• I measure my dreams
    with the power of my mind,

    NOT WITH THE POWER
    OF MY MUSCLES!

Who am I ?

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Stephen Hawking of business – that's how the media call me. Above all, I try to be a good person. I don't know much about black holes or quantum gravity like him, but I know how to do business. Disability did not prevent me, and even added strength for me to find my place on the market for new technologies. This is how the AF Group was founded, which is currently the largest company in Poland employing experts with disabilities. I had to work hard to be able to say that now. I also own the AF Atlantic Trade company. The comparison to Hawking, in my opinion, is obliging, which is why I made the decision to start a business on the US market. There I founded Poland IT- Lab LLC.

'Indeed you have forged your inborn weakness into your strength' - these are words from the letter I received from madam Georgette Mosbacher, the United States Ambassador to Poland. These words are my daily motivation. The letter was a response to my article "Disabled for export" in the WPROST weekly. In the article I examined the possibilities of expansion into the American market for Polish entrepreneurs with disabilities.

From the Minister of Investment and Development, Jerzy Kwieciński, I received a special award "Polish Investments of the Future" for my unconventional approach to business and work for the community of people with disabilities.

"Stand out or Die" is a reportage from the series "Depth of Focus", which premiered on June 30 2019 in TVP INFO.

I believe that business success without work for the society is simply shallow. That is why I accepted the invitation to join the Accessibility Council of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. Together with other consultants, I share my knowledge and experience to help implement the government's Accessibility Plus Program. I founded the Business Without Barriers Foundation. As a Member of the Foundation's Board, I look at American accessibility practices (Americans with Disabilities Act – ADA), which are the principles of accessibility and digital accessibility for people with disabilities.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY

Grupa AF sp. z o.o i Poland IT – Lab LCC w Stanach Zjednoczonych


Grupa AF

#BusinessConsulting #IT #MarketingSolutions #MedicalHealthcare #ITRecruitments

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Poland IT


Poland IT – Lab LCC in USA

#Softwarehouse #WebDeveloper #Ecommerce #ITspecialist #Marketing

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AF Atlantic Trade


AF Atlantic Trade

#InternationalTrade #Export #Import #PL/USAMarket #LegalAdvisor #GreenfieldCompany

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Talent Agency


Talent Agency

#ITRecruitments #OnShoreServices #OffSiteServices #JobOffers #Trainings

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DO YOU HAVE OTHER BUSINESS IDEAS?

I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND COOPERATION.

#BusinessRepresentative

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Mission

I promote a world of equal opportunities in which people with disabilities who do not have the strength to lift a cup of coffee can change this world, make their dreams come true, have a job that satisfies them, run their own business and be successful. I am the best example of this, so I want my actions to inspire others who are shy about their own business. I want to give them strength and say: go and be rich!

A golden thought? Only good relationships with other people pay off, and not only in business.
Establishing the Business without Barriers Foundation was a big step in the implementation of my mission. With my activities in the field of professional activation of people with disabilities, I prove that an expert with a disability does not slow down the company, but only contributes to its development. Competence and experience counts, not physical limitations. That's what we bet on, and that's what we mainly do.
The Foundation also supports initiatives promoting social openness to people with disabilities. There are many problems with the accessibility of public space, which is why the foundation conducts various accessibility audits, including architectural and digital audits.

How did it all start?

Beginnings

Beginnings

When you sit in a wheelchair since childhood, dependent on another person, as in my case, the society perceives you as the underdog, literally doomed to failure. There are two options: accept it and be inactive, because you were born that way or say NO and turn everything upside down. I chose the latter. The first time I didn't accept reality was at a chess tournament on vacation. I was 8 years old. I didn't like the result of the draw, which was extremely unfavorable for me. I dropped out very quickly. I took advantage of some organizational shortcomings to re-qualify. This time I made it to the match for the third place and I won it. Seriously, at the age of 8 I experienced that it is not the strongest one who wins, but the smartest.

High school and studies

High school and studies

During the high school years I became fascinated with history - especially ancient history. I was, and still are, interested in the profiles of leaders such as Caesar and Augustus. And the fictionalized biography of Napoleon Bonaparte by Max Gallo absorbed me completely and created my male identity. The words spoken by the French Emperor himself became my motto: "Death... I'm not afraid of him. I challenge him. Why live if I don't have to fight?”. However, before I realized that my (plump) hands predispose me only to be the CEO, I... became a security guard. Just after I started the first year of my studies, this valuable episode clearly showed me that if I am to give my life a quality, I must take fate into my own hands and not be a pawn on someone else's chessboard. After 3 months, I was dismissed from work, reportedly for not performing my official duties. I wasn't even upset about it. A plan was already arising in my head ...

Businessman

Businessman

12 years ago I founded my first company, Grupa AF. I was not, however, and still isn't, the peak of my big dreams. 3 years ago, I gave up some power in the company. I promoted some of the most talented local employees; they became my partners. This gave me the opportunity to establish and run many companies at once, for example Poland IT-Lab LLC in the USA or AF Atlantic Trade sp. z o.o.

United States

United States

In 2019 I opened a new page in the history of my life entitled The expansion overseas. The tour that started this stage covered three cities: Toronto, Chicago and New York. Crazy time. I literally threw myself into deep water and I forgot to buy adapters for the power plugs; in Anglo-Saxon countries they have a different kind of plugs. Do we press the gas pedal? Of course! Right in early 2020 I flew to Miami to receive an award for Inspiring Professional Development for People with Disabilities; it was presented to me by Lady Blanka Rosenstiel. This grand ceremony was held during the 48th International Polonaise Ball. I received the award in the presence of such personalities as Marcin Gortat or Rudolph Giuliani. A real firecracker!

I'm not slowing down

I'm not slowing down

If there is such a need, I work even 16 hours a day, and when my friends tell me "Adrian, slow down" my answer is: "Take it easy, I will have a good sleep, but after my death". If someone asks me what all of it is for, then I quote John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who said that the choice to go to the Moon and do other things was "not because they are easy, but because they are hard".

Honors

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DIRECT E-MAIL

contact@AdrianFurman.com

PRESS

Łukasz Pelc
press@AdrianFurman.com
(+48) 530 275 519