Alumnus Justin Farley came to UH with one thing in mind: He wanted to become an entrepreneur. His education at the C.T. Bauer College of Business led him to become the founder and CEO of his own company.

Farley, who was born with cerebral palsy, said he was tired of people telling him he couldn’t do things because of his disability. When he saw that the domain name for UNlimiters.com was available, he and his father purchased it.

“The name came from me not liking anyone to tell me I’m limited. I thought it was the perfect name for a store. I think people would like buying things that un-limit,” Farley said.

UNlimiters is an Internet start-up that sells products such as assistive technology and wheelchair accessories to people with disabilities. These products are designed to help those who have limited mobility lead a more independent life.

Health junior Diana Vega has a brother in the military, and she hopes, if he ever got injured, he would be able to still lead a normal life.

“My brother is such an active man. If he got injured in some way, I would want him to be able to lead an independent life,” Vega said. “What Justin Farley is doing is great. He is helping people get rid of the disability stereotype.”

UH played a big role in the founding of UNlimiters. Farley always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Houston was the closest college with an entrepreneurship program, so he decided on UH.

“I didn’t know it was rated number one until I was here for a year,” Farley said. “Then I learned it was top-rated, and I was excited. UH … offered me a chance to be a part of the business plan team, and because they liked my plan so much, they wanted to use my idea to compete against different colleges. That business plan is what I used to start UNlimiters.”

Pre-nursing senior Leira Ortiz is glad someone is trying to break stereotypes about people with disabilities.

“While I do know there are other companies like this out there, I don’t think I have heard of one being led by a person who has passion for people and business,” Ortiz said. “Most companies like this are run simply from the business end. What Justin is doing shows the world that just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you’re disabled.”

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“Alumnus exceeds limits” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar