Matt was born with severely profound hearing loss and was outfitted with hearing aids at 2 years old. He brought his love of all types of music to Gallaudet University where he was required to learn sign language. Matt leveraged his love for music and quickly learned ASL using music and lyrics. In this process, he learned to match lyrics to the rhythm. His videos made him famous within the deaf community leading to the founding of DEAFinitely Dope. Matt and DEAFinitely Dope have been invited to interpret music concerts by artists like Chance the Rapper, and have worked with MTV Music Awards, CNN, ESPN, and many others.

What inspired you to found DEAFinitely Dope?M: Seeing that there was a void in representation in the sign language community, and the desire to make sign language appealing and accessible to the mainstream!

Which is your most memorable work so far and why?M: By far working with Chance The Rapper on tour proved to be a lifechanging and memorable experience with witnessing how advocating towards providing accessibilty to the deaf community that had never experienced live music in person and seeing the joy for everybody involved was unforgettable!

What important steps should be taken to promote inclusion?M: Acknowledgement, and constantly being aggressive about providing tools such as captioning and interpreting.

What challenges did you face during your school days? How did you motivate yourself to face those challenges?M: My school days were challenging trying to fit into a culture that wasn't meant for me, yet I didn't know any better that there were other realities available and once I saw that was the case, the motivation was there from the start to make the most out of facing those challenges and getting in where I fit in as best as I could even if it meant multiple realities and constant code-switching.

What are your other hobbies?M: Reading, eating, traveling, exercise

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you love about that place?M: I love to visit Chicago, the hospitality, culture, vibes and food is unrivaled!

What is your suggestion for families of children with disabilities to empower their children?M: It's already hard enough for your children being differently abled, and show your children the love that the world may not initially show to them at first. Learn about their disability, compromise, adapt to your children instead of forcing them to adapt to your way of life.

Any special message for our community?M: Positivity and love goes a long way.