At age 24, Keisha Greaves was diagnosed with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy – at which point, her life changed forever. Rather than be bogged down by her diagnosis, Keisha decided to channel her energy into celebrating those with Muscular Dystrophy and other chronic illnesses. Thus began Girls Chronically Rock and the founding of her other nonprofits: The GCR Adaptive Project and the Trust Your Abilities Nonprofit for People of Color.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Girls Chronically Rock supports individuals in the disability community through inspiring and adaptive tees, hoodies, accessories, and swimwear.

The mission of the GCR Adaptive Project is to make fashion accessible to everyone regardless of ability by providing adaptive fashion supplies and tools to college fashion students so they can learn to design more inclusively.

The Trust Your Abilities Nonprofit for People of Color helps people of color in the disability community access much needed resources and support for their disability (ie. grants for accessible vehicles, uninsured medical equipment, adaptive fitness equipment, and school scholarship, among other needs.)

Keisha frequently speaks at conferences, for pharmaceutical companies, high schools, colleges, and universities to spread awareness about Muscular Dystrophy, work-life-chronic illness balance, raising money for causes, advocating for disability, and other related topics. Keisha has been featured in several national media outlets including Good Morning America, The Today Show, ABC News, and more. One of her proudest moments is when she was featured in Today Style Heroes 2018.

Keisha has personally worked alongside Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and successfully got September 30th officially proclaimed as Limb- Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Day. Furthermore, she also received the proclamation from previous Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern and current Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui. Keisha earned her BA in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Framingham State University and an MBA from Cambridge College.

During this episode, we chatted about:

• Keisha’s unexpected diagnosis with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy
• What Girls Chronically Rock is
• The inspiration behind the GCR Adaptive Project and Trust Your Abilities
• How reality TV has been a great escape from tough days
• Keisha’s process for juggling all of her entities
• How she designs her adaptive clothing
• Advice she has for individuals with disabilities who want to start a business
• Tips for employers on how they can be more inclusive

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things fashion, inclusion, and entrepreneurship.

Access the full transcript here.

Watch the episode on YouTube here.

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