<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Thank you Bronwen. That was great and so was the one about Cullen. Keep up the good work! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Shara Winton<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><a href="http://www.nfbma.org/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>www.nfbma.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><a href="mailto:sharawinton@gmail.com"><span style='color:#0563C1'>sharawinton@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>617-304-0347<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Bronwen Tedesco via Massachusetts-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, April 19, 2026 6:45 PM<br><b>To:</b> massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Bronwen Tedesco <bronwen.tedesco@gmail.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [Massachusetts-NFB] Member to Member Getting to Know Each Other<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p style='margin:0in'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Welcome to today\u2019s Member to Member! Today we will get to know second Vice President and Cambridge Chapter treasurer Mika Pyyhkala.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:14px'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Mika was born and raised in Westminster, a rural town in Worcester county, about forty miles from Boston. When describing how rural it was, he said, \u201cit was so rural you couldn\u2019t order a pizza or a taxi.\u201d He attended public school all throughout his grade school years. He was first aware of his blindness when he was in middle school and got his permission slip to go to Washington D.C. with the photography and media club. It stated that in order for him to go on the trip, he needed to bring someone with him at his expense. Ultimately because of this, he was unable to attend. His senior year was a very different experience: he made friends and rode the train into Boston. Throughout high school, he held various summer jobs such as putting cages together on a chicken farm and making sandwiches for children at a day camp. After graduating from high school, he attended Boston College majoring in Human Resources and marketing, receiving his bachelor\u2019s degree. While in college, he worked as a free-lance travel agent. After graduating, he worked at Neighborhood Health in IT and desktop support. While he had this job, he took part in several efforts such as discussing with Uber\u2019s CEO on how to make the app accessible when it initially launched, then similarly with GoGo in Flight Wi-Fi. In 2018, he began working at Envision where he works today helping organizations make their technology accessible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal;min-height:14px'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Mika discovered the NFB when reading the Braille monitor in high school and attended his first National Convention in 1992 in Charlotte, North Carolina, attending ever since. He was involved in making the iPhone accessible and assisted people transitioning to an iPhone, served on the National Board, and as the Massachusetts state president as well. He currently serves as the second Vice President and Cambridge Chapter treasurer. When asked if he had any advice for anyone who has recently lost their vision or joined the NFB, he said, \u201cDecide where you want to jump in. Some people like to start small and go to a state convention, while others like to attend national.\u201d Mika currently lives independently in South Boston and enjoys traveling, learning technology, and reading medical thrillers. It has been great gettin to know you, Mika! Stay tuned for our next Member to Member!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Hope everyone has a great week!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;font-stretch:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-variant-alternates:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-feature-settings:normal'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Bronwen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>