Investor and Capital Panel
2:10 pm - 2:55 pm · Room 2
Building a company in the accessibility space is hard, and funding one is harder. The founders working here are creating solutions that reach hundreds of millions of people who have been overlooked by mainstream product development, yet accessibility innovation remains one of the most underserved areas in impact investing. For most founders, the path to capital is something you learn the hard way, alone, because you do not know what you do not know. This panel makes that path visible. It brings a founder and an investor into the same conversation to talk honestly about what it actually takes to raise money for an accessibility company. The discussion follows the journey of Fable, from the early investment thesis for digital accessibility to where the company is today, and looks at the wider question underneath it. What does it take for capital to reach this space, and what do investors need to see before they move on it. Panelists will share the real story rather than the polished version. What worked and what did not when they were looking for investment, how an early investor decides which founders and which problems to back, and what they see for the sector ahead. For anyone building or funding in accessibility, this is the conversation that is usually held behind closed doors.
Speakers

David Ceolin
General Partner, Innovation Grade Ventures, Innovation Grade Ventures
David has experience across the entrepreneurial ecosystem as an entrepreneur, banker, venture capital partner, board member, and best-selling author. He is currently a General Partner at Innovation Grade Ventures, focusing on seed-stage investing in the health tech and B2B sectors. Previously, he founded Digital Cement, widely recognized for its innovative digital marketing capabilities, with international clients including Kraft Foods, FedEx, Dell, and the National Basketball Association. Digital Cement was acquired by a US Fortune 500 company in 2007. David authored the best-selling book on business planning, The Idea Guide, and received the Top 40 Under 40 award, which recognizes individuals who demonstrate vision, leadership, innovation, achievement, and community impact. He holds an Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D) and serves on various boards in the United States and Canada.

Alwar Pillai
Co-founder and Executive Chair, Fable
Alwar Pillai is the Co-founder and Executive Chair of Fable, the leading accessibility platform helping organizations build digital products that work for everyone. As Fable's founding CEO, Alwar led the company through rapid growth and major shifts in the accessibility and technology landscape, raising over $50 million to scale the business and redefine how enterprises approach inclusive product development. Recognized as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 and featured in Forbes Accessibility 100, Alwar is a leading voice in accessibility, entrepreneurship, and inclusive innovation. Under her leadership, Fable has been named one of LinkedIn's Top Startups, one of Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 Companies-to-Watch, and recognized on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list in Design.
