Around the Table

Pizza and community for a more equal future.

An equal future is one where your hearing abilities don’t affect your access to opportunities, where your gender or gender identity does not limit your professional growth, or where the color your skin does not determine how you are treated. At TEDxCollegePark, Mozzeria CEO Ryan Maliszewski and 11 other change-makers from different backgrounds shared their personal experiences, knowledge, and insight on how we can build a more equitable future.

The theme of the event, “An Equal Future,” encompasses big dreams of sustainable equity for generations to come: “Our ideas explore the impact of the Pandemic and Social Justice, individually and collectively. We look through various lenses and hear from different voices as we explore the intersection of economic, biological, environmental, technological and social justice challenges and how we can collectively build a better world for us all,” TEDxCollegePark organizers explained on their site.

Cue Ryan, who shared his experiences about the power of Deaf Gain, both in his own life—from the football field to the FBI—and as the engine driving Mozzeria. A wood-fired pizzeria, Mozzeria is much more than a place to grab a bite to eat. It’s a place that creates jobs and empowers Deaf people to develop their personal and professional skillsets, and provides a space for Deaf and hearing customers to experience an inclusive, Deaf-friendly dining experience. As a CSD Social Venture Fund (SVF) partner, Mozzeria’s work is part of our broader mission to cultivate Deaf-led businesses as opportunities for the community to thrive.

CSD’s vision for an equitable future stretches far beyond the kitchen, with the Unites Community Foundation at the forefront of that mission. While Mozzeria and other SVF partners continue to grow the Deaf Ecosystem in the world of business, the Foundation hopes to accomplish similar work in support of deaf-led nonprofits and community organizations.

The Foundation seeks to be a central hub for organizations already making an impact in deaf communities, where they can access resources funding and opportunities to connect with one another. By amplifying and investing in the work of those dismantling systemic barriers, we can put more power in the hands of the organizations who know their communities best—and that benefits all of us.

If you missed Ryan’s presentation, you can watch it here any time.