Julie Eshleman

Georgia LEND Fellow

Julie Eshleman, PhD, is an autistic sociologist and behavior analyst who studies disability, artificial intelligence, and assistive technology. She recently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Georgia Tech's Center for Advanced Communications Policy, where she studied equity of access to AI-powered assistive technologies, and a GaLEND fellowship at Georgia State University's Center for Leadership in Disability. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Stirling and lead assistive technology researcher at Leonard Cheshire in the UK. Before moving into research, she spent nearly two decades as a special education teacher and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She serves on the boards of the Lightyear Foundation and Billion Strong and is an advisor to Ruh Global.

Kim Knackstedt

Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)

Kim Knackstedt is the Executive Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and brings nearly two decades of accessibility and disability policy experience to her work. She brings experience as a person with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and chronic illnesses to her accessibility and policy perspectives.

Prior to her work at AUCD, Kim was the principal consultant and founder of her disability and accessibility strategy consulting firm, Unlock Access, LLC. Kim’s previous work includes being appointed as the first ever director of disability policy for the Domestic Policy Council for the Biden–Harris Administration, serving as the disability policy advisor for Chairman Bobby Scott on in the U.S. House of Representatives, working as the senior disability policy advisor for Senator Patty Murray in the U.S. Senate, and being selected as the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy Fellow.

Visual Description: Professional portrait of a Kim Knackstedt, a white woman with a light-colored blazer over a dark top, seated against a plain light background.

Jenn Wisdah

FASD United

Jenn Wisdahl leads strategy and operations at FASD United. Employing a data-driven approach centered on people, Jenn has fostered significant growth at FASD United by supporting the Affiliate Network, outreach on the FASD Respect Act, set-up of the Family Navigator Program, coordination of National FASD Impact Week, and the return of the International FASD Research Conferences, which have relocated from Canada to a permanent home in the United States.