Dr. Ryan J. RussellPsychology • Learning • Growth
Emerging case • Nonprofit & systems building

FLDI: building an organization around a larger idea of disability and adulthood.

Current working concept for the Full Living Disability Initiative (FLDI), a disability-led nonprofit designed around full living across adulthood: relationships, independence, education, employment, benefits, community, recreation, purpose, and contribution. Duchenne/Becker is the founding community, with broader disability expansion planned over time.

The design challenge is not a single program. It is building an organization that can connect education, mentoring, opportunity, community, and practical navigation.

What I am building

  • Mission and positioning centered on disabled people leading work about their own adult lives.
  • Governance and board design for a credible, disability-led organization.
  • Program concepts including mentoring, career and employment support, relationships/adulthood education, scholarships, and professional/community education.
  • Partnership and funding strategy including grants, sponsorships, and potential fiscal-sponsorship relationships.
  • Content and learning systems that can connect future courses, mentor development, and educational resources.

Why it belongs in a professional portfolio

FLDI is an emerging build, not a completed outcome or incorporated organization yet. It shows how I work with an ambiguous, systemic problem: define the mission, identify constituencies, create structure, build program architecture, recruit people, pursue resources, and keep the work tied to practical human outcomes.

Status: Working name and organizational concept. The nonprofit has not yet been incorporated.
In development