Full Name
Diego Mariscal
Job Title
Ceo
Company
2gether-international
Speaker Bio
entrepreneurship, Diego is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Disabled Officer of 2Gether-International, 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.
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 80 startups, helping them secure around $65 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, Google, Blackboard, McKinsey, 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.
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.
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 80 startups, helping them secure around $65 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, Google, Blackboard, McKinsey, 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.
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.
Speaking At
