About

Company

Our Story
Who We Are

It all started with this: what if we could help make the lives of people with disabilities better. Many companies offer ramps, wider isles, talking ATMs, accessible washrooms or automatic doors. But we saw a widening gap between the physical and digital world for people with disabilities.

Our digital accessibility solution then became the catalyst in helping educate purpose-driven organizations on the benefits of enhancing the customer experience for people with disabilities. We were soon able to form a global coalition of private and public sector organizations, who came together to make digital platforms welcoming to people of all abilities and to ensure the delivery of a transformational experience with universal appeal.
We didn’t stop there. We worked closely with organizations like the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) and inaugurated the People with Disabilities category in their annual Multicultural Excellence Award. Winners in the category include brands such as Duracell, Kimberley Clark, and Jockey.

We are headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and have offices in the United States and Brazil.

Management Team

Simon Dermer
CEO & Co-Founder
eSSENTIAL Accessibility’s innovative market driven approach is informed by Simon’s healthcare industry experience as a business development executive with a network provider and owner of an outpatient rehabilitative services facility.
As a founder and Chief Executive Officer, Simon is responsible for driving the mission, vision and strategic direction for the company. Passionate about bridging the digital divide for people with disabilities, Simon champions product strategy and development at eSSENTIAL Accessibility.
Simon graduated in economics from Queen’s University and completed the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program.

Spiro Papathanasakis
COO & Co-Founder
Spiro’s background, with his experience in front line consumer services with some of the largest companies in the financial and healthcare sectors and as a developer of consumer-friendly digital claims, informs eSSENTIAL Accessibility’s innovative market driven approach.
As the Chief Operation Officer, Spiro oversees day-to-day business operations and leads the finance, client services and compliance teams.
Spiro graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

Mark Steele
President & Co-Founder
Mark brings over 25 years of experience working with global technology companies that offer compelling and, in most cases, disruptive solutions to the marketplace, most recently as Chief Revenue Officer at Newstore Inc. Prior to Newstore, Mark led Sales and Marketing at Tulip Retail and spent over 8 years in leadership positions at Oracle.
Mark was as founding board member at eSSENTIAL Accessibility and joined the company in a permanent role in late 2018 to help scale the business for growth.
As President, Mark leads all aspects of corporate development, sales and partnerships at eSSENTIAL Accessibility.
Mark holds an undergraduate degree in Law from Carlton University and an MBA from the University of Toronto.

Eric Feinberg
Chief Marketing Officer
Eric is a creative and analytical marketing leader. Previously, Eric was the Vice President of Marketing & Chief Evangelist at ForeSee, the customer experience analytics company. He’s a board member emeritus of the industry trade group Digital Analytics Association and a well-established customer experience thought leader. Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan.

Helen Papathanasakis
VP, Human Resources and Operations
With over 15 years of experience in human resources and strategic operations, Helen Papathanasakis is a dynamic individual who has helped organizations grow exponentially. Her success lies not only in her skills, but also in her ability to understand and illuminate a company’s key strengths. Her dynamic approach to leadership saw her being recognized in Wings Magazine’s “Top 20 Under 40 Leaders” and in Space & Technologies Magazine’s list of the “Most Influential Person in the Top 20 Under 40.” She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto and has gained certifications in Certified Human Resources Designation (CHRP) and Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC).

Joanne Pires
Director of Marketing
Joanne’s passion for B2B marketing stems from her experience developing marketing strategies and campaigns for organizations in a number of different industries. At eSSENTIAL Accessibility, Joanne and her team drive business growth by developing programs and campaigns in following areas: demand generation, content, partnerships, sales enablement and other strategic initiatives. Prior to leading marketing efforts at eSSENTIAL Accessibility, she garnered experience working at agencies and SaaS start-ups in the Toronto area. Joanne holds a Master of Arts and a Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

Eduardo Meza-Etienne
Director of Compliance
Eduardo, a brain injury survivor, has been involved in the accessibility and disabilities field for 20 years working for numerous government agencies and small contractors in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and is the Accessibility Chair for the DC Metro BLN. Eduardo holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics, a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Master’s degree in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ.

Naré Hamboyan
Director of Client Services
Naré drives client engagement and helps organizations optimize their utilization of eSSENTIAL Accessibility’s comprehensive digital accessibility solution. By building deeper relationships and ensuring the quality of delivered services, Naré fosters positive client experiences and success for both brand partners and the company. Naré holds a MBA from the Schulich School of Business.

Kara Zirkle
Manager, Compliance and Training
Kara has over 18 years’ experience working with individuals with disabilities and education/outreach. She is an advocate and educator with regard to providing technical support, awareness and guidance on assistive technologies as well as the laws around overall accessibility and those that protect individuals with disabilities. Kara holds a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University.