Diego Mariscal - Using Your Disability to Find Entrepreneurial Success

Diego Mariscal, Founder and CEO of 2Gether-International, discusses his trailblazing efforts to help 5000 disabled entrepreneurs by the year 2030. A compelling conversation you cannot miss.

BIO

DIEGO MARISCAL is Disabled and Proud! A trailblazer at the intersection of disability advocacy and entrepreneurship, Diego is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Disabled Officer of 2Gether-International, a 501c3 nonprofit and the leading startup accelerator run by and for disabled entrepreneurs. He has dedicated his career to creating a sustainable impact through business ventures led by and for Disabled Founders and currently serves on the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission's Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, among many other boards.

Since his teenage years, Diego has been a catalyst for change. At just 18, he founded "Limitless Prepa Tec," an educational program that tackles disability awareness in his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. Over four years, Limitless expanded to more than seven high schools and educated over 3,000 students, solidifying its reputation as one of Monterrey's largest youth-led initiatives.

In 2012, Diego took his advocacy to the next level with the establishment of 2Gether-International (2GI), a nonprofit accelerator empowering entrepreneurs with disabilities. Under his leadership, 2GI has supported more than 700 startups, helping them secure approximately $84 million in outside investments, acquisitions, and revenue. His role has positioned 2GI as a leading resource for disabled entrepreneurs and has also enabled strategic collaborations with international organizations such as the U.S. Department of State, Organization of American States, and Inter-American Development Bank, as well as corporate partnerships with Comcast NBCUniversal, JPMorganChase and others.

Diego’s work has garnered international acclaim, earning him accolades like the Architect of the Future Award from the Waldzell Institute in Vienna and the Global Changemaker title from the British Council. His influence has been recognized by multiple international bodies; he was a Youth in International Development and Affairs Fellow for the U.S. International Council on Disabilities in 2014, and in 2016, he attended the inaugural United Nations World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul.

In 2017, Diego marked another milestone by becoming the first entrepreneur with a disability to represent the U.S. delegation at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India. That same year, he received the Global Leadership in Equitable Development Award at the World Trade Credit & Risk Summit in Washington, DC.

Recently, in 2022 and 2023, Diego engaged in high-level dialogues on disability and entrepreneurship with President Clinton and President Biden. He was featured as a panelist in a discussion moderated by Hillary Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative University annual meeting. Additionally, Diego was appointed to the Advisory Board of the 2024 SXSW Pitch and took part as a panelist at the 2025 SXSW.

Born with Cerebral Palsy in New Orleans but raised in Monterrey, Diego is not just an advocate but also an athlete, representing the state of Nuevo León in the Mexican National Paralympics from 2004-2009.

LINKS

https://www.2gether-international.org/

2gi.org

www.innovatinginclusion.org