Laura Owens

Laura A. Owens, Ph.D., CESP, is a national leader with over 40 years of experience in the transition and disability employment field. She is the President of TransCen, Inc. (TCI), a Maryland-based nonprofit that provides employment and community services in WI and MD. TCI also provides training and consultation to state agencies, organizations, and school districts nationwide to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Laura is also a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of
Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where she teaches and advises in the areas of transition, employment, and
inclusive education for students with disabilities.

Dr. Owens has authored and co-authored multiple publications, including Planning the Transition to Employment, and is an internationally known speaker, having presented in countries such as Canada, Ireland, Chile, Croatia, and Portugal. She is the founder of Creative Employment Opportunities, Inc. (CEO) (1991) and ArtWorks for Milwaukee (2001), and previously served as President of the Association of Persons Supporting Employment First (APSE), a national membership organization promoting integrated employment and career advancement for individuals with disabilities.

Her work emphasizes competitive integrated employment, self-advocacy, and inclusion, encouraging communities to see beyond limitations to the possibilities for individuals with diverse abilities. Laura is deeply committed to advancing opportunities and continues to champion competitive integrated employment, school and community inclusion, and self-determination for individuals with disabilities—helping transform systems, communities, and perceptions.