Our Story
Inclusion Seekers, powered by Starfire, is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit founded in 1993 with a mission to reduce social isolation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so they are known for their gifts, not their disability. We work to expand the collective imagination for what is positive and possible for people with disabilities to be connected in their communities, everywhere.
Driven by the question families most often ask, “Who will be in the life of my child with a disability after I’m gone?”, Inclusion Seekers powered by Starfire has continually evolved to answer it. In 2016, the organization replaced building-based programs with a personalized, community-based model, launching over 200 citizen-led projects and training more than 15,000 people globally through the Learning Network.
In 2025, Starfire launched Inclusion Seekers, evolving from an organization into a movement. That year’s inaugural Inclusion Seekers Summit brought together more than 250 advocates from 17 states to confront social isolation as a public health crisis. Today, this work continues through community connection, generous supporters, and the belief that lasting relationships grow from shared interests, curiosity, and unexpected connections.
Our Mission
Belonging is built into everyday life, not in isolation. When individuals are named, known for their gifts, and welcomed into the community, they will experience full and meaningful lives.
We are actively working to end social isolation for people with disabilities and their families. Our goal is to change that by making connections possible that continue beyond any program or project.
Because when people are named and known for their gifts, everything changes.
Our Emphasis
In other words, Inclusion Seekers doesn’t “own” the knowledge of inclusion — we help activate, connect, and strengthen the people who do.
Tim Vogt has spent his whole career providing support for people with disability labels. He thrived as the Executive Director of a legacy organization called Starfire in Cincinnati. Their work was highly regarded, but Tim began to wonder if it was actually delivering a full life to all the people being supported. His answer was deeply distressing, so he decided to transform the organization to do whatever would be needed to give people full lives in the community. This book is the story of that remarkable transition – the struggles, the complexity, and the emerging results. It is a leading-edge example of what can be done to reform and refresh hundreds of organizations so all of us can be full citizens together.
