What happens when overlooked innovators are empowered to solve problems for communities often left out of the conversation—and, even more, when those innovators have lived experience of the challenges they’re addressing? In this episode of The Angel Next Door Podcast, Marcia sits down with Brittany and Rich Palmer, a dynamic entrepreneurial couple, to explore how true Innovation and impact are ignited at the intersection of necessity, lived experience, and meaningful capital.

Brittany and Rich Palmer are not only successful entrepreneurs and angel investors but are also the visionary founders behind Adaptation Ventures, an investment firm and community dedicated to empowering startups focused on disability, neurodivergence, accessibility, and Aging. Brittany, herself born with a limb difference, brings firsthand perspective to the conversation, while Rich’s journey includes a personal medical challenge that became a catalyst for his mission-driven career shift. Together, they’ve built a unique fund and ecosystem that actively includes investors and decision-makers with disabilities—something almost unheard of in the traditional VC world.

This episode covers why only 1% of venture capital currently flows to accessibility-related innovation, details Brittany and Rich’s journey to plugging that gap, and shares stories of the groundbreaking companies they’re backing—from hardware innovations with million-dollar pipelines to products with the “curb cut effect” that benefit everyone. Whether you’re an investor, entrepreneur, or passionate catalyst for change, this conversation reveals how capital, community, and lived expertise can combine to drive scalable, high-impact solutions. If you care about innovation that truly changes lives, this episode is a must-listen—showcasing why Adaptation Ventures’ ecosystem model may reshape the future of inclusive investing.

To get the latest from Rich and Brittany Palmer, you can follow them below!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/therichpalmer/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanytofinchio/

https://adaptation.vc/

Rich’s first appearance on the Angel Next Door

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Marcia Dawood TEDx Speaker/Author/Podcaster

Marcia Dawood is an early-stage investor who serves on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, is a venture partner with Mindshift Capital, a member of Golden Seeds, and the chair emeritus of the Angel Capital Association (ACA), a global professional society for angel investors.
She is also an associate producer on the award-winning documentary Show Her the Money.
A TEDx speaker and the host of The Angel Next Door podcast, Marcia walks the talk and holds investments in over fifty early-stage companies and funds. She is committed to expanding support for diverse companies that overcome the world’s biggest problems and accelerate positive change. She is passionate about bridging the gap from early-stage inception to building thriving, profitable companies.
She is a founding member and chair of the ACA’s Growing Women’s Capital Group, which is building syndication and collaboration among US investment groups focused on women-led companies.
She is also a co-author of the book You Can, You Will, which was an Amazon bestseller in thirty-nine categories in four countries.
Prior to that, Marcia worked in sales, marketing, and operations for Kaplan Education for over sixteen years. Marcia received an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Marcia currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, Izzy, and she feels lucky to be the stepmom to three amazing sons.