We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mike Clapper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mike below.

Alright, Mike thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I didn’t start this business with a plan. I started it from a place of frustration and clarity.

My wife and I had just finished a two-week bucket-list cruise to Iceland, a gift for my 40th birthday. We were docked in Reykjavík for a full day, and all passengers were asked to disembark for routine port checks. We had an accessible day tour booked. The sun was shining. Everything was lined up.

Except I couldn’t get off the ship.

The gangway was too steep and narrow for my power wheelchair, and covered in raised metal bumps designed for icy weather, not summer. No ramp. No plan B. And no one had figured it out, even though I’d been on board for over two weeks.

The crew cared. They really did. But empathy doesn’t fix poor execution. So for the next 24 hours, while thousands of passengers explored Iceland, my wife and I sat alone on the ship.

That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t just a frustrating experience; it was a failure of design. This was a systems issue that was hidden in plain sight.

Hotels and cruise lines are still treating accessibility as a checkbox on a compliance checklist. What they’re missing is a business opportunity whose influence and market is massive, loyal, and wildly underserved.

I’ve worked for 20 years in brand strategy, marketing, and business development, mostly in the medical device and tech space. I’m wired to spot gaps, build systems, and turn insight into action. Sitting on that ship, I saw exactly what was missing and why it mattered.

That’s the moment Able2Global was born. Not as a nonprofit or a DEI initiative, but as a consulting firm that helps hospitality brands turn overlooked guest experiences into measurable growth.

What got me excited wasn’t just the mission, it was the fact that no one else was doing it this way. Everyone was focused on the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) or DEI optics. I knew from lived experience and business logic that this was bigger.

This isn’t a charity play. It’s a growth strategy. When done right, accessibility increases revenue, loyalty, and guest satisfaction. These travelers don’t just show up. They stay longer, spend more, travel in groups, and come back when the experience works.

The market is there. Over $100 billion in annual spending, when you include disabled travelers and their companions. The brands that get it right are already seeing the results.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Mike Clapper. I’m the Founder and CEO of Able2Global, and the Host and Inclusioneer in Chief of The Inclusioneer Lab. I’m a strategist, storyteller, and full-time wheelchair user who believes the future of hospitality will be inclusive, or it won’t work at all.

I spent over 20 years in brand strategy, marketing, and business development, mostly in the medical device and technology industries. I helped launch products, grow teams, and build businesses in complex, high-stakes spaces. It wasn’t until a personal experience on a cruise ship in Iceland that I realized what I really needed to build.

After being stuck onboard for 24 hours because the gangway wasn’t accessible, I realized the issue wasn’t just an inconvenience, it was a design and system failure. The cruise line had known I was on board for over two weeks. They cared. But they weren’t prepared.

That moment exposed the real gap in hospitality. Accessibility isn’t broken because people don’t care. It’s broken because the systems weren’t designed to serve everyone.

That’s why I launched Able2Global, a strategic consulting firm that helps hospitality brands turn accessibility from a compliance checkbox into a competitive advantage.

Our work is built around the Inclusioneer Framework, three pillars that help brands stop guessing and start getting it right:

Design That Includes
This isn’t about checklists or retrofits. It’s about spaces that quietly say “you belong here” the moment someone walks in. We help teams notice what most people miss — the design details that create friction or say “you weren’t expected.” When you design for everyone, you elevate everyone.

Hospitality That Elevates
Most service failures aren’t about attitude. They’re about awareness. That blank stare when a guest asks for something simple? That awkward pause when someone walks in with a mobility device? We train teams to notice those moments and show up differently with confidence, empathy, and the tools to actually deliver.

Systems That Scale
Good design and great service don’t matter if your systems fall apart. We help brands build operational habits that stick. Booking flows that don’t break. Teams that communicate well. Tools that make accessibility consistent instead of chaotic. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about getting better and staying better over time.

Tools that make accessibility consistent instead of chaotic. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about getting better and staying better over time.

These pillars come to life through our flagship Hospitality Impact Package, a full-service solution that includes audits, staff training, implementation support, and strategic consulting. Every engagement is aligned with guest experience, operational capacity, and business goals.

Beyond consulting, I also created The Inclusioneer Lab, a platform and podcast for bold ideas, practical frameworks, and real-world conversations that help leaders reimagine what hospitality could be. It’s where we explore the insights and innovations that actually move the needle.

What sets me apart is that I speak both languages. Not only have I traveled the world with a disability and seen firsthand how even luxury brands fall short, but I’ve also built businesses and led strategy in industries that demand outcomes. So when I talk about accessibility, I’m not pitching a feel-good initiative; I’m showing how it drives occupancy, loyalty, revenue, and long-term brand trust.

What I’m most proud of is that the conversations are changing. We’re sparking the right questions, connecting with people who actually want to make things better, and helping teams see what they’ve been missing. And we’re not just talking about it; we’re backing it up with real solutions that work in the real world.

If there’s one thing I want leaders to know, it’s this: accessibility isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a missed opportunity waiting to be claimed. When you build for the margins, you don’t just serve disabled guests; you improve the experience for everyone.

When hospitality includes everyone, everyone wins.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think terms like “resilience” and “adversity” get thrown around a lot. I always laugh when I hear them in sports. “Quarterback, you threw an interception and came back to win the game. Talk about your team’s resilience in the face of adversity.”

If I’m being honest, I’ve been called an inspiration because of my disability more times than I care to remember. But that’s not resilience. It’s not inspiring. I’m just dealing with the circumstances life has handed me. My parents taught me from a young age that I could achieve anything in life, just like anybody else.

For me, resilience shows up in seasons, especially the ones no one sees.

One that stands out happened long before I started Able2Global.

I was a sophomore in college when I hit a wall mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I was struggling with depression, overwhelmed by pressure, and completely burned out. Without telling anyone, I dropped out of school. No one knew. Not my parents. Not my friends. I kept up appearances for a year, pretending everything was fine.

Eventually, it all came crashing down, as secrets like that do. And when it did, I had to face the hardest truth of all. I wasn’t being honest with myself. I was building a life that wasn’t real.

That season forced me to rebuild everything from the ground up. Not just my education, but also my integrity, my identity, and my faith.

Since then, resilience hasn’t looked like pushing through at all costs. It’s looked like choosing to show up, to tell the truth, and to do the next right thing even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

Building Able2Global hasn’t been easy. I didn’t start with investors or a perfect plan. Just a deep sense that something needed to change, and that maybe I was the one called to help change it.

There have been plenty of moments where I’ve questioned everything. But I keep going. Not because I have all the answers, but because I’ve already walked through something harder. I’ve learned how to stay steady when it feels like the wheels are coming off. I’ve learned how to build anyway.

That’s resilience, at least for me. Not the absence of struggle, but the decision to keep showing up with honesty, courage, and purpose, no matter what.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot in my life came when I realized I was building success by everyone else’s definition but not my own.

For over 20 years, I worked in brand strategy, marketing, and business development. I had a great career in the medical device and tech world. I got to lead product launches, build teams, and sit at some really important tables. I was part of three successful exits, including one IPO. On paper, I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do.

But deep down, I always knew I wanted to build something of my own. I was just too scared to take the leap.

For years, I kept choosing the steady paycheck, the predictable path, the next promotion. I told myself I would start something someday, when things slowed down, when the timing was better, when I was more prepared. That someday finally turned into now.

The pivot wasn’t sudden, but it was decisive. I stopped waiting for permission and started building what I knew needed to exist.

I didn’t start Able2Global because I had it all figured out. Not at all actually. I just reached a point where I couldn’t keep building someone else’s dream while ignoring my own.

It’s been wild at times. There’s no playbook, no safety net. I traded the steady paycheck for purpose and an entrepreneurial dream. But honestly? I’d do it again tomorrow.

Because now, every day means something. I get to wake up and build something that matters. Something that helps people and pushes the industry forward.

And that’s the best part. I’m not just building a business. I’m building a better way to do hospitality, where no one feels like an afterthought.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.able2global.com/, https://www.inclusioneerlab.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inclusioneerlab
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578724916873#
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeclapper/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@InclusioneerLab