About Us

DylanListed LLC is a for social benefit Texas limited liability company founded, owned and operated by Dylan M. Rafaty who self-identifies as a person with a disability due to a congenital hearing impairment. The business focus is on promoting opportunities for gainful employment for active job seekers who self-identify as persons with a disability. The business launched in 2013 by offering a smart online recruitment site dedicated to job seekers with disabilities who self-identify. Since 2015, the business pivoted and the focus now is on empowering an important segment of the talent pool of the future, namely empowering the special needs youth in high school to smartly prepare for the transition to employment after the student leaves high school.  This is done through personalized ‘whole transition’ training for the SpEd youth and their parents/caregivers and through small, interactive support groups.

To help us achieve our goals we are informally and formally talking to and drawing on experiences and expertise of a growing number of advisers including the following:

  • William (Bill) T.  Coleman III, Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, University of Colorado
  • Randy Lewis, former Executive at Walgreen’s, Chicago, Illinois
  • Susan Ponder, Owner/Director, Winning Edge Employment Services, Tyler, Texas
  • Ruth Turner, Ph.D., Education Consultant, Dallas, Texas
  • Mark Spurlock, The River City Group, San Antonio, Texas
  • Tony Fleo, CEO, Social Venture Partners, Dallas, Texas
  • Becky Igo, Parent of a SpEd student and business owner
  • Kimberly Myers, Writers’ Guild West, Diversity Committee, Los Angeles, California
  • Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D – attorney and author
  • Henry Chesbrough, Ph.D., Haas School of Business, University of California- Berkeley, California
  • Ryan Rafaty, PhD, Cambridge, England
  • Melissa Walker, CEO, NextCareer Consulting, Plano, TX
  • Julie Redding, ResCare, San Antonio, Texas
  • Robert Nicholas, PhD, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, New Brunswick, New Jersey
  • Debra Liva, Educational Consultant/Advocate, In Child’s Best Interest, Dallas, Texas

Dylan M. Rafaty

Founder & Chief Navigator

Dylan@DylanListed.com

Dylan’s growing credentials in the national disability arena include author, dynamic motivational speaker, transition trainer, disability consultant and member of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. Dylan is a former SpEd student with a congenital hearing impairment. Dylan has delivered youth transition to employment training as invited speaker before Educational Service Centers in Texas. Dylan is a volunteer trainer at a number of DFW area non-profits serving adults with disabilities. He is working with the national ice cream industry to create and promote opportunities for entrepreneurs with disabilities in ice cream vending businesses.

Vesna Novakovic

Chief Education Officer

Vesna@DylanListed.com

Vesna is an experienced business and legal professional. She has held various roles in several industries, including oil & gas, medical devices, technology and arts & entertainment. She advises startups and represents the creatives and she herself is creative in her approach to her profession, interests. Business-tested professional and Mom and business partner to Dylan, Vesna brings a special understanding, empathy, insight, smarts and critical thinking to the breadth of employment-related issues affecting all job seekers with disabilities. A continuous learner, Vesna incorporates evidence based published data to promote new employer-driven initiatives for the hiring and retention of job seekers with disabilities.