Two years ago, the Horizon Academy Advancement Team began to discuss an event for Dyslexia Awareness Month. Our goal was to help Kansas City learn about dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities. We were especially focused on sharing quality information, including new people, and highlighting the ways our entire community benefits from dyslexic thinkers. After months of brainstorming the perfect name, we decided to call it Brilliantly Wired: Dyslexia and the Strengths that Set Us Apart.
Our inaugural event in 2025, which you can read about here, brought together a wonderful combination of parents, grandparents, community members, and business leaders. But something happened that made the morning even more meaningful: some of our students attended too.
Throughout the breakfast, as we watched our students listen to adults with dyslexia talk about their experiences, careers, challenges, and successes, we began to see Brilliantly Wired in a new way.
Yes, it was an opportunity to create greater awareness about dyslexia in Kansas City. But it was also creating something else: a window for our students to see how bright their own futures would be.
When students understand their unique strengths and see adults who think the way they do succeeding in the world, they can begin to imagine possibilities for themselves. They can see a future on television, building their own business, creating art, leading a billion-dollar company—or pursuing any of the countless paths that might be right for them.
That’s what we mean when we talk about opening windows.
A Window Into What’s Possible
One of the most memorable moments from our 2025 event came from chef Marc Murphy, who joined our panel virtually.
Marc shared a story about being asked to give a speech. Because writing and organizing a speech in the traditional way wasn’t the best approach for him, his team hired a speechwriter to help.
But the speechwriter didn’t simply hand Marc pages of prepared remarks.
Instead, the writer returned with a notebook filled with images.
Each image was designed to prompt the next story in Marc’s speech.
It was a simple but powerful example of what we hope every student at Horizon Academy comes to understand: there isn’t just one way to think, learn, communicate, or succeed.
Sometimes, finding the right strategy changes everything.
And sometimes, seeing someone else use a strategy that works for them opens a window to a possibility you hadn’t considered for yourself.
Our 2026 Brilliantly Wired Guests
We are delighted to welcome our 2026 speakers for a panel discussion on learning differences, perseverance, and unique strengths. This year’s conversation features voices from very different professional worlds—but both of our featured speakers also share something very important: they are dyslexic. And they each have a child with dyslexia.
We are thrilled to welcome Tim Meacham, Senior Vice President at Lockton, who brings an important perspective on recognizing personal strengths and using them to make an impact.
Tim is a senior executive who leads the vision, strategy, and growth of Lockton’s People Solutions business across the United States. With more than 30 years of experience in employee benefits and human resources consulting, Tim builds high-performing teams and fosters strong relationships with clients and industry partners.
His story gives our students another important window: dyslexic thinking doesn’t have to be something you simply learn to navigate in school. It can become part of how you approach leadership, solve problems, build relationships, and contribute to your community.
We are also excited to welcome Allison Bush-Kingsley, a photographer whose clients range from local families to international companies. Her career is rooted in the power of seeing and telling people’s stories.
Allison is also the founder of The Trixi Lou Project, a nonprofit born from her own experience of losing her mother. Through the project, Allison uses photography to help families preserve meaningful memories and create lasting legacies during some of life’s most difficult moments.
Together, our speakers will help us explore learning challenges, perseverance, strengths, and the many ways dyslexic thinkers are contributing to the world around them.
Why This Matters to Horizon Academy
At Horizon Academy, we believe deeply in the potential of dyslexic thinking.
Our mission is to empower students diagnosed with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities to become effective learners and confident self-advocates.
That means helping students understand who they are, how they learn, and what they can contribute to the world.
Our work doesn’t stop when a student learns to read more effectively or develops the academic strategies they need to succeed. We work diligently to make sure the over 300 students we serve across all of our programs leave Horizon Academy with the tools they need to use their strengths and advocate for themselves.
And we want them to believe they can pursue the future they choose.
It Takes a Community
An event like Brilliantly Wired doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes a community of people and organizations willing to open their doors, share their resources, and make space for important conversations.
We are especially grateful to the partners helping us bring this year’s event to life.
Lifted Logic is opening its doors to Horizon Academy and serving as the host for Brilliantly Wired. Their welcoming, creative space gives us the perfect setting for a morning centered on conversation, connection, and new ideas.
We are also delighted to have Jumbled Coffee and Bel-Air Café joining us as our coffee sponsors. Their generosity helps us create the warm, welcoming start to the morning that we want Brilliantly Wired to be—and their support demonstrates what is possible when local businesses choose to invest in a stronger, more inclusive community.
We are grateful to each of these partners for helping us open the door.
Join Us for Brilliantly Wired
There are two ways to join us for Brilliantly Wired on Wednesday, October 14:
- Join us in person for breakfast to meet our guests, connect with members of the Horizon Academy community, and be part of the conversation.
- Join us virtually if you’re otherwise unable to attend in person. We’re excited to offer a live virtual option this year so that geography doesn’t have to be a barrier to participating.
Whether you come as a parent, grandparent, educator, business leader, community member, or student, we hope you’ll leave with a broader understanding of dyslexia—and a greater appreciation for what dyslexic thinkers can bring to our communities.
What Comes Next
Support for Brilliantly Wired helps Horizon Academy do more than host one morning of conversation.
Sponsorships and donations support our unique work in the community, including need-based financial aid, direct organizational needs, and community outreach. Your support allows us to reach more students and families, expand awareness and understanding of dyslexia, and continue bringing our expertise to the broader community.
