Michael Hess

Mike Hess is a technology professional, nonprofit founder, and advocate for disability inclusion in the workforce. Legally blind since childhood, Hess leveraged his career experience to establish the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT). As his degenerative retinal disease progressed in his early 20s, Hess could no longer conceal his disability, marking a turning point that shaped his mission. Entering the workforce, Hess sometimes pretended to be sighted during job interviews, noting the systemic stigma faced by the blind community and limited career guidance that often encouraged reliance on government assistance. Refusing to accept those limitations, he forged his own path.

Following a nearly 20-year career as a software engineer in the telecommunications industry, Hess left the corporate sector to found the Blind Institute of Technology. Before establishing BIT, he spent four years as a senior software engineer for Level 3 Communications, leading IT and technical projects, and previously held IT and software engineering roles with Qwest, U.S. West, and other companies. The decision to leave corporate America was driven by his frustration at being labeled the "token blind guy" in every company, despite his belief that his blindness enhanced his skills as a software engineer. Citing the 80 percent unemployment and underemployment rate among the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community, Hess recognized that many BVI professionals possess the expertise required for success in the corporate landscape.

BIT operates as a global nonprofit staffing and recruiting agency dedicated to professionals with disabilities and has partnered with Salesforce's Workforce Navigators program to increase accessibility to technology careers. The U.S. Department of Labor recognized BIT's Salesforce Admin program as the first nationally registered apprenticeship program for blind and visually impaired professionals, and BIT's Digital Accessibility program was later approved as the second such national registered apprenticeship program. BIT employs more than 40 professionals with disabilities across all programs, has placed over 125 professionals in employment with a median starting income of $60,000, offers five BIT Academy courses, and has served more than 600 professionals with disabilities on six continents.

Hess has received recognition for his work in accessible technology and disability inclusion. He has been featured in Denver Post and Denver Business Journal and has received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Business Award and the GlobalMindED Inclusive Leader Award. He was appointed to the Commission for People with Disabilities for the City and County of Denver by Mayor Michael B. Hancock and to the Disability Funding Committee by Colorado State and Governor John Hickenlooper. At Dreamforce, Hess received a Golden Hoodie, an honor in the Salesforce Trailblazer Community recognizing inspiration and innovation. He has also been honored with the C2HR Content & Connectivity Human Resources Game Changer Award in the Ignitor category for his commitment to creating employment pathways for professionals with disabilities.

As an accessible technology thought leader and keynote speaker, Hess shares his expertise in public and private forums, advocating for diversity and inclusion in business. BIT's focus on accessible technology has led to invitations to present at Google Cloud Next and Salesforce's Dreamforce conference. Hess is also a co-host for "Choose Inclusion," a podcast addressing the benefits of diversity and inclusion. Whether speaking to C-suite executives, technology conferences, or global audiences, Hess combines lived experience, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial vision to deliver a credible and impactful message on disability inclusion and accessible technology.