New Stanford MBA Club Envisions A World Accessible To All

Rachael Wallach von Portheim, MBA ‘18, founded Limber Technologies after graduating GSB. The early stage startup is creating digital-first rehabilitation for people with impaired mobility.

Rachael Wallach von Portheim, MBA ‘18

Summary of professional career. I started my career building products and services for people with chronic health conditions and disabilities for the UK’s National Health Service. I then moved to Government where I developed policy in the Office of the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work. I served on the boards of several social sector organizations including as Vice Chair of the Board of Scope, the UK’s leading disability charity.

While I was at the GSB I started Disrupt Disability, a social enterprise that used digital fabrication to build customizable wheelchairs. After the GSB I founded Limber Technologies, an early stage startup that’s creating digital-first rehabilitation for people with impaired mobility and is backed by Serena Williams, Techstars, Ulu Ventures, Lightspeed Ventures and StartX.

What made you want to pursue an MBA? I watched the digital health revolution transform healthcare delivery, from surgical robots, to continuous blood glucose monitoring, to teletherapy. I noticed that the disability space was getting left behind. I decided to pursue an MBA because I wanted to learn how to use emerging technology to transform products and services for people with disabilities.

Why Stanford? When I visited the GSB campus and saw the Center for Social Innovation next door to the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies I was pretty sure I’d found my home for the next two years! When I heard about Stanford’s experiential learning approach, with classes like Startup Garage, Biodesign and Perspectives in Assistive Technology at the d.School, I knew I had to apply.

Rachael Wallach von Portheim, MBA ‘18

Please describe your experience with disability or caring for someone with a disability? When I was 18 years old I fell and broke my spine. I’ve had impaired mobility and used either a wheelchair, walker or crutches ever since.

Why would a club like the Stanford Disabilities and Caregivers Club have been important to students like yourself? The disability rights slogan “Nothing about us without us” articulates the importance of representation. But it’s hard to be heard if you are a lone voice or if you don’t know who the other members of your community are. The Stanford Disabilities and Carers Club is vital because it creates connections between students with disabilities, caregivers and their allies and offers a platform for advocacy and change.

Why is it important for a business school to have this kind of organization? Why does this representation matter? People with disabilities are nearly invisible in corporate boards and the C-suite yet according to the World Health Organisation 1 in 6 people have a disability. To achieve an inclusive society we need diverse business leaders. Business schools can be part of the solution by ensuring that students with disabilities are represented and valued.

Would you say your employers and co-workers have been accommodating to your disability or role as a caregiver? Why or why not? Yes! I’ve been lucky to work with phenomenal people who have genuinely valued inclusivity. What stands out about them is that they’ve been curious, they haven’t made assumptions and they’ve taken a proactive approach to solving accessibility challenges.

What improvements, if any, would like to see in workplaces for people with disabilities and/or caregivers. I’d like to see workplaces include disability in their equality, diversity and inclusion goals track disability representation.

I’d also like to see more employers offer workplace benefits that extend beyond traditional health insurance and help their employees to navigate and manage their care needs or caregiving responsibilities.

Advice for young professionals with disabilities or who are caregivers now considering pursuing an MBA? Do it, we need you!

NEXT PAGE: Kimberly Schreiber, MBA ‘20, caregiver and founder of NeuroNav, a platform for neurodivergent adults and their families