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Speaker. Author. Consultant.

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About

As an autistic and legally blind person Mickey Rowe believes that when we design for accessibility, we help everyone to perform at their best, not just disabled folks. As an actor who has been on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater, Mickey is a speaker with incredible stage presence and charisma. Mickey has had to advocate for himself his whole life as an autistic and legally blind person, yet becoming better at advocating for oneself and one’s business is a skill we all would benefit from. As a disabled stage actor Mickey knows that often people want so badly to fit in that they forget what makes them stand out. But only when we learn to value each other’s differences can we truly succeed.

Mickey Rowe (he/him) has had a prolific and varied career as an actor, director, consultant, and public speaker; now highly sought after both nationally and internationally. Past clients include Pfizer, BrightHouse, APRA, The Kennedy Center, LEAD Conference, Nordstrom, and more. He was the first autistic actor to play Christopher Boone, the lead role in the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He has also appeared as the title role in the Tony Award-winning play Amadeus and more. Mickey has been featured in the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, The TODAY Show, PBS, Vogue, Playbill, NPR, CNN, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Forbes, and has keynoted at organizations including the International Council on Development and Learning, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, Yale University, Columbia University, Disability Rights Washington, The Gershwin Theatre on Broadway, New York Public Library, the DAC of the South Korean government, and more. Mickey is endorsed as a recommended speaker by the National Organization for Youth Safety and is a council member of the International Organization of Development and Learning. Mickey is a disability and accessibility expert has led DEIA trainings and workshops for companies including Nordstrom, Pfizer, BrightHouse, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, and more. Mickey was the founding Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, which works in partnership with Tony Award-winning companies such as La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He is the Author of the award winning, bestselling book Fearlessly Different. Mickey Rowe is in Seattle on the land of the Duwamish people past, present, and future.

Mickey Stands Out

CNN: Great Big Story

PBS: The Great American Read

HuffPost: Mickey Rowe

Testimonials

  • “Mickey’s warmth and grace instantly put our guests at ease. All of the guests I spoke to said that this was the best event we’ve ever had, and last year our speaker was Maya Angelou, so that is saying a lot! He gave our audience the ability to understand their own children and feel hope for the first time.”

    NC CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

  • “Mickey’s speech moved one of the attendees so much that he gave us a check for $10,000 on the spot and promised to pay all of the expenses to bring Mickey back next year.”

    MERISTEM HS

  • "Mickey Rowe was a HUGE hit at our conference. His ability to take his personal story and experiences and tailor it to our audience was artful, to say the least. I received so many positive comments. They started with text messages I received while he spoke that said, “Mickey is amazing!” and “incredible choice for a keynote.” It then continued during the two days of the conference, where dozens of people came up to me specifically to rave about Mickey."

    INTERNATIONAL COUCNIL ON DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING

  • “Mickey was amazing; I have heard nothing but compliments for his talk and the Q&A session. He was the perfect kickoff to a wonderful day of learning.”

    CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA

  • "Mickey is known for his ability to captivate a crowd, and he was equally as powerful in our team’s more intimate setting. He was open and relatable. Mickey had a way of expressing familiar ideas in new and insightful ways that left our team feeling energized. We look forward to engaging with him again!"

    PHIZER AND BCG BRIGHTHOUSE

  • “Mickey Rowe was wonderful! What a great presentation. He provided our audience with a great keynote. Had the entire audience loving his presentation. He was authentic. Love to have him come back again!”

    THE FAMILY CAFE

#FearlesslyDifferent

“People want so desperately to fit in that they forget what makes them stand out. Be loud. Take up space. Our differences are our strengths.”