Software engineer Mike Gorse shares how early mentorship, Linux accessibility work, and steady investing shaped his career and financial freedom. Hosts Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner explore his journey from Duxbury Systems to SUSE, the lessons he’s learned about networking, relocation, and accessibility in tech, and how a simple, long-term investing approach brought stability and choice. His advice: connect with peers in your field, volunteer to gain traction, stay open to opportunities, and align your work and finances with what matters most.
Contact Info
Guest — Mike Gorse
📧 mike@straddlethebox.org
🐘 @MikeGorse@mindly.social
Penny Forward — pennyforward.com
Aftersight — aftersight.org | feedback@aftersight.org | (720) 712-8856
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight
Show Credits
Hosts: Chris Peterson, Liz Bottner
Guest: Mike Gorse
Producer / Post: Jonathan Price
Music: Andre Louis
Presented by: Penny Forward in partnership with Aftersight
Sponsors: Thrivent and The Nasdaq Foundation
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Intro: Building bright futures
00:15 — Meet Mike Gorse
02:10 — Early tech and Braille foundations
04:23 — First job at Duxbury Systems
06:41 — Linux and open-source accessibility
11:05 — Joining Novell and SUSE
13:23 — Handling discouragement and finding mentors
15:28 — Advice for career counselors and seekers
17:48 — Remote work and moving to Austin
19:50 — Context matters in career paths
22:11 — Housing co-ops and community
24:58 — Pros and cons of shared living
26:43 — Investing wisely and the Simple Path to Wealth
28:40 — FIRE and financial independence
30:54 — Networking and creating opportunities
33:19 — How to reach Mike
35:25 — Credits and Aftersight partnership
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Software engineer Mike Gorse shares how early mentorship, Linux accessibility work, and steady investing shaped his career and financial freedom. Hosts Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner explore his journey from Duxbury Systems to SUSE, the lessons he’s learned about networking, relocation, and accessibility in tech, and how a simple, long-term investing approach brought stability and choice. His advice: connect with peers in your field, volunteer to gain traction, stay open to opportunities, and align your work and finances with what matters most.
Contact Info
Guest — Mike Gorse
📧 mike@straddlethebox.org
🐘 @MikeGorse@mindly.social
Penny Forward — pennyforward.com
Aftersight — aftersight.org | feedback@aftersight.org | (720) 712-8856
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight
Show Credits
Hosts: Chris Peterson, Liz Bottner
Guest: Mike Gorse
Producer / Post: Jonathan Price
Music: Andre Louis
Presented by: Penny Forward in partnership with Aftersight
Sponsors: Thrivent and The Nasdaq Foundation
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Intro: Building bright futures
00:15 — Meet Mike Gorse
02:10 — Early tech and Braille foundations
04:23 — First job at Duxbury Systems
06:41 — Linux and open-source accessibility
11:05 — Joining Novell and SUSE
13:23 — Handling discouragement and finding mentors
15:28 — Advice for career counselors and seekers
17:48 — Remote work and moving to Austin
19:50 — Context matters in career paths
22:11 — Housing co-ops and community
24:58 — Pros and cons of shared living
26:43 — Investing wisely and the Simple Path to Wealth
28:40 — FIRE and financial independence
30:54 — Networking and creating opportunities
33:19 — How to reach Mike
35:25 — Credits and Aftersight partnership
Podcast: Get Certified and Get Hired with AccessibilityOfficer
Penny Forward
29 minutes
7 months ago
Podcast: Get Certified and Get Hired with AccessibilityOfficer
We learn about the Certified Accessibility Tester program from Tanner Gers, founder and Managing Director of AccessAbility Officer, whose vision is the US disabled unemployment rate is the same as the US unemployment rate. More powerful than these words? Tanner walks the talk. Over 80% of his team has a severe disability, and a large majority of these individuals are blind professionals who use screen readers. Everything AccessAbility Officer does is driven by their big vision. They just happen to help companies make their websites accessible, and get more people with disabilities jobs.
Tanner is also a National Beep Baseball Association 7-time NBBA All-Star and 3-time World Series MVP, US Paralympian in track and field, earning Gold at the Para Pan America Games in Guadalajara, a 2012 US Paralympic trials gold medalist, 2012 US Paralympic and 2013 World Championship team member, and the 2015 and 2016 National Champion in track cycling. Tanner has a Bachelors in Communications from the University of Arizona and MBA from Louisiana State University.
Penny Forward
Software engineer Mike Gorse shares how early mentorship, Linux accessibility work, and steady investing shaped his career and financial freedom. Hosts Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner explore his journey from Duxbury Systems to SUSE, the lessons he’s learned about networking, relocation, and accessibility in tech, and how a simple, long-term investing approach brought stability and choice. His advice: connect with peers in your field, volunteer to gain traction, stay open to opportunities, and align your work and finances with what matters most.
Contact Info
Guest — Mike Gorse
📧 mike@straddlethebox.org
🐘 @MikeGorse@mindly.social
Penny Forward — pennyforward.com
Aftersight — aftersight.org | feedback@aftersight.org | (720) 712-8856
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight
Show Credits
Hosts: Chris Peterson, Liz Bottner
Guest: Mike Gorse
Producer / Post: Jonathan Price
Music: Andre Louis
Presented by: Penny Forward in partnership with Aftersight
Sponsors: Thrivent and The Nasdaq Foundation
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Intro: Building bright futures
00:15 — Meet Mike Gorse
02:10 — Early tech and Braille foundations
04:23 — First job at Duxbury Systems
06:41 — Linux and open-source accessibility
11:05 — Joining Novell and SUSE
13:23 — Handling discouragement and finding mentors
15:28 — Advice for career counselors and seekers
17:48 — Remote work and moving to Austin
19:50 — Context matters in career paths
22:11 — Housing co-ops and community
24:58 — Pros and cons of shared living
26:43 — Investing wisely and the Simple Path to Wealth
28:40 — FIRE and financial independence
30:54 — Networking and creating opportunities
33:19 — How to reach Mike
35:25 — Credits and Aftersight partnership
