Brooke Goodspeed

The birth of her second child 10 years ago thrust Brooke Goodspeed into the world of advocacy. Her son, Oliver, was born with Down syndrome and later diagnosed with autism, as well. Realizing that employment opportunities would be among the biggest challenges for Oliver, Brooke and her husband, Jon, launched GetIncluded.org. The nonprofit is behind Narberth, Pennsylvania’s GET Cafe, which employs over 50 people and offers competitive integrated employment. For many on staff at GET Cafe, it’s their first paid job. Wages are well above the state minimum and include tips, so employees understand competitive salaries and learn to value their skills accordingly. An oncology nurse practitioner at Penn, Brooke is now pursuing a doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania focused on the intertwining fields of autism and employment.