• Empathy Tech movement and community building

Perfect for disability advocates, caregivers, health tech innovators, and anyone passionate about inclusive design and authentic human connection.

https://pletly.com/

www.pathableai.com/podcast

Episode Length: ~47 minutes

Our first interview is with Jonathan (JZ) Zweifler, founder and CEO of Reed AI.

We discuss the role of AI in language learning for neurodiverse audiences and how to make this technology more accessible for all.

https://meetreed.ai/ https://www.reedforall.org/ https://pathableai.com/podcast

Welcome to the first episode of the PathAble Pod with Burp Brooks, CEO of PathAble AI. After 20 years in disability services, Burp shares honest stories about the community’s strengths, the systemic barriers it faces, and the practical tools and ideas his company is building to help.

This episode lays out the show’s mission: candid conversations, real solutions worth paying attention to, and action-oriented takeaways. Listeners are invited to share stories and join a community focused on making accessibility real and useful.