Mozzeria, a Deaf Owned-and-Operated Pizzeria, Names Richard Horrell New CEO

The national, authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria welcomes a new leader and reaffirms its commitment to creating opportunities for positive Deaf representation and modeling Deaf excellence.

Richard Horrell - CEO of Mozzeria

Mozzeria, an award-winning and internationally recognized pizzeria, welcomes Richard Horrell as its newest CEO after successfully leading as interim CEO since June 2022. Horrell succeeds Ryan Maliszewski, whose impact and accomplishments on the Mozzeria community will be long-lasting and unforgettable. Horrell plans to build upon Mozzeria’s trailblazing foundation, overseeing its strategic growth by creating more equitable spaces and more opportunities for positive representation of the Deaf community.

Richard Horrell is a hard-of-hearing member of the Deaf community with more than 20 years of experience spanning law, business, and education. Before accepting the role of Mozzeria CEO, he was a Senior Program Operations Managerfor CSD Social Venture Fund (SVF), a venture capital firm dedicated to funding Deaf-owned businesses. There, Horrell worked closely with Deaf business owners to ensure stability in their operations and prepare them to expand their businesses.

"As I humbly and gratefully step into this role, I recognize that Mozzeria is not solely about pizza or profit,” Richard explained. “I believe the real work we are doing is about raising up the community. It's about equity. I believe that Mozzeria, more than anything else, can be a place where Deaf and hard of hearing people can look and see their peers modeling excellence.”

“Richard has already had such a positive impact on Mozzeria as interim CEO and through his work with CSD SVF,” said Chris Soukup, Board president of Mozzeria. “We are certain that his diverse professional background uniquely positions himto continue to lead the growth of the Mozzeria brand. We are excited for what the future holds.”

Mozzeria was founded in 2011 in San Francisco, making history as the city’s first-everDeaf-owned restaurant, and it has continued making history ever since. The pizzeria quickly received global acclaim for its authentic, delicious cuisine by the International Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Six years later, Mozzeria partnered with CSD Social Venture Fundin hopes of expanding nationwide. Thanks to this partnership, in 2020 Mozzeria was able to open a second, flourishing location in Washington D.C., despite the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. Nearly three years later, Mozzeria is poised to continue making an impact under Horrell’s leadership.

“As Mozzeria grows, we are gifted with more opportunities to create equitable spaces and model Deaf excellence, showing that Deaf people are capable of anything we set our minds to,” said Horrell.

About Mozzeria

Mozzeria was founded in 2011 with the goal of providing customers with a welcoming, memorable, and visual environment to experience Deaf culture while working to increase career placement opportunities for Deaf people. Since then, people across the globe have flocked to Mozzeria to get a taste of our famous authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas. Mozzeria is proud to be a place where employees can show their talent and feel a shared sense of belonging, all while serving delicious pizza and cuisine inspired from theCampania region in Italy to our customers! Visit https://www.mozzeria.com and follow @EatMozzeria on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

CSD Social Venture Fund Invests in Heritage Brewing Company

CSD SVF partners with Lochiel Brewing, a Scottish Heritage brewery based in Mesa, Arizona

Lochiel (lock-eel) Brewing is a Deaf-owned heritage brewery whose flagship beer is made from a 300-year-old Scottish family recipe. Founder Ian Cameron is an internationally recognized, award-winning brewer and CSD Social Venture Fund’s newest partner.

Heritage, Family, and Quality Beer

This video was filmed by Seek the World in 2021. Visit their YouTube channel to find more videos like this.

Heritage beers differ from craft beers because they rely on centuries-old recipes and processes. In an industry that is crowded with thousands of craft beers to choose from, Lochiel’s products stand out for their time-tested approaches and historical origins.

“Having a product with such a unique positioning in an oversaturated market is a major competitive advantage,” Ian explained. “Our recipes and commitment to the original brewing processes set Lochiel beers apart from the craft beers that are flooding the marketing today.”

Ian’s flagship beer, Lochiel’s Scotch Ale, was originally designed as a “war beer,” a quick meal for Scottish families fighting in the Jacobite Rebellion in the mid-1700s. After the war ended, brewers transitioned to making beers for the same reasons we make them today: taste and refreshment. The recipe passed down through Ian’s family for hundreds of years until World War I, when the last brewer in the line of succession passed away. The recipe was then entrusted to Ian’s grandmother and remained in her protection for the next 70-plus years.

When Ian first discovered his passion for brewing, he knew about his family legacy and kept his heritage in mind as he learned the craft. However, he did not know that his grandmother was tracking his progress as he became a skilled brewer. Over the next 15 years, she watched as Ian developed his own new ale recipes while still honoring his ancestors by using traditional Scottish techniques. When Ian's grandmother passed away, she left him their precious family recipe, knowing that he would revive the line of brewers in the Cameron family and carry on their family tradition. The Clan Cameron “war beer” recipe became the foundation for Lochiel Brewery, which opened in 2017. By combining the skills he developed in craft brewing and modernizing historical brewing techniques, Ian brought his Scottish heritage to new territories for all to enjoy.

Partnering with CSD Social Venture Fund

CSD Social Venture Fund and Lochiel Brewing solidified our partnership in February of 2022 with the shared goal of growing the business by expanding into bottling and distribution.

“I have big plans for Lochiel. We want to expand to a new brewhouse that is capable of producing six times as much product as we do now,” Ian shared. “I had been looking for an investor to support this growth for a while but wanted a team that understood my experience as a Deaf person, which is why partnering with SVF was so appealing.”

“We see so much potential for Lochiel’s expansion and we’re looking forward to seeing Ian break into regional, state, and national markets over the next several years,” said Rosa Lee Timm, President of CSD SVF. “Sharing success stories and amplifying positive Deaf representation is an important way to increase the visibility of Deaf entrepreneurs, Deaf-owned businesses, and ultimately, the Deaf community. We believe in the work that Ian is doing, and we are excited to be able to support him as he continues to grow his business.”

You can try Lochiel’s Scottish Ales at their brewhouse and several local bars in Mesa, Arizona or at Arizona’s regional Scottish festivals, like the Scottish Highland Games hosted by the Caledonian Association of Arizona’s annual event. Ian plans to expand his distribution to bars and storefronts across the state first, then into bordering southwestern states, and eventually go nationwide!

CSD Social Venture Fund has an open funding cycle, meaning we are always accepting applications for funding. We seek applications from Deaf-business owners whose business is scalable and inspires widespread impact on Deaf communities. Learn more about our existing portfolio and partnering with CSD SVF to see if this opportunity is right for you.

Top Brewery in America 2021

Top Ten Beer 2018

Top 3 Beer in Arizona 2020

Deaf Entrepreneurs: Stories that Change Perception

South by Southwest is one of the most diverse, collaborative, and inventive conferences in the world, where visionaries come together and share their cutting-edge ideas for the future. At SXSW 2022, CSD CEO Chris Soukup and CSD Social Venture Fund President Rosa Lee Timm spotlighted the importance of investing in Deaf entrepreneurs in a presentation titled “Deaf Entrepreneurs: Stories that Change Perception.”

What perceptions is CSD Social Venture Fund challenging, exactly? The view that Deaf and disabled people are less qualified, less capable, or less worthy of opportunities that are available to the rest of society. Deaf people and Deaf entrepreneurs who dare to dream big must overcome inaccessible, inequitable systems and negative misconceptions about things like costly accommodations.

In reality, Deaf and disabled people are fully capable of anything and everything. The real barrier is bias.

From Seeking Access to Seeking Equitability

CSD was founded almost 50 years ago on the principles of providing accessibility and employment opportunities for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, hard of hearing, and late deafened people. As CSD evolves, so do its strategies. In 2017, CSD established the CSD Social Venture Fund (SVF) to invest in and support Deaf-owned businesses that are making a positive impact in the Deaf community. Our team recognized that our community needed a resource where Deaf entrepreneurs didn’t have to fight for access to opportunities to grow their business. Accessibility for the Deaf and disabled community historically translates to "let's provide accommodations for this group of people we didn't include in our plans.” CSD SVF wants to build an equitable space where Deaf and disabled entrepreneurs are seen as being as talented and as capable as the rest of the entrepreneurial community.

That is where the work we are doing at CSD and CSD SVF comes into play. We are going beyond providing access to providing equitability and leading by example. We invite you to join us.

Watch the Presentation

Watch Chris and Rosa Lee’s SXSW 2022 presentation to get an inside look at:

SVF’s eight business partners, their products and services, and the impact they are making in their Deaf communities.
How SVF is changing its strategies to become more inclusive of the diversities within the Deaf community.
What you can do to tap into Deaf success and support the Deaf Ecosystem.

About the Presenters

Rosa Lee Timm joined CSD as Chief Marketing Officer in 2019. She became the Division President of CSD SVF in 2021 and has been transforming how this division supports Deaf entrepreneurs. As a self-identified BIPOC, Deaf, Queer woman from the Midwest who is also a well-known and successful entrepreneur, Rosa Lee is using her personal and professional life experiences to guide CSD SVF into new territories, including making more intentional, inclusive investments that prioritize BIPOC entrepreneurs.

Chris Soukup is the CEO of CSD and the Board Chairman of the CSD SVF. He became CEO of CSD in 2014 after working at the organization for 13 years. Under Chris’ leadership, CSD develops innovative solutions to the barriers that prevent Deaf and hard of hearing people from gaining and maintaining employment. CSD works in tandem with CSD SVF to support the hiring of deaf people, put more money into our Deaf communities, and boost financial independence.

Support the Deaf Ecosystem

Interested in supporting the Deaf Ecosystem? Visit our directory of Deaf-owned businesses to find businesses you can support through patronage or partnership.

Find Deaf-Owned Businesses

Two CSD Social Venture Fund Leaders are Presenting at SXSW 2022

Chris Soukup and Rosa Lee Timm’s SXSW presentation will explore the value of designing inclusive and equitable opportunities for entrepreneurs in Deaf communities.

Communication Service for the Deaf is thrilled to announce that our CEO Chris Soukup, and CMO and Division President of the CSD Social Venture Fund, Rosa Lee Timm are presenting at SXSW 2022 in Austin, Texas in March.

Chris and Rosa Lee will give the presentation “Deaf Entrepreneurs: Stories that Change Perception,” an inside look at CSD Social Venture Fund (SVF), a venture fund dedicated to investing in the expansion of Deaf owned and #DeafLed businesses.

Chris Soukup

“It’s an honor to be returning to SXSW to bring awareness to equitability challenges that are unique to Deaf entrepreneurs, and the impact removing those barriers will have on our diverse Deaf communities, and by extension, the rest of humanity,” explained Chris Soukup.

“Deaf Entrepreneurs: Stories That Change Perception” will challenge people’s understanding of what Deaf people can achieve. They will share stories about CSD SVF and its seven partners, including the powerful impact each business has had on their respective communities. Chris and Rosa Lee will broaden how people think about entrepreneurship, diversity, and leadership, and invite people to explore ways to support the Deaf Ecosystem through actionable yet approachable strategies – such as one of the simplest of these strategies: buy from Deaf-owned businesses.

“Deaf entrepreneurs are capable, driven, and already making an impact in the marketplace. Imagine how much more of an impact they could make if they were given the same opportunities as hearing entrepreneurs,” said Rosa Lee. “I’m looking forward to getting people to challenge the way they think about entrepreneurship and encourage them to shape the future with Deaf communities in mind.”

Rosa Lee Timm

South by Southwest is one of the most diverse, collaborative and inventive conferences in the world, where visionaries come together and share their cutting-edge ideas for the future. SXSW 2022 is the first in-person conference since SXSW 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic forced SXSW 2020’s cancellation and moved SXSW 2021 to a virtual space.

Chris first participated in SXSW 2019, presenting on “Being Human: The Future of Innovation and Success”. He and Rosa Lee are excited to return this year to join the hundreds of speakers scheduled to appear at this year’s 36th annual conference, including keynote speakers Lizzo, Beck, Neal Stephenson, and Celine Tricart, and featured speakers like Mark Cuban, Rashida Jones, Jonathan Van Ness, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Secretary Deb Haaland, and Al Roker.

Their presentation will be delivered in American Sign Language and in English on March 13 at 4:00 p.m. CT at the Hilton Austin Downtown in Salon F. This presentation is open to all SXSW badge holders. If you are interested in purchasing a badge to access the SXSW Conference, visit SXSW’s website.

For those unable to attend, CSD will be sharing a recap of key moments of the presentation after the event on our website and on social media. If you’d like to be notified when their presentation becomes available, please subscribe to get updates from SVF.

Small Business Person of the Year

National Small Business Week Awards

Are you the next Small Business Person of the Year? We think so!

For more than 50 years, the Small Business Association (SBA) has celebrated the achievements and contributions of entrepreneurs through National Small Business Week (NSBW). One way they do this is with the annual NSBW Awards, which are broken down into categories that recognize excellence in categories like exporting, disaster recovery, contracting, resource centers, and more.

These awards are given to SBA-assisted businesses that have excelled in their industry and community over the past three years. Business owners are encouraged to nominate themselves or another entrepreneur who meets all of the requirements by January 11th.

You can learn more about the full list of awards and criteria on their website.

Small Business Person of the Year Award

One of the most sought-after accolades is the Small Business Person of the Year Award. This award recognizes one business person from each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam for their achievements and success. In order to be considered for this award, you must have received assistance from the SBA, and have been running a business for at least three years at the time of the nomination.

Application Requirements

In order to be considered for the Small Business Person of the Year Award, you will need to complete the nomination process by January 11th at 3:00 p.m. EST. Each nominee will need to submit:

A nominee background form
This form will ask you to fill out generic information like your name, business name, address, and other identifying factors.

A nomination form
On this form you’ll share why you should be considered for this award, including information on your business’ growth over the past three years, your financial health, and more.

A photo of the nominee(s)
You will need to include an original 8” x 10” or 5” x 7” photo of the nominee(s).

You may also submit supporting documents that show the impact you and your business have had on your community or industry. These may include things like press releases, letters of recommendation, news clips and more. Unfortunately, videos will not be considered in the judging process.

Evaluation Criteria

The Small Business Persons of the Year nominees will be judged at both the state and national levels. You can learn more about how your state’s review process works here. This means nominations are assessed on five key factors:

Staying Power
Does your business have a long history of proven success? Maybe you’ve recently expanded to a new market, overcome acquired a competitor, or moved to a larger location. The selection committee wants to see that your business is stable and that your leadership has fostered growth.

Employment Growth
Small businesses play an important role in job growth. To be considered for Small Business Person of the Year, you’ll need to show how many new positions you’ve created in the past three years.

Financial Growth
You will need to demonstrate an increase in sales, net profit, and net worth from the past three years (2017-2019).

Response to Adversity
Over the past three years has your business faced challenges? What were they, and what decisions did you make to overcome them?

Community-Oriented Projects
Business owners are an integral part of their communities. Show the judges how you’ve contributed to your community outside of your standard business operations.

Representing Deaf-Led Businesses

We at CSD SVF want to make sure Deaf entrepreneurs get the recognition they deserve. If you and your business meet the criteria for any of these awards, we encourage you to submit a nomination. We see your hard work and commitment, let’s make sure the rest of the business community does too! Submit your nominations at www.sba.gov/nsbw by Tuesday, January 11th.

See the Application Guidelines

Apply Today

Introducing SVF's New Division President 2022

Rosa Lee is one of the few BIPOC disabled women holding a leadership position in the venture fund industry and in the marketing industry.

Communication Service for the Deaf is proud to announce that our Chief Marketing Officer, and longtime leader in the Deaf community, Rosa Lee Timm is the new Division President for CSD’s Social Venture Fund. Rosa Lee first joined CSD in 2019 as the Chief Marketing Officer and has been an integral part of the organization’s senior leadership ever since.

“As a Black Deaf woman, I know that our community is not lacking in creativity, determination, resiliency or vision – what we lack is access,” said Rosa Lee. “I am excited to get to work on breaking down barriers and increasing access to capital investment for Deaf and hard-of-hearing business owners of all backgrounds.”

Rosa Lee is a well-known performance artist, widely recognized for her American Sign Language music videos and work as a solo performer on The Rosa Lee Show. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Rochester Institute of Technology and her master’s in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from Western Oregon University. Before joining CSD, Rosa Lee served as the marketing director for Deaf Counseling, Advocacy & Referral Agency and held various roles in education, teaching at Ohlone College, California School for the Deaf – Fremont, and more.

“Rosa Lee’s background as an entrepreneur, organization leader, and educator over the past 20 years are distinctive professional experiences that meld together beautifully to add tremendous value and depth to CSD SVF,” said CSD CEO Chris Soukup. “We look forward to wonderful momentum with SVF in the coming year with her leadership and guidance!”