Dr. Vladimir Cuk has over 20 years of a progressive and diverse career in implementing the rights of persons with disabilities, promoting disability inclusive international development, as well as personal experience of disability. Vladimir started his career in war-torn Yugoslavia by establishing a grassroot organization of young people with disabilities. He continued at the University of Illinois at Chicago as a researcher. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance (IDA), the standing cochair of the GLAD donor coordination mechanism and a cohost of the Global Disability Summit mechanism. Simultaneously, he holds a position as an Adjunct Professor in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Vladimir received his PhD from UIC. Vladimir lives in New York with his wife and daughter.