Gene Rodgers

Gene broke his neck at age 17 when he fell from a cliff, in Whipp’s Ledges near his home in Cleveland, Ohio. The good news is, since then, he has had many adventures in 40 countries. Gene has gone sailing, scuba diving, parasailing, sky diving, paragliding and trekking in the mountains. He recently made an expedition to Mt. Everest. You can see pictures from some of his adventures at www.GenosPlace.org.

Gene credits his parents and many friends to his successful rehabilitation. His parents were hard-working and taught him, by example, the habits of industrial perseverance at an early age. They told him he could have anything he wanted, as long as he got a job to pay for it. That still applied after he broke his neck.

Gene went to college at Kent State in Ohio, where he made friends that changed his life. After he earned a B.S. Ed with a major in Comprehensive Science, Gene moved to New Mexico to get away from the snow and to find a job. After working a few years, he went back to school to get his MBA from the University of New Mexico. Gene worked in the field of technology for people with disabilities for several years before becoming a successful entrepreneur. He eventually ended up in Austin, Texas, where he lives and works today.

Gene won a first-time producer award from Channel Austin TV in 2004. He also became a Dewey Winburne Community Service Award Nominee, at the 2008 International SXSW Conference, for his community service using multimedia, including TV broadcasts, DVDs, web pages, presentations in the community, and live performances.

Classes

2020

2019

2018