Thank you InnoCaption for including me in the first Empower Retreat for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Influencers and Advocates. It was exciting to spend time with people I’ve admired from afar on social media and meet so many other people who are helping to end the stigma of hearing loss.
The two-day event included many networking opportunities as well as a fascinating presentation from jerea bean with tips to increase the impact of our online branding efforts. We learned more about the founding of InnoCaptionits mission to make telephone communication easier for people with hearing loss, and previewed some interesting new product extensions. Stay tuned!
My favorite recreational activity (besides meeting everyone!) was the accessible yoga class in beautiful Laguna Beach. Featured sign language interpretation and real-time captions on our phones! Darling!
Meet Advocate and Influential Attendees
I am pleased to introduce you to this talented group of dynamic and influential advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing communities. Some advocate through talks and trainings, while others incorporate advocacy into posts about their daily lives. Each person is raising awareness, breaking the stigma of hearing loss, and paving the way for the next generation of people with hearing loss. I am grateful to have met them. I learned something from each one.
Check out their biographies below to learn more about them. You can follow them on the platform of your choice through the links in their bios.
Dustin Giannelli
Born and raised in Boston, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Dustin Giannelli is the CEO and founder of HearsDustin LLC, a disability-owned business company certified by the Disability:IN organization. As a public speaker who is profoundly deaf and has used hearing aids since age 5, Dustin shares his lived experiences as a way to highlight DEI best practices and the importance of accessibility and communication in the workplace and classroom. Your passion, positivity and advocacy are contagious! Visit Dustin at LinkedIn.
Elisa Richards
Elisa Richards is a colorful multi-hyphenate creative. Honestly, she’s a little overwhelmed by the number of art forms she embraces. She is currently producing and directing a documentary series about The Rollettes, an all-female wheelchair dance team. Elisa also has her own small business, Bionic Outlaw, where she illustrates fun, tongue-in-cheek stickers that destigmatize hearing loss and invisible disabilities. When she’s not making comedy videos, traveling, or painting watercolors, she can be found snuggled up in a corner with a cozy weighted blanket reading books. Visit Elisa in instagram.
Emily Jones
Emily Jones is the vivacious creator behind Ultimate Audience YouTube Channel. Born with moderate to severe congenital bilateral hearing loss, she grew up learning to communicate with the help of hearing aids and speech cues, a visual system that supports spoken language. Raised by hearing parents, Emily embraced both the challenges and opportunities of her hearing loss from a young age. A proud graduate of Brigham Young University, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in advertising. Now, Emily balances her life as a mother of two, a digital marketing professional, and a hearing-impaired micro-influencer.
Janna Rovniak
Janna Rovniak is a certified mentor for the deaf and hard of hearing. She has had hearing problems all her life and works with others through speaking, writing, workshops and personal counseling to help challenge the stigma of hearing differences. Visit Janna in instagram.
Kate Norton
Katie, a lifelong hearing aid user with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, initially shared her weightlifting journey on social media. However, his focus was on deafness and advocacy when his followers expressed interest in his experiences. She now serves as social media manager at the Perkins School for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that supports children with disabilities. Outside of work, Katie enjoys reading, watching soccer, and staying active by lifting weights and playing pickleball. Connect with Katie on instagram
David Allen
My name is Leighton. I am 23 years old and live in Destin, Florida. I share my life in tiktok as someone who is profoundly deaf and uses cochlear implants. I am passionate about advocating for cochlear implant awareness and being a role model for the next generation. You can find me on the beach, where I love to be active. I’m always up for an adventure!
Marin Bragg
Hello! My name is Marin and I am a student at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point studying to be an audiologist. My dream is to help young children become confident with their hearing loss! I am a signed model with JAG Models in New York. I use my platform to educate people about the DHH community and inspire people to not be afraid to stand up for their needs. Visit Marin in instagram.
Marne Sullivan
Marne Sullivan is an athlete, advocate and speaker who founded @listen_y_outan Instagram community that shares life with hearing loss from the perspective of a student-athlete. Born deaf and given a cochlear implant at age 3 and a half, she is passionate about telling stories and connecting with the community. Marne, a D1 track and field athlete at Boston College, recently completed her fifth year at the University of Southern California. Her mission is to inspire others, help companies create meaningful content, and advocate for accessibility in sports, work, and life, as she seeks to elevate the Deaflympics in Tokyo in November 2025! Visit Marne in instagram.
Matt Klotz
Matt holds five deaf world records in swimming and is a D1 athlete at LSU. He has ten deaf
gold medals and was an Olympic trials swimmer. He was the runner-up of the reality show “Big Brother” in season 25. Visit Matt at instagram.
Michelle Hu
Michelle Hu is the founder of Mama Hu Hears, a instagram community that supports hearing parents of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and inspires their DHH peers. With over 15 years as a pediatric audiologist and personal experience as a hearing-impaired person (equipped with hearing aids at age 3 and now thriving with cochlear implants), Michelle offers both professional insight and personal resilience. Their mission is to empower underserved families, ensuring they feel seen and equipped to thrive. Discover more at www.mamahuhears.com.
Sammy Cruz
My name is Sammy Cruz, alias DefStar. I am a deaf hip-hop artist (known as Dip Hop) and comedian. I grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Salma Cruz
My name is Salma Cruz. I am deaf and lived in Germany for three years to gain experience and learn German sign language. I enjoy making crafts and bead bracelets. Visit Salma in instagram.
Me too! – Shari Eberts
Shari Eberts is a passionate hearing health advocate and internationally recognized author and speaker. She is the founder of Living with Hearing Loss, a popular blog for people with hearing loss, and executive producer of We listen to youan award-winning documentary about the experience of hearing loss. His award-winning book Hear and Beyond: Living Skillfully with Hearing Loss (co-authored with Gael Hannan) is the ultimate survival guide to living well with hearing loss. Shari has genetic hearing loss that begins in adulthood and hopes that by sharing her story, she will help others live more peacefully with their own hearing problems. follow me on instagram.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is far from a complete list of advocates and influencers in the hearing loss space, so forgive me if this list doesn’t include your favorite. Leave their name in the comments so others can enjoy learning more about them too!
About InnoCaption
InnoCaption is owned and led by two co-CEOs whose partnership and collaboration led to the launch of the first mobile-focused captioned phone service. The company focuses solely on smartphone technology and uses live stenographers (CAR) to offer faster and more accurate subtitles despite the higher cost involved. InnoCaption is the only captioned phone service provider that allows users to choose between automated speech recognition technology or live CART on every call. Its recently published white paper presents research showing the positive impact on users’ mental health and happiness when they regularly use captioned telephone services.
Readers, which hearing loss influencers do you follow?
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