“We are really changing the way companies are hiring people with disabilities,” says Nish Parikh, co-founder and CEO of Rangam, a New Jersey-based company specializing in developing innovative solutions for special needs education, vocational skills training, and inclusive employment.
He co-founded the company in 1995 with his wife and fellow DE&I Influencer Hetal Parikh, who serves as president. Under their leadership, Rangam has grown to be a trailblazer in the DE&I space.
Parikh creates cost-effective disability inclusive programs for companies to incorporate in their DE&I programs and advises them on DE&I. To accomplish this, he partners with researchers and universities to figure out how to incorporate research-driven best practices in Rangam’s work.
The group’s impact on the world of work is twofold – on processes and people.
For processes, Rangam focuses on enhancing best practices when it comes to inclusive hiring, which will “open up the doors of opportunity for people with and without disabilities,” Parikh says.
In terms of people, Rangam educates leadership teams, stakeholders and employer partners. “Making them aware of the best practices makes them feel comfortable and they can see their expanded DE&I mission,” he says.
Parikh is also working on a project in the field of neurodiversity, providing technology and staffing industry subject-matter expertise through Rangam’s SourceAbled program, with the goal of building a scalable and sustainable model and best practices for companies hiring neurodiverse talent. Under Parikh’s leadership, Rangam rapidly changed its strategy amid the pandemic and managed to place 45 individuals on the autism spectrum, helping them obtain meaningful jobs.
“This brought us a great sense of pride. This is just the beginning as we reiterate our commitment to creating similar success stories globally and help neurodiverse talent reach their potential,” Parikh says.
As an expert in the field of DE&I, Parikh also hosts a weekly chat show around the theme of empathy, employment and innovation.
2023 DE&I Influencers List