ReelPeople: UP Abilities

An extraordinary evening with extraordinary stories.

ReelPeople: UP Abilities, in partnership with The UP Experience, features presentations from three extraordinary experts that will open a window into the world of disabilities with intimacy and urgency.

Speaker Name: Daniel Barvin

Daniel Barvin is a dedicated visionary on a mission to combat neurodegenerative diseases and pave the way for improved patient outcomes. As the Vice President of Operations and Patient Advocacy at Coya Therapeutics, Daniel leads the charge in advancing treatments for these challenging conditions, pushing the boundaries of medical innovation. With a deep personal connection to the cause, Daniel co-founded Genetic ALS and FTD: End the Legacy, the pioneering non-profit organization focused on providing compassionate care and support to the 500,000-1,000,000 individuals with, or at risk of, genetic ALS and FTD.  Daniel seeks to alleviate the burden on patients and their families through this noble initiative, offering hope and solidarity in their journey to confront these diseases head-on. Daniel Barvin has established himself as a seasoned expert in healthcare operations management and patient advocacy throughout his distinguished career. His unwavering commitment to optimizing healthcare processes and championing patient-centric care has garnered him widespread recognition and admiration within the industry. With an unyielding resolve to make a lasting impact, Daniel remains at the forefront of driving transformative change within Coya Therapeutics. He envisions a future where neurodegenerative diseases no longer hold power over lives, and patients receive the utmost care and support throughout their battles. Daniel Barvin's journey exemplifies the union of passion and expertise, as he continues to spearhead efforts that transcend conventional boundaries and strive for a future where the legacy of neurodegenerative diseases is finally put to rest.

Speaker Name: Eduardo Garcia

“A meal is not just what we eat, but a rich story of who we are.”

For Chef Eduardo Garcia, meals are meant to be shared. Food and cooking have served as a way to connect with others in meaningful ways. Food has taken him around the world as a yacht chef, a motivational speaker, and a big-screen storyteller as the host of Big Sky Kitchen on the Magnolia Network. His current work in food is most readily eaten and experienced via the handful of products and recipes available through his purpose-driven brand, Montana Mex. Montana Mex is a nationally distributed start-up well known for nourishing consumers on their journey of self-discovery in the kitchen and into a joy-filled relationship with the foods that fuel us. Eduardo is also an avid outdoorsman, fueled by a relationship that started early and has since fostered a deep love and admiration of land and life at large. With a curious mind and keen appetite to explore, Garcia bridged the gap from chef to grower and now runs a small regenerative farm with his family, with a simple goal to unite others through curiosity, education and cuisine.  For Eduardo and the passionate team he works with, exploring food through the journey it takes from field to plate is the missing ingredient in our food culture. Ultimately, people truly are at the center of the stories he crafts in connection to and in celebration of our relationship with food.

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Speaker Name: Gabriel Cordell

One month after his 22^nd birthday, Gabriel was involved in an automobile accident that crushed his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from his mid-chest down, but Gabriel’s goals and dreams were not crushed that day. After Gabriel’s history making wheelchair roll across America, he has now become a living testament for what the human will is capable of. As an actor, Gabriel guest starred on some of televisions biggest shows as well as having a multi-award winning, documentary film, ROLL WITH ME.