Heather Bergerson, a lifelong artist and resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is moving closer to the dream of having her own business thanks to NSITE’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives course.
Fully sighted until she was in a head-on collision in 2020 that resulted in retinal ischemia, Bergerson said that she appeared, at least on the outside, to have suffered no injuries. But the crash left her with multiple strokes and caused a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) that led to neurovisual disturbances.
“I was told that they would subside and go away eventually, but they never really did. Some of them did calm down, but they’re still there,” Bergerson said. “And, also, my retina decided to die off. In each eye it’s different. My right eye I have bigger blind spots, and multiples, you can’t even really count them. The left eye, they’re smaller, but they’re a lot more of the blind spots than in the right eye.”
A painter, printmaker, and muralist, Bergerson said she was very tactile even before the onset of her blindness.
“I’ve always loved touching things. Art making and creating just in general is very hands on,” she said. “I didn’t realize who I was leaving out as an artist; we’re leaving out this whole other community of people, whether they’re neurodivergent or they’re blind, because they’re not allowed to touch the artwork.”
Bergerson had taken previous business courses for her bachelor’s degree – she has a minor in arts leadership in business – and so tried writing a business plan on her own. But she knew she needed guidance to help her focus it more fully.
Then she heard about the Entrepreneurial Initiatives program through NSITE, National Industries for the Blind’s talent management enterprise that provides a continuum of employment services connecting employers with talented, dedicated people who are blind, low vision, and visually impaired, as well as veterans.
“I’m enrolled in the Commission for the Blind here in New Mexico, and my vocational rehabilitation counselor actually recommended it to me,” she said.
During the nine-month course, created through an NSITE partnership with NIB and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB), instructors prepare aspiring entrepreneurs to launch the business of their choice. Students take part in prerequisite Microsoft Office technology proficiency training for users of assistive technologies and Business Basics foundational coursework, which includes business operations, finance and budgeting essentials, improving decision making, marketing and sales. Courses are virtual and, in addition to regular instructors and classwork, students also meet with NSITE staff, mentors, and other experts to deepen their learning and ask clarifying questions. The ultimate goal of the program is to develop a business plan.
The flexibility NSITE offered via its online platform was also especially helpful to Bergerson, who balances work and life with her 10-year-old son. She also chose to turn down certain freelance jobs and, instead, became a substitute teacher in order to accommodate the class schedule.
Bergerson described the course as a safe space because everyone in her cohort, whether they had some sight or were completely blind, understood each other and the challenges they shared.
It was especially helpful to Bergerson that one of the instructors, Tanner Gers, who is totally blind himself, was someone she could be open with about her condition.
“He could truly relate to what I was going through as a TBI survivor with blindness as well,” she said. “He’s a Paralympian, he’s achieved these incredible things, so to have him as a role model and be an instructor for NSITE, I thought that was amazing.”
Gers is the founder and managing director of AccessAbility Officer, one of many companies that NSITE partners with to help prepare people who are blind to enter or reenter the work world. It also assists businesses and corporations to help ensure they are ADA compliant, conducting accessibility audits and offering technical accessibility certifications. Their work combines technology, processes, people, and legal expertise to make digital assets accessible.
Gers’ focus deals with brands, networking, and how to provide value to customers or an audience. Although the Entrepreneurial program is new and it’s his first time as an instructor for it, he has been teaching similar methods for years.
“These are tough things because it isn’t like math: 1 + 1 = 2,” he wrote in an email. “There’s a lot of creativity, problem solving, and talent inherent to these things, but there’s also a lot of skill which can be developed.”
Students come into the course with a host of different business ideas, including ecommerce drop shipping and temporary tattoos and skin art, Gers said.
As an interdisciplinary artist, Bergerson wants to mix all of her favorite media to create a product called sticky murals. Her hope is they will appeal to not only people who are blind, but also to those who are neurodivergent and to people who traditionally aren’t able to afford large art pieces or have a mural installed. With sticky murals, she explained, the art could also come down and be transported when the owner moved.
“These sticky murals, specifically, are reusable adhesives, kind of like the printed vinyls you see in stores, but in this case they would actually be catered to allow the audiences to touch and interact with the mural as well,” she explained.
“Everybody wants to live in a nice home, and love to have things around them, whether they can see it or not. That helps them feel comfortable and alive in their space, and speaking with people with total blindness, for example, and realizing that they, too, love artwork still.”
She said her idea is not about just providing “pretty pictures,” but about making art available to everyone.
“I was trying to figure out how I can fit into this realm of being a creative and being an entrepreneur,” she continued. “And so that’s what I brought to NSITE. I told Marianne, ‘Here’s my business plan,’ and it was relieving to hear her be so excited and thrilled about it, and say, ‘Yes, we can work with this.’ And so, for me, I need that feedback, I need my cheerleaders.”
‘Marianne’ is Marianne Haegeli, NSITE’s director of Learning and Leadership. She shared was impressed with Heather’s spirit and commitment to achieving success from their very first conversation.
“Heather came to the NSITE Entrepreneurial Initiative program with a clear concept and a well-developed draft business plan in her pocket. Her fierce entrepreneurial spirit combined with a natural curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning make her the perfect participant for this demanding program.”
Haegeli also joked that she and several other NSITE instructors are all vying to be Bergerson’s first client.
The coursework has taught Bergerson how fast-paced the business world is, and that research and development can and will take as long as necessary. Bergerson said she’s also learned that business is an ever-evolving world, and she didn’t need all the answers.
“And then, as an artist, it’s only natural to work on your own. But when it comes to business, and a thriving business, you need a really good team. For me, that was probably one of the biggest realizations that I had taking these courses: I can’t do this all alone, and that nobody expects me to do this all alone.”
Gers said moments of awareness like these are important, and this is when students begin to see traction.
“They start to see some doors open up,” he said, whether that looks like positive, in-person interactions; messages returned; or invitations for students to collaborate with other people. “It really starts to get exciting because they begin to realize two things. The importance of strategy and execution.
“When that comes together, what’s truly possible begins to be realized,” Gers continued. “And then their fire for success exponentially grows stronger, along with all the other ‘professional polishing’ benefits of doing the work.”
In addition to helping hone her project, the NSITE Entrepreneurship Initiatives program has also served as a springboard to additional education for Bergerson. She’s moved on to the Wharton Business School portion of the NSITE program, where she is completing the capstone project – the completion of her business plan. It’s a process she anticipates will take about six months. She is also applying to art school to earn her master’s degree.
Another important takeaway from the course? Knowing that anything is possible.
“Seriously. It doesn’t matter your limitations,” Bergerson said. “The limitations are only there because society hasn’t thought about you yet.”
The next Entrepreneurial Initiatives cohort will form in February. Click here to apply! Or, for more information, contact Jonathan Lucus, jlucus@nsite.org, or Marianne Haegeli, mhaegeli@nsite.org.