Board
of Directors

About the LightHouse Board

FY 2024-2025

Jennison Mark Asuncion – Chair

LinkedIn, Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism

Originally from Montreal, Canada, Jennison Asuncion joined LinkedIn in 2013, where he is currently their Head of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism. Previously, he spent almost seven years as a member of the Royal Bank of Canada’s IT Accessibility Team. Outside of his professional and scholarly pursuits, in 2012, Mr. Asuncion. co-founded the annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD ) to raise awareness of digital accessibility issues that people with disabilities face.

In 2012, Mr. Asuncion was recognized jointly by the Royal Bank of Canada and the Government of Canada with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the medal acknowledges significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

For over a dozen years, Mr. Asuncion volunteered with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). Mr. Asuncion also sat on the CNIB’s Winston Gordon Award for Technological Advancement in the Field of Blindness and Visual Impairment Selection Committee from 2005 to 2013, serving as its Chair in his final year. Mr. Asuncion served on the Board of Directors from 2006 to 2010 for Ski for Light (SFL) an organization that offers cross-country skiing for people who are blind. He obtained a B.A. (with distinction) in Political Science, and an M.A. in Educational Technology, both from Concordia University in Montreal.

Johnny K. Dadlani – 1st Vice Chair

Growing IQ, Managing Partner

Jd joined the board in 2020, after having his son Nikki be an active member as a youth with the Lighthouse for the Blind. He grew up in Japan, and spent most of his life in Japan, before moving to the US to give his blind son an opportunity to receive a better education. Mr. Dadlani spent almost 20 years in the field of finance, spending time at various investment banks and hedge funds, but has been working on running his own education company that works with children in the field of math.

Mr. Dadlani enjoys vacationing with his wife and two sons, most notably at various beach resorts around the world. He loves to enjoy a glass of wine or Japanese whiskey and is humbled to be able to serve on the Board. He hopes he can bring some international flavor to the Lighthouse, and expand our reach across the Pacific as well.

Kathryn Webster – 2nd Vice Chair

Community Member

Kathryn Webster is a strong thought leader across various communities. Ms. Webster attends Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. At Harvard, she chairs the annual MBA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion summit and is involved in Women in Investing. She approaches each day with true authenticity, bringing difficult conversations to the table and engaging in a persistent challenge to be the best version of herself. In her personal life, she loves reading historical fiction, traveling the world with her guide dog Theo, and spending true quality time with friends and family.

Ms. Webster grew up in Connecticut, later receiving Bachelor of Science degrees in Statistics and Computer Science with high honors from Wake Forest University. Her scholastic achievements propelled Ms. Webster into a career with Deloitte & Touché, LLP., where she specialized in strategic transformation and business process reengineering. She recognizes the value in intertwining corporate prowess with civic engagement, thus jump-starting a transition program for blind and low vision youth in 2017, designed to ignite confidence and independence as participants transition from high school to college or employment. Ms. Webster devotes much of her time outside of work advocating for equality and access for the blind and low vision communities.

Joseph K. Chan – Treasurer

Association of Bay Area Governments, Chief Financial Officer (retired)

Mr. Chan rejoined the LightHouse Board in 2018 after serving as a Board member from 2005 to 2015. He also served as Board Treasurer from 2009 to 2015 and Chair of the Finance and Investment committees during this period. He retired in 2009 from the Association of Bay Area Governments after serving 26 years as Chief Financial Officer. Being visually impaired with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Mr. Chan wants to offer his expertise in fiscal management to benefit the blind and visually impaired community. He is a CPA and holds an MBA degree from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Chancey Fleet – Secretary

New York Public Library, Assistive Technology Coordinator

Chancey Fleet is a Brooklyn-based tech educator and activist who identifies as Blind. Ms. Fleet is the Assistive Technology Coordinator at the New York Public Library. In that role, she curates accessible technology in the branch, collaborates across the NYPL system to improve equity of access, and coordinates a diverse team of staff and volunteers who provide one-to-one tech coaching and group workshops, free of charge and open to all. Through a 2017 NYPL Innovation grant, she founded and maintains the Dimensions Project, a free open lab for the exploration and creation of accessible images, models and data representations through tactile graphics, 3d models and nonvisual approaches to coding, CAD and “visual” arts. Ms. Fleet is a 2018-19 Data & Society Fellow and current Affiliate-in-Residence whose writing, organizing and advocacy aim to catalyze critical inquiry into how cloud-connected accessibility tools benefit and harm, empower and expose communities of disability. Ms. Fleet was recognized as a 2017 Library Journal Mover and Shaker. She currently serves as present of the NFB’s Assistive Technology Trainers’ Division and is a member of New York State’s Regents’ Advisory Council on Libraries.

Sharon Z. Sacks, Ph.D. – Immediate Past Chair

California School for the Blind, Superintendent (retired)

Dr. Sacks is recently retired from her post as Superintendent of the California School for the Blind. During her tenure, Dr. Sacks led a staff of 150 and promoted education excellence for students served on campus and through outreach programs throughout the state. Prior to her role as superintendent, Dr. Sacks was the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, & Staff Development at CS. After receiving her doctorate, Sharon coordinated programs and was a university professor in moderate/severe disabilities at San Jose State University, and programs in visual impairments at California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Sacks worked as a TVI for eight years as a resource and itinerant teacher prior to assuming leadership positions.

She has conducted research, presented nationally and internationally, and published widely in the areas of social skills instruction for students with visual impairments, psycho-social implications of visual impairment, transition programming for students with visual impairments, and strategies to educate students with visual impairments and multiple disabilities. Dr. Sacks has provided consultation, assessment, and program evaluation services to schools and agencies serving children and adults with visual impairments.

Dr. Sacks is a strong advocate for ensuring quality services for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired through her direct work with families, consumer organizations, and professional organizations. She is the recipient of the Mary K. Bauman Award for Distinguished Service in Education and a past president of AERBVI.

Laura Allen

Google, Director for Accessibility & Disability Inclusion

Laura Allen serves as Director for Accessibility & Disability Inclusion at Google, within Google’s centralized Products for All team. Ms. Allen and her team drive internal and external facing programs across the world, and work cross-functionally across teams to improve the accessibility and usability of Google products and processes, also making Google a more accessible and equitable place for people with disabilities. In addition to her core role, Ms. Allen is the Global Head of Operations of the Disability Alliance Employee Resource Group. Due to her personal experience with low vision, she believes that technology has more power now than ever to transform lives, and progressing accessibility and disability inclusion is her true passion and purpose.

Prior to her central role within Products for All, Ms. Allen served as the Senior Accessibility Program Manager for the Chrome and Chrome OS teams at Google. For over 6 years, she collaborated with engineers, designers, product managers, and researchers to make the Chrome family of products more accessible and usable across platforms, for people of all abilities.

Ms. Allen also represents Google in the Teach Access organization, where various technology companies, higher education institutions, and disability advocacy organizations come together to drive the inclusion of accessibility in core computer science, design, human centered interaction programs, and other key disciplines to close the accessibility skills gap. As of 2020, she serves as the Chair of the Teach Access Board of Directors. Since 2017, Laura has also served on the board of directors for the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Since 2020, she also serves on the board of the Alphapointe Foundation, an organization centered around empowering individuals who are visually impaired to achieve their goals and aspirations and gain meaningful employment. And in 2023, Laura joined the board of inABLE Africa, an organization striving to empower people with disabilities across Africa.

For her undergraduate education, Ms. Allen studied International Business, Marketing, and Music at Georgetown University. She also completed an Executive Leadership graduate program at Stanford University in 2021.

Iolanda Antunes

LinkedIn, Senior Staff Producer Manager

Iolanda Antunes is a seasoned tech professional with over 20 years of experience in Silicon Valley. Her dedication to accessibility is profoundly shaped by her personal experiences, particularly her father’s journey after losing his vision in his mid-30s. Witnessing his resilience and adaptation fueled Ms. Antunes’ belief in the transformative power of technology to empower individuals with disabilities, providing them with greater independence and control over their lives. In her professional role, she has worked closely with Product, Engineering, Sourcing, and Employee Resource Groups to prioritize accessibility in product development and procurement.

As a passionate advocate for accessibility, Ms. Antunes has not only driven initiatives within her organization but also raised awareness through training videos and speaking engagements. A proud graduate of Santa Clara University with a double major in Computer Science and French, Ms. Antunes is honored to bring her commitment to technology and inclusion to her board role. Outside of work, she cherishes time with her family, enjoys reading, dancing, songwriting, and tackling digital puzzles.

Janette Barrios

Apple, Senior Manager, Accessibility Marketing and Community

Janette Barrios is a senior manager, Accessibility Marketing and Community, at Apple, and has been with the company for over 15 years. She works on raising awareness of Apple’s accessibility innovation and initiatives, including technology such as the VoiceOver screen reader for people who are blind, assistive hearing features like Made for iPhone Hearing Aids, accessible materials for the Everyone Can Code curriculum, as well as other initiatives that support disability communities worldwide and Apple’s culture of inclusion.

Ms. Barrios also worked in Apple Communications, supporting iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Previously, Ms. Barrios worked in the video game industry, was a music educator, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from San Jose State University.

Leon Bezdikian

Countsy, Chief People Officer

Leon has over 30+ years of world-wide Human Resources experience with high-tech companies, currently working at Countsy as Chief People Officer. He has led the HR function in 19 countries and specializes in executive coaching, management training, organizational development, talent acquisition, total rewards, and team building. In addition to his work, he is an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz – Extension, since 2002. Mr. Bezdikian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California at Davis.

Jan Cohen

Consultant

Janet S. Cohen has been a consultant and trainer who has worked with more than 200 nonprofit organizations over more than 30 years. Her focus is customized work sessions and consulting services for nonprofit organizations throughout the country for diversification of revenue, earned income, and marketing planning processes. She also serves in Interim Executive positions in nonprofit organizations, especially those with an earned income focus, during periods of transition in leadership.

Ms. Cohen founded Project HIRED, an organization focused on job placement for individuals with disabilities across the spectrum of Silicon Valley industries and companies. Ms. Cohen and Project HIRED’s Board of Directors were chosen to receive the 1993 Distinguished Service Award from the President’s Committee for Employment of Persons with Disabilities, the 1992 Distinguished Service Award from the California Governor’s Committee for the Employment of Disabled Persons, and the 1989 Award for Excellence from the Management Center of San Francisco. These were awarded for innovative approaches to employment for individuals with disabilities, which also assist employers with their workforce needs, while generating revenues for the organization. Special recognition was given for HIRE TEMPS, the Corporate Training Partners Project, and the Corporate Services concept.

Ms. Cohen continues her commitment to serving on the Boards of, and volunteering for, local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations, especially those with a disability focused mission. She is a member of the Bay Area Interim Executive Director Group (BAIED) and the Alliance for Nonprofit Management’s Executive Transition and Leadership Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Helpers Community.

Ms. Cohen was also involved in advocacy for and education of disabled persons in the Washington D.C. area. She was active on the Alexandria Commission for Disabled Persons. She taught disabled children in the public schools in Maryland and Virginia. She worked as a Speech Pathologist with neurologically impaired children and adults. She has degrees from the University of Massachusetts, the University of Maryland, and a Certificate in Marketing: New Products and Services from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Adam Graves

San Francisco Sate University, Assistant Professor

Dr. Adam Graves holds a PHd in Special Education and Teaching from Texas Tech Unveristy. He has worked with students who are blind, visually impaired and Deafblind since 2003. Over the years he has served as a classroom assistant, special education teacher, teacher of students with visual impairments and, most recently, as an educational consultant for the Texas DeafBlind Project. During his time at the Texas DeafBlind Project Dr. Graves has developed evaluation tools such as the Informal Functional Hearing Evaluation for students who are DeafBlind with Multiple Disabilities (IFHE) and workshops such as the Introduction to the Intervener Team Model training. He has also served as one of the principl instructors and researchers for the Teachers of Students who are DeafBlind (TDB) Pilot, a two-year program designed to provide training and instruction in Deafblind education to teachers and support staff for school districts in Texas. His dissertation: Checking all the Boxes: A Critical Theory Analysis of Educational Experiences of Congenitally DeafBlind College Students explores the social barriers to educational access for students who are congenitally Deafblind through the stories of congenitally Deafblind youth and their family members.

Eric Mah

Financial Professional (on sabbatical)

Eric Mah is originally from Stockton, California and now calls San Francisco home.  He first came to the Bay Area for university, where he graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.  From there, Mr. Mah began his career in finance, joining the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs where he advised corporate clients in the financial institution and technology industries.  Mr. Mah then entered Silicon Valley by way of Google where he joined the treasury department to manage enterprise foreign currency risk.  Most recently, Mr. Mah was at Uber Technologies where he built out and headed the treasury team focused on global payment acceptance, payment remittance, cash management and corporate finance risk management.  Mr. Mah is currently on a professional sabbatical.

Aside from his professional life, Mr. Mah enjoys spending time with his wife, Jacalyn, and son, Weston, who are his biggest joys.  He also is an active member of his church and is passionate about serving his community.  Mr. Mah is both humbled and inspired to serve on the Board and hopes to contribute to the continuing growth, innovation and heart of the LightHouse.

Roger McFadden

Chief Science Officer, McFadden and Associates, LLC.

Roger McFadden is currently Chief Science Officer at McFadden and Associates, LLC., where he applies his more than 35 years of experience helping businesses design, manufacture and market high performance cleaning, disinfecting and coating products. He speaks and teaches on a variety of professional sustainable cleaning, environmental, safety, health, sustainability and green chemistry topics. Mr. McFadden serves on the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) Board. Mr. McFadden has served on the Board of Trustees for the John Merck Fund and Board of Directors of two non-profit organizations including Beyond Benign and Clean Production Action.

Bob Regan

XQ Institute, Senior Director of Product

Bob Regan earned a Master’s in Elementary Education from Columbia University Teachers College. He began his career in the classroom as a teacher of math, French and technology. Mr. Regan has worked in the field of education for 30 years, focusing on how technology can enhance student learning by creating tools that serve classroom instruction. He currently works at the XQ Institute, which works with high schools across the United States to rethink learning. The work of the XQ Institute has been featured in the documentary “The First Class”

Marc Shin-Krantz

Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP,  Attorney

Marc Shin-Krantz is a Civil Rights and Employment attorney at Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP. He works on complex litigation, with an emphasis on employment, civil rights, commercial, disability rights, and First Amendment disputes.

Prior to joining RBGG, Mr. Shinn-Krantz served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin of the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Mr. Shinn-Krantz is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, with a concentration in Labor & Employment law.  He received his B.A. from Oberlin College.

During law school, Mr. Shinn-Krantz served as the Lead Managing Editor of the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law.  Working at a legal aid organization in Minnesota, he successfully argued before administrative law judges on behalf of clients in need of state-funded in-home care.

Chris Yoon

Uber, Product Manager, Product Equity

Chris Yoon is a product manager who brings his passion for accessibility, equity, and disability advocacy to the newly formed Product Equity team at Uber. He works closely with design, research, policy, engineering, and operations teams across the company to bring more inclusive experiences to the Uber platform. Mr. Yoon loves to travel with his guide dog Sadie and is passionate about disability advocacy and disability representation in the workplace. He was recently selected as a regional US & Canada Co-Chair for Uber’s disability employee resource group (ERG). In this capacity, he plays a pivotal role in guiding the ERG’s initiatives and strategies, strengthening Uber’s commitment to disability inclusivity both internally and externally.

Prior to joining Uber, Mr. Yoon was a product manager at Microsoft working on accessibility tools for voice forward experiences. And in 2019, Mr. Yoon graduated from Stanford University with an undergraduate degree in music and masters in computer science. Outside his professional pursuits, Mr. Yoon is actively involved in several disability nonprofit organizations. He serves on the Alumni Association Board for Guide Dogs for the Blind, where his advocacy for guide dog users contributes to the continuous improvement of services for the visually impaired community. Additionally, he holds the position of Vice Chair on Lime Connect’s NextGen Junior Board, working towards the organization’s mission to rebrand disability through achievement by empowering individuals with disabilities to reach their full potential in the professional world. In his free time, Mr. Yoon enjoys traveling and playing music.

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