Synergies Works Blaze Accelerator

Yesterday marked the last day of the Blaze Business Accelerator for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities. It was Pitch Day—the grand finale. Four minutes to present my business and two minutes of Q&A. When the event recording goes live, I’ll update this post with a link so you can witness my transformation into a 1980s monotone robot—a robot whose sole mission is to lull unsuspecting viewers into the nap of a lifetime. Do robots know when they’re making fools of themselves? Because there was some stammering I would gladly erase from my memory banks. But it was an amazing experience all the same. I would do it over again a thousand times .

But Blaze wasn’t just about pitches. It was about people. My cohort—an extraordinary group of dreamers and hustlers—became family. Over nine weeks, we built more than businesses.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for me. My disability sometimes got in the way. A medication change and the side effects of the previous medication, and I missed a few sessions. I kept waiting for the “We regret to inform you…” email, but it never came. Either they saw my potential, or they just forgot to update the roster. I’ll take it.

Blaze wasn’t a lecture series—it was a full-on boot camp for your brain and business. Each week brought new challenges, field experiments, and “why-didn’t-I-think-of-this-sooner” moments. The end feels abrupt, like finishing a great book only to realize the last chapter is missing. But instead of sadness, I feel grateful—grateful for the tools I’ve gained, the confidence I’ve built, and the amazing people I’ve met.

For anyone wondering if a program like this is worth it, let me say this: absolutely. Blaze pushed my business, WeRestore.Tech, forward in ways I didn’t think possible. It reminded me that I’m not alone in this journey.

I had to put a lot of projects on hold to get the most out of the program. I still work at my local Goodwill as a fallback so time was a precious commodity. Getting the website up is now priority one.

So, here’s to Blaze, my incredible cohort, and all the entrepreneurs willing to put their reputations on the line to make their mark on the world—even when the odds seem stacked against them. I’m going to make several posts in the coming weeks about some of what I learned. Stay tuned for the pitch recording (and nap potential), and if you’re curious about the highs, lows, and lessons of building a business while living with schizophrenia, hit that follow button. There’s plenty more to come.

Repair, Resell, Recycle!

This post fueled by chaos, late nights, and ChatGPT.