Director / Producer

Jason DaSilva was born in Dayton, Ohio 1978. At this time, Dayton was statistically the most average city in America, & the name Jason was also the most commonly used boys’ name of 1978 in North America. From there, he grew up in South Florida and Vancouver Canada. He has directed four short films (Olivia’s Puzzle, A Song For Daniel, Twins of Mankala, First Steps) and two feature length-documentary films (Lest We Forget and When I Walk), gathering many awards along the way. Three of his films have had national broadcasts on PBS, HBO, and CBC. DaSilva’s 2013 film, When I Walk, won a 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Programming. His most recent film, When We Walk, premiered in 2019 and he is currently excited to finish the trilogy with his upcoming feature film When They Walk. His other mainwork is as the founder and director of AXS Map, a website and accessibility database to find disability friendly places around the world.

Producer

Leigh DaSilva began his independent filmmaking career producing alongside award-winning filmmaker Jason DaSilva on First Steps, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (2009) and also screened at the Vancouver Film Festival (2009). He then went on to produce the feature-length documentary When I Walk, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (2013), broadcast on PBS/POV (2014), won Best Canadian Feature Documentary award at Hot Docs (2013), Grand Jury Award for Best Film at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (2013), and Most Popular Canadian Documentary at the Vancouver International Film Festival (2013). It won a News & Documentary Emmy in 2015. Leigh also produced the mobile application AXS Map, which is a crowd-sourced platform for mapping wheelchair accessible locations. It has received funding from numerous donors, including Google through the Tides Foundation, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the Canada Media Fund. He is the President of the award-winning production company In Face Films. He holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration (Marketing) from the University of South Dakota.

AXS Map Embassador in South America

Alberto del Moral is AXS Lab’s multilingual interpreter, who brings to our team a deep passion for foreign languages and cultures. He’s also a powerful advocate for human rights and people with disabilities. Physically disabled by multiple sclerosis, he’s a courageous fighter who’s fully committed to helping create a more inclusive world for everyone. Born in Mexico City, he migrated to the United States at age 19, where he was a big influence in the fashion industry, advertising and hospitality. He’s also a well sought after authority on art, films, documentaries, and travel. Today, he calls New York City home, after living many years in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Tucker Salovaara specializes in web design, video editing, and social media management. He is an advocate for the disabled community and strives to increase inclusion for everyone. Tucker currently works for Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB) as a Business Administrative Apprentice, where he focuses on social media promotion, website management, fundraising, and ensuring that all content is accessible to everyone. He is a member of the MTA’s Access-A-Ride Committee among many other advocacy organizations. Tucker has a Bachelor’s degree in Emerging Media Technologies with a concentration in Media Design. He is excited to pair up with AXS Lab to help individuals like himself, have an accessible world to live in.

Dan DaSilva is currently working in the fast-paced world of Digital Marketing and is dedicated to help make an impact on accessibility through the lens of technology and the internet. Dan is originally from Vancouver, Canada and followed his dream of making it in New York. Having come from a non-profit background of 8 years which included a consultancy at the UN, he acquires a unique blend of multi-faceted experience in both human rights and the digital world. When he isn’t glued to his computer screen, you can find Dan traveling the world, partaking in outdoor activities, and constantly seeking out new restaurants and bars in NYC.

Sophie works for AXS Lab remotely as a Grant Associate, sourcing opportunities and writing grant applications to secure funding for AXS Maps and other projects.

Sophie has a MSc from the London School of Economics in Comparative Politics. In 2013, shortly after finishing her studies, she volunteered in Nicaragua for 3 months working on sustainable development projects. Sophie returned to the UK working in project management and board management for a financial trade association. In 2016 Sophie returned to Latin America as Development and Communications Coordinator for a not-for-profit. In 2019 Sophie started working with AXS Lab and looks forward to helping the organization grow.

Dmitry Koltunov is a technology leader with a love for startups, product, design, and engineering. He is the CTO and Co-Founder of ALICE, a NYC startup with 50m investment operating across the world. Dmitry has a blend of corporate and startup experience, and has served in various executive positions with both startups and leading global financial institutions. Dmitry currently serves as the director for the NYC chapter of the Startup Leadership Program (SLP), a global fellowship for founders to learn how to start companies through community driven learning.

Phil is a native New Yorker and former high school teacher who taught computer technology. His diverse background includes reporting the news at WBAI where he also produced a monthly radio program called “The Largest Minority” that focused on issues concerning people with disabilities. Phil and his wife Juliette pioneered the effort to establish taxi service for mobility impaired New Yorkers by starting the first wheelchair accessible car service in 1995.

Siddhartha Joag is a visual artist, journalist and producer who has worked closely with social justice and human rights movements in the U.S. and internationally for twenty years. From 2011 to 2015, Sidd served as Director of freeDimensional, an international network that supported over 250 artists and activists facing persecution and forcible displacement. Sidd received his academic training at the London School of Economics and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. He is currently the Managing Editor at ArtsEverywhere, an international digital, print and exhibition platform for artistic and journalistic exploration on the fault lines of modern society, a project of the Musagetes Foundation. His paintings, installations, murals and community projects have been seen in the U.S., Canada, India, China, the Philippines, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Northern Ireland. Sidd lives and works in New York City.

Naomi has worked with AXS Lab for several years as a creative and development assistant. She’s worked closely with Jason in developing and securing funding for the AXS Film Fund, as well as nurturing its growth and sustainability. She holds a bachelors from Bennington college in film, visual arts, and public action and an MA in Filmmaking from the University of Sussex. Through her studies she came to the understanding that her work in social justice is to help give people voice, thus empowering them and others to take action. Her short documentary HELO (Home, Education, Love, Opportunity), was an official selection and screened at the Bennington Alumni Film & Creativity Festival in 2019.

Jordan “Jodie” Egan (they/them) has been with AXS Lab since December of 2019 and has taken on multiple roles. Most recently, Jodie has been acting Office Administrator and Creative Assistant to Jason DaSilva. They have worked as Studio Manager at Sacred Mandala Studio and Gallery in Durham, NC and have managed and assisted in many multi-talent creative projects, including projects for Arrow Studio and Sasss.World. Jodie is an active advocate and activist.

JAMAL HODGE is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, Producer, and writer, whose simple mission is to add value to people’s lives. Jamal ‘s films have won over 50 awards including The Vanguard Award (Best of The Fest) at the Hip Hop Film Festival (2020), Best Director at the Chelsea Film Festival (2020) and the Audience Choice Award at the Blackstar Film Festival (2016). In 2018 he directed the first season of Investigation Discovery Channel's 'Primal Instinct' and came on as a Producer on the Animated feature film 'Pierre The Pigeon Hawk' starring Will.I.Am, Jennifer Hudson and Whoopi Goldberg. Jamal's poetry is featured in the historical all-black issue of Star*line Magazine and has been featured in SPACE AND TIME MAGAZINE, PENUMBRIC Speculative Fiction Magazine, and in the upcoming anthology CHIRAL MAD 5 alongside such greats as Linda Addison & Jack Ketchum.