Stevie kept his late sister Annie’s dreams alive by portraying a positive message through social entrepreneurial experiment “3E Love” to change the perception of disability. The journey of "3E Love" actually began in 2004 when Annie created the "wheelchair heart symbol" for a dorm t-shirt while she and Stevie were undergraduate students together at the University of Illinois. Stevie is also a motivational speaker. His ability to motivate others has come directly from his experiences as an entrepreneur.

Tell us more about the social entrepreneurial experiment called 3E Love? who was the inspiration behind this experiment?S: The idea behind it is to start conversations. If people start conversations, then it will educate others and their community about people with disabilities. The only way to get to acceptance is through education and exposure, and proud people with disabilities taking the lead. The method to create these conversations is through the Wheelchair Heart Symbol, which is captivating and thought-provoking and creates conversations every day, all over the world. It portrays a positive message, which is much different than most conversations regarding disability. It was my sister Annie's idea to turn the symbol into a movement after we created the symbol as a joke in college, and others had such a positive reaction to it. She was getting her PH.D in Disability Studies so it was right up her alley. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2009, and then I took over her company and have been moving forward since.

What kind of challenges do you face while running your business? How do you rectify those challenges?S: I have all of the same challenges every business owner has: finding and maintaining good employees, managing time, keeping up with costs, finding new customers, and keeping the customers happy. The list goes on and on. Additional challenges specific to our company include explaining the idea behind it, and overcoming the perception that everything disability-related is a charity. My personal disability also adds additional management cost in the form of office assistants and care assistants that most business owners would not have to incur.

Which role do you like the most, being an entrepreneur or a motivational speaker? Would you like to share an experience which has touched your heart during your 3E Love journey?S: I like both roles - I think they go hand-in-hand. My ability to motivate others has come directly from my experiences as an entrepreneur and my experiences overcoming my challenges to be a successful business owner. In a perfect world, if I could afford to pay others to manage the business and just every once-in-a-while step in to make a decision while I'm travelling all over the world speaking... I would absolutely prefer that perfect scenario, but that is pretty far-fetched :) I just love hearing my customers' stories - how they have come to know about 3E Love, or about their personal journey of acceptance. Many stand out and I wouldn't know where to start. We receive kind emails and letters every single day from our customers thanking us for what we do, and sharing with us why they are joining the movement. It's really amazing to be a part of something that your customers appreciate on such a personal level. That is rare.

Can you tell us more about your sister/co-founder Annie? Which quality of Anne inspires you the most?S: Her ability to ignore what others thought of her and her willingness to go against the grain of society's perceptions... without any care for how it affects her inspires me every day and reminds me to just do what I gotta do, and to follow my heart.

Who is your favorite motivational speaker and why?S: Honestly, I don't have one... if I didn't accidentally become a speaker, I would not know anything about the industry and I still don't :)

What do you like to do when you are with your family?S: Normal family things. Nice dinners, going on vacation, arguing! I'm lucky to have my mother work with me every single day. She is one of my care assistants and she also handles our shipping department.

What is your favorite place to visit and why?S: I really enjoy going to Wisconsin to relax in the summer, at the lake. I've traveled all over the country and I also really enjoy San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Boston. I love the history, food, and cultures in those cities.

What are your other hobbies?S: I honestly don't really have many hobbies. I am lucky to have a job that is a hobby. I sell t-shirts and wheelchair hearts for a living - it can't get much better than that. When I have free time, I watch movies, television, and eat sushi.

What advice would you give to our community if someone is interested in becoming an entrepreneur?S: Be realistic with your challenges, but also with your opportunity. It's important to stay calm and have a good understanding of what you are trying to do, and why you want to do it. The challenges of being an entrepreneur will eat you alive if you are not prepared and that is true whether or not you have a disability.

Any special message for our community?S: LOVE Life!