Who We Are | GAAD Foundation

Skip to contentWho We AreWhat We DoSponsorshipNewsDonateWhy GAAD Foundation?In 2012, Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion teamed up and launched Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Read the blog post that started it all. With 2021 marking GAAD’s tenth anniversary, it only made sense that a foundation, to harness the energy of GAAD, take shape.MissionThe foundation’s mission is simple: to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement.VisionAccessibility is built into the product development lifecycle for technology and digital products.Meet the GAAD Foundation LeadershipJennison AsuncionChairJennison co-founded Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) in 2012, after happening upon a blog post by then L.A. based developer Joe Devon. On the occasion of the tenth GAAD, Joe and Jennison founded the GAAD Foundation. A member of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation Board of Trustees, Jennison has been recognized for his industry contributions. These include: recognized in 2023 by his alma mater, Concordia University, as a Benoît Pelland Alumnus of the Year; and named alongside LinkedIn in 2025 to the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100 List of Top Innovators and Impact Makers in accessibility. Having worked in digital accessibility full-time since 2006, Jennison is currently Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn.Ben OgilvieFirst Vice ChairBen is Director of Accessibility Strategy at ArcTouch, a WPP agency specializing in custom app strategy, design and development for innovative startups, influential brands and Fortune 500s. He brings a personal passion for disability inclusion and accessibility-first product development to global-scale agency work. His 25+ years of broad tech industry experience ranges from IT support and InfoSec, to multiple roles at Apple, to agile web and native application product management. Ben is a co-organizer of the A11yNYC (Accessibility New York City) meetup group, and lives in Westport, CT with his partner and two children.Chris GaulinSecond Vice ChairChris Gaulin is a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the digital accessibility space. He regularly brings his experience in digital accessibility, communication technologies, education, and e-learning to government agencies and organizations of all sizes. Having organized over 40 conferences, Chris volunteers his skills in planning and logistics to accessibility events and is one of the lead organizers of the largest group of digital accessibility practitioners in the world. He has extensive experience with managing not-for-profit organizations, stemming from numerous roles with Canadian charitable organizations.Anna ThielkeSecretary and TreasurerAnna Thielke is an entrepreneur and inclusive design leader with 15 years of experience shaping accessibility strategy across healthcare, technology, and complex product ecosystems. She is the Founder and CEO of Mantis & Co., where she advises organizations on embedding accessibility into product development, operations, and organizational culture. Previously, Anna served as Director of Inclusive Design at CVS Health, where she built and scaled enterprise-wide accessibility and inclusive design practices across digital products, teams, and talent pipelines. As a blind and neurodivergent leader, Anna brings lived experience, systems thinking, and a governance-focused perspective to advancing accessibility as a foundational requirement for equitable and sustainable technology.Joe DevonImmediate Past ChairJoe Devon, is a technology entrepreneur and web accessibility advocate. He co-founded Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) and serves as the Chair of the GAAD Foundation, focusing on promoting digital accessibility and inclusive design. Joe also explores AI’s potential to revolutionize digital accessibility, developing AI solutions to enhance online experiences for people with disabilities.Mindy MorganBoard Member EmeritusMindy has over a decade of web development experience, which includes working on the AmericanIdol.com and Fox.com teams; seven years at Diamond where she worked on Simpsons World, TaylorMade, FX Networks; voting apps for The Voice, NBA, and America’s Got Talent, among other properties. Mindy designed the Global Accessibility Awareness Day logo that has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and news shows all around the globe. She now serves as the Sr. Coordinator for the GAAD Foundation.Elizabeth BarronElizabeth Barron is the Executive Director of the PHP Foundation and a long-time open source contributor and advocate with over 25 years of experience at companies like GitHub, Pivotal/VMWare, and SourceForge. She is also an author, public speaker, community organizer, and award-winning nature photographer. Elizabeth is currently working toward achieving her MBA, and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.Founding SponsorsFriends of the FoundationContact Usinfo@gaad.foundationGAAD Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.SitemapHomeWho We AreWhat We DoAI Benchmark (AIMAC)GAADGAAD PledgeGaadysSalary Survey (GDASS)Speakers FundSponsorshipNewsFind Us on Social MediaLinkedInFacebookTwitterYoutubeStay in Touch!Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest news and events.First nameLast nameYour email *SubscribeCopyright © 2026 GAAD Foundation. All rights reserved.