STANFORD NEURODIVERSITY SUMMIT 2021
Program and Speakers
Please note that times shown below are in Pacific Time Zone.
DAY 1 - Sunday, November 7, 2021
Opening Session (postponed to November 8, 2021 at 8:30 AM)
Lloyd B. Minor, MD
Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine
Lloyd B. Minor, MD, is the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine. Under his leadership, Stanford Medicine has emerged as a leader in the Precision Health revolution, which emphasizes preventive, personalized health care and leverages advances in biomedicine to treat and cure complex diseases. His book, “Discovering Precision Health,” published in 2020, illustrates how Stanford Medicine and other health leaders are revolutionizing biomedicine. In 2021, he articulated a bold vision for the purposeful and equitable development of a life sciences innovation hub in the Bay Area. Dr. Minor also is a professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and a professor of Bioengineering and of Neurobiology, by courtesy, at Stanford University. With more than 160 published articles and chapters, Dr. Minor is an expert in balance and inner ear disorders. In 2012, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Laura Roberts, MD, MA
Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine
Dr. Roberts serves as Chairman and the Katharine Dexter McCormick and Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is an internationally recognized scholar in bioethics, psychiatry, medicine, and medical education. Over two decades, Dr. Roberts has received scientific, peer-reviewed funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, and private foundations to perform empirical studies of modern ethical issues in research, clinical care, and health policy, with a particular focus on vulnerable and special populations. Her work has led to advances in understanding of ethical aspects of physical and mental illness research, societal implications for genetic innovation, the role of stigma in health disparities, the impact of medical student and physician health issues, and optimal approaches to fostering professionalism in medicine. Dr. Roberts, with colleagues, is leading an NIMH-funded project to examine ethical issues in highly innovative neuroscience work to advance understanding of mental disorders, substance-related conditions, and brain function, development, and enhancement.
Dr. Roberts has written hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and other scholarly works, and she has written or edited several books in the areas of professionalism and ethics in medicine, professional development for physicians, and clinical psychiatry. Dr. Roberts was recently appointed as the Editor-in-Chief, Books for the American Psychiatric Assocation. Dr. Roberts served as the Editor-in-Chief for the journal Academic Psychiatry from 2002-2019 and is an editorial board member and peer reviewer for many scientific and education journals. Dr. Roberts was recently selected as the incoming Editor-in-Chief for the journal Academic Medicine, one of two premier journals of the AAMC.
Dr. Roberts received the 2015 MacLean Center Prize recognizing her bioethics work. She was chosen to receive the Distinguished Psychiatrist award from the American Psychiatric Association in 2005 and 2010 and was recognized as the foremost leader in psychiatric education in the United States and Canada by the University of Toronto in 2008. Dr. Roberts has also received numerous awards for leadership, teaching, and science, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Academic Psychiatry in 2010 and the Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D., Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education from the American Psychiatric Association.
Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD
Director, Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Lawrence Fung is a scientist and psychiatrist specialized in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the father of a neurodiverse teenager with ASD. He is the director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, which strives to uncover the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilize their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole. He directs the Neurodiverse Student Support Program, Neurodiversity at Work Program (recently funded by Autism Speaks), and Adult Neurodevelopment Clinic at Stanford. Dr. Fung is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His lab advances the understanding of neural bases of human socio-communicative and cognitive functions by using novel neuroimaging and technologies. His team devise and implement novel interventions to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals by maximizing their potential and productivity. For example, he is conducting a study to demonstrate that specialized employment programs such as Neurodiversity at Work program will result in higher retention rates and quality of life.
Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD
Director, Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Lawrence Fung is a scientist and psychiatrist specialized in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the father of a neurodiverse teenager with ASD. He is the director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, which strives to uncover the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilize their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole. He directs the Neurodiverse Student Support Program, Neurodiversity at Work Program (recently funded by Autism Speaks), and Adult Neurodevelopment Clinic at Stanford. Dr. Fung is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His lab advances the understanding of neural bases of human socio-communicative and cognitive functions by using novel neuroimaging and technologies. His team devise and implement novel interventions to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals by maximizing their potential and productivity. For example, he is conducting a study to demonstrate that specialized employment programs such as Neurodiversity at Work program will result in higher retention rates and quality of life.
Temple Grandin, PhD
Professor of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University
Dr. Temple Grandin is well known to many for her trailblazing work as a spokesperson for people with autism and her lifelong work with animal behavior. Dr. Grandin has been with Colorado State University (CSU) for over 25 years.
Grandin has been referred to as the "most famous person working at CSU" by her peers. Her life’s work has been to understand her own autistic mind, and to share that knowledge with the world, aiding in the treatment of individuals with the condition. Her understanding of the human mind has aided her in her work with animal behavior, and she is one of the most respected experts in both autism and animal behavior in the world.
Abstract of Presentation: Scientific research clearly shows that there are different kinds of thinking. I am an object visualizer where all my thoughts are in pictures. Object visualizes are often good at art and understanding mechanical things. The second type is the visual spatial pattern thinker who would be good at math, music or computer programming. The third type is the verbal word thinker. The different types of thinkers often have complementary skills. Teams made up of diverse thinkers can often be more productive.
Jessica Benham, PA House of Representatives
State Rep. Jessica Benham took office on a platform of fighting for the interests of residents in the 36th Legislative District and solving the critical problems that her constituents face: lack of access to quality health care and to economic opportunity, poor air and water quality, and failing infrastructure. Benham’s background is in advocacy for health care, education and worker’s rights, with experience advocating for legislation on the federal, state and local levels.
Prior to holding public office, Benham was Director of Development for the Pittsburgh Center for Autistic Advocacy (PCAA), a grassroots self-advocacy project run by Autistic people for Autistic people. She co-founded PCAA after moving back to college, and it remains the only LGBTQ Autistic-led advocacy organization in the Greater Pittsburgh Area.
Through her work with PCAA, Benham has worked to ensure that individuals with disabilities are treated fairly in the legislative process. She has provided feedback and consultation for legislation including the Autism CARES Act on the federal level and health care efforts at the state level. She advocated strongly for Paul’s Law, which states that an individual can’t be deemed ineligible for an organ transplant simply because of a disability and was signed into law in Pennsylvania in 2018.
However, her advocacy efforts are not limited to health care. Benham also has experience fighting for workers’ rights, notably during her time as a graduate worker at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was involved in efforts to organize a union of graduate student workers through the United Steelworkers.
Benham has B.A. degrees in Political Science and Communication Studies from Bethel University, an M.A. in Communication from Minnesota State University, and an M.A. in Bioethics from the University of Pittsburgh.
She currently resides in the Southside Slopes with her cat, Ravi.
Abstract of Presentation: In this keynote, Rep. Benham flips our societal script on Autism, moving away from a deficit-based model to a model that acknowledges Autistic people as full and complex humans, with strengths and weaknesses. She discusses her experiences as a candidate and now elected official, emphasizing the ways in which being Autistic allows her to better represent her district and fight for working Pennsylvanians.
Moderators: Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Mark Gavartin, Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Shawanna Rouse
Product Launch Manager, Meta
Hi, I’m Shawanna. My background is in Finance and Business Process Optimization in Retail, Outsourcing and, most recently, Tech. I get my energy from strategy and the futuristic ideas in my head are the most solid thing for me. I enjoy taking extended time to reflect and getting a clear picture of what I’ll be doing when I decide to act so that I can lead with vision and purpose. Also, I’m autistic. My autism has affected, and continues to affect, my speech (monotone if I hadn’t learned to mimic others), my ability to relay empathy (in a universally sincere manner), my ability to maintain eye contact and the ability to keep my hands idle for any period. I’m not one who received support from a specific methodology of behavior therapy, but I was given a great balance of safety, care, trust and responsibility that led me here.
Jim Hogan
Principal Innovation Strategist, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Google
Jim Hogan is an activist for social change and a strong representative of what is possible for autistic people. A self-taught Computer Scientist at the age of 16, Jim found his passion working in leadership positions in the Corporate America. Throughout his career, he has engaged in advocacy and supported HR departments to better understand the needs of neurodistinct employees. Jim has willingly taken on the role as peer mentor and support to many young autistic professionals who are struggling to enter the workforce. With his powerful voice and advocacy for change and acceptance, he has led the way for hundreds of professionals with autism who entered the workforce behind him. Jim currently works as a Principal Innovation Strategist at Google.
David Egan
Community Relations Manager, SourceAmerica
Egan is a trail blazer and champion of the rights of persons with disabilities having served as a Special Olympics Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger and a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy Fellow (first person with intellectual disability to be selected in this position) working with the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee and the National Down Syndrome Society. He serves on several Boards and represents individuals with Down syndrome on the NIH DS Consortium. He is the author of More Alike Than Different: My Life with Down Syndrome. With over 20 years of competitive employment from a clerk position to a career of advocacy, he currently works at SourceAmerica as a Community Relations Coordinator in Vienna VA.
Moderators: Zipporah Brown, OTR/L, OTD, Brownz Wellness Collective
Zipporah Brown, OTR/L, OTD
Occupational Therapist, Assistant Professor
Brownz Wellness Collective
Zipporah Brown is an Assistant Professor and business owner. She received her Master's in Occupational Therapy in 2016 and Doctorate of Occupational Therapy in 2018. Dr. Brown's doctorate focused on increasing quality of life through occupational engagement for individuals with serious mental illness, transitioning from homelessness; additionally, she worked with college students at USC‚ Faculty Practice using Lifestyle Redesign to address psychosocial barriers impacting academic success. Her knowledge and training was demonstrated through program development, implementation and outcome analysis. Dr. Brown served as the principal investigator of a research team in 2019 focused on increasing QOL in an urban community. While at USC, Dr. Brown co-founded and was president of the first DEI organization within the OT department; she continues to advocate as a member of the OTAC Ad Hoc DEI Committee.
Bill Wong, OTD*
Stanbridge University
Bill is an adjunct faculty at Stanbridge University for its OTA and MSOT programs. He obtained his Master’s degree and OTD from the University of Southern California in 2011 and 2013, respectively. He is the only OT student or practitioner to speak at more than 1 TEDx event. Bill recently completed his first term as California Representative #2 in the Representative Assembly. Although he works primarily in the skilled nursing facility setting, Bill is collaborating with OT researchers at Western Sydney University, primarily focusing on autistic individuals in middle and older adulthood. Bill remains an active member in the TEDx organizers community.
An Nguyen, OTD*
Project Scientist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
An Nguyen, OTD, OTR/L, is a neurodiverse individual (Autism Spectrum Disorder), occupational therapist, and project scientist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She recently earned her clinical doctorate in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. At WashU, An was a graduate student researcher for three years in the Participation, Environment, and Performance Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Stark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, FGSA. There, she conducted research focused on home modification interventions delivered by occupational therapists to prevent falls in community-dwelling older adults. Previously, she served for three years as an Associate Editor for the OT Student Pulse, a monthly national newsletter of the American Occupational Therapy Association written by students for students. Currently, she serves as a Junior Leader/Officer for the Gerontological Society of America's Health Sciences Section where she works to better understand and communicate the needs of emerging scholars in aging research to senior section leaders. Her developing research interests include improving rehabilitation outcomes for frail older adults and leveraging informatics methods to develop clinical decision support tools for geriatric rehabilitation.
Romina Lynn Reyes*
West Coast University
Romina is currently an autistic occupational therapy student pursuing a Master’s Degree from West Coast University. After getting diagnosed this year, they have since begun to pursue their newfound passion as a disability rights advocate to intersect with their field of choice, in order to promote occupational engagement and a higher quality of life within the neurodivergent population. Romina also has firsthand experience in working with marginalized folx, including the homeless women of Los Angeles. Romina hopes to pursue their passion in boosting neurodivergent voices and occupational therapy by opening their own pediatric clinic with a neurodivergent team of professionals.
Learning Objectives:
List benefits of neurodiversity hiring programs
Understand various models of neurodiversity hiring programs in various industries
Acquire resources needed to start neurodiversity hiring programs
Diane Delaney
Global D&I Leader, People with Diverse Abilities including Neurodiversity
As the Global Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Leader supporting the People with Diverse Abilities (PwDA) including Neurodiversity, Diane plans, implements, and executes D&I initiatives that create signature experiences and inspiring programs for employees around the globe. These journeys are delivered in partnership with key stake holders to improve engagement and development opportunities enabling our employees to achieve their career aspirations. Diane builds upon IBM's legacy of excellence, focusing on enabling employees and leaders to be their true selves at work while accelerating IBM's business growth.
Stephen DeStefani
Enterprise Neurodiversity Program Executive, Wells Fargo Bank
Lorne Needle
Global Lead for Disability Inclusion @ Google
Lorne helps create and execute Google’s strategy for hiring people with disabilities (PWD). Google has received a 100% score on the Disability Equality Index for the second year in a row for our efforts at disability inclusion in our workplace. Lorne conceived, designed and launched Google’s Autism Career Program to expand hiring of qualified autistic candidates. Created and rolled out a comprehensive, innovative training curriculum for Googlers on working with autistic candidates and teammates.
Moderators: Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford Neurodiversity Project, Christina Khan, MD, PhD, THRIVE Clinic
Finn Gratton*
Psychotherapist
Finn Gratton, LMFT, LPCC, is a somatic psychotherapist and consultant working in the San Francisco Bay Area. Finn's work is focused on the intersections of trauma, neurodiversity, and sexual and gender minorities. They are the author of Supporting Transgender Autistic Youth and Adults: A Guide for Professionals and Families. In addition to their private practice work with adults and teens, Finn provides neurodiversity affirming consultation and trainings to groups and individuals with the U.S. and internationally. Finn identifies as autistic/neuroqueer and genderqueer.
Lilly Schultz*
Student
North Central College
Lilly Schultz is an autistic aspiring PhD student in computational linguistics. Lilly currently attends North Central College after achieving a nearly perfect SAT score. She was among the first cohort of awardees of the Transition2Success scholarship program(www.transition2success.org) and has first-hand experience with community support as essential to building neurodivergent success at key life transition points. In addition, as a talented neurodivergent transgender student, Lilly has valuable insights to offer from her personally transformative journey.
Abstract: Neurodivergent voices/experience: Identify and describe current neurodivergent student leadership, inclusion in student organizations, and sense of belonging on campuses and explore how inclusion practices translate into institutional
Learning objectives:
- For Neurodivergent students: Explore opportunities for inclusion specific to the experience of Neurodiversity,
- For College professionals, disability service professionals, student services professionals, people committed to diversity and inclusion in college settings
- Understand belonging and inclusion from a student perspective
Patrick Dwyer*
PhD Candidate
UC Davis
Patrick is a PhD candidate and autistic autism researcher in the Neurocognitive Development Lab at UC Davis. His research primarily focuses on sensory processing and attention in autism, which are highly relevant to many autistic people’s quality of life. Patrick also has research interests in other topics relevant to the well-being of autistic people, such as postsecondary education accessibility, autism intervention goals, and the neurodiversity approach and movement. Patrick is the co-Chair of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR)’s Autistic Researchers Committee and a member of the Autism Intervention Research Network for Physical Health (AIR-P) Autistic Researcher Review Board. He facilitates a peer-support and advocacy community for neurodivergent students at UC Davis, the Aggie Neurodiversity Community, and he wrote neurodiversity campus inclusion recommendations that were endorsed by the UC-wide Academic Senate. He co-organizes the annual Neurodiversity Summits hosted by the UC Davis MIND Institute and the Center for Mind and Brain, which are recorded and available online. Patrick also maintains a blog, autisticscholar.com.
Esperanza Padilla*
UC Berkeley
Masking And Unmasking The Spectrum: The Consequences Of Camouflaging Neurodiverse Identities
This study investigates the factors and consequences of masking, the process of concealing one's Autism, and contributes to our understanding of how Autistics learn to unmask. Prior quantitative research has found that autistic individuals encounter significantly more job instability than their non-Autistic peers, and they also experience higher rates of social isolation. This study intends to contribute a micro-sociological understanding of these challenges and posit possible solutions to barriers that Autistic adults frequently encounter. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, including an online survey through Berkeley Qualtrics and remote in-depth interviews. Participants included adults ages 18 years or older who identified as autistic. The online survey contained a sample size of over 334 Autistic adults, and a total number of 26 participants were interviewed. The results from the data indicate that many Autistic adults mask Autistic behaviors in order to succeed academically and professionally. However, masking has dire consequences for these individuals in the long-term, including severe cases of burnout that require recovery time, as well as hindering an individual's ability to perform efficiently at an occupation or higher education. The study found that there are certain conditions that can help contribute to unmasking, such as access or exposure to Autistic space and the Autistic community. The implications of these findings are that Autistic adults may experience more successful outcomes in their lives if they can openly affirm their identity. Thus, organizations and institutions should make the necessary changes to help affirm and support autistic adults so they have more opportunities for success in their chosen academic and career paths.
Alexander Michael Vasquez*
UC Irvine
April Ball
Stanford University
April is a senior at Stanford University studying Psychology and minoring in Human Rights and Spanish. She has works for the Stanford Neurodiversity Project as a mentor for the Neurodiverse Student Support Program, supporting neurodiverse undergrads throughout their academic careers. As a neurotypical ally, she is interested in how to best advocate and support the neurodiverse community thought mentorship and support programs.
Abstract: The primary goal of the session is to showcase a unique and diverse range of K-12 school experiences and how passions, interests and strengths help overcome challenges and inform educational decisions. Panelists will reflect on what aspects of K-12 experience build a sense of identity and contribute to post-high school and career opportunities.
Learning objectives
- For neurodivergent students: Develop insight into the lived experiences of a variety of neurodiverse individuals and how they’ve overcome challenges
- For parents: Identify experiences that contribute to neurodiverse k-12 students connecting with their strengths and supporting their educational development
- For teachers and providers: Understand from the student perspective key experiences and strategies that contribute to students’ development of a positive sense of identity as well as their passions and interests
Ryan Neale*
Student
Hillsdale High School
Ryan Neale is a 12th Grader from San Mateo, California, and is thrilled to be a panelist at the 2021 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit. He was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old but he has been in fully mainstream education for the majority of his academic career, with most people around him not knowing the struggles that he faces. His experiences advocating for his needs and publicly masking his neuro differences have given him a unique perspective on many of the struggles neurodiverse people face, such as public stigma, ableism, and the ever-present desire to fit in. He has high hopes to use his perspective and communication skills to increase public understanding of neurodiversity, and hopefully create a more inclusive society for everyone. In his free time, he enjoys playing varsity basketball for his high school team, coaching youth sports, and diving headfirst into his many fantasy special interests.
Cameron Aaron*
Alumnus
Bridges Academy
Cameron Aaron is a native of Studio City, CA, and graduated from Bridges Academy with a young expert designation (The school's highest honor) after doing Neuroscience and Artificial intelligence research. He is a graduate of Connecticut College in New London, CT, and a former Software Engineer at GitHub, a subsidiary of Microsoft, and also at SpaceX, working in Aerospace Medicine. Cameron earned a double major in Computer Science and Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science and a Certificate of Arts and Technology from the Ammerman Center of Arts and Technology. He conducts both Artificial intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience research working on Biological Mechanisms of attention work utilizing EEG, 3D Reach tracking, and Eye-tracking techniques. He was the head of special events at the Connecticut College TED Club and was in charge of the youth event TEDxYouth@NewLondon. He is a Google product Expert and is currently a moderator for the official Google Android Beta subreddit.
Cynthia Wen*
Speaker Coordinator
SNP-NNEA (Network for K-12 Neurodiversity Education and Advocacy)
Cynthia Wen is a senior at Glen A. Wilson High School in Southern California and an avid neurodiversity advocate. Diagnosed as autistic in early elementary school, she shares her experiences as a mentally disabled student on her Instagram account @m.intymatcha, where she has reached over 1.000,000 people and accumulated over 5,300 followers. She also founded international nonprofit organization STEM4Service (@stem4service on Instagram), where she has organized events to educate her peers on the scientific basis of neurodiversity, and to equip fellow neurodiverse peers with academic and professional skills. In addition, she serves as the Speaker Coordinator for the Stanford Neurodiversity Project’s Network for K-12 Neurodiversity Education and Advocacy (NNEA), where she works with Dr. Lawrence Fung and other committee members to bring neurodiversity awareness to the K-12 community. Cynthia is passionate about exploring the psychology and neurology behind neurodevelopmental disorders and hopes to major in Neuroscience to continue supporting the neurodiverse community in her adulthood.
Martika Theis*
Future QA Analyst
University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center
I am a lifelong neurodiversity advocate. I was exposed to a wide variety of people with neurodevelopmental conditions and the systems that support them in my childhood, but I didn't discover I was one of them until my senior year of high school. At the University of Iowa, I worked all four years with the Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic. I started as a volunteer, then became an office worker, then a project lead. During those four years I have had the opportunity to be interviewed by NPR, to be a guest lecturer, and to be a panelist at the Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality that took place this past May. As someone who is neurodiverse and gifted, my challenges in life are unique, but research into the field of Twice-Exceptionality is helping people like me across the whole world. I love getting the chance to share my story of both positive and negative experiences with relation to neurodevelopmental disability support. My goal is to tell my story to as many people as possible, to provide advocacy for neurodiverse individuals, and to further educate the general public about neurodevelopmental disorders.
Moderators: Cathy Farmer, Autism Angels Group and Maureen Dunne, PhD, Autism Angels Group
Panel Topic: The value of Entrepreneurship as an employment option, key advantages and hurdles unique to early-stage companies founded by neurodiverse founders and teams with analysis and advice.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the value of Entrepreneurship as an alternative to employment at an existing organization
- Understand the challenges and advantages associated with Neurodiverse entrepreneurs
- Explore models for supporting neurodiverse entrepreneurs and early-stage start-ups with neurodiverse teams
- Hear personal experiences from neurodiverse entrepreneurs and people working to provide supportive resources
Cathy Schwallie Farmer is the co-founder and a partner of the newly formed Autism Angels Group. We are an angel investor group that invests in autism technology solutions, additionally we advocate for employment for ASD workers and support ASD entrepreneurs. Cathy has been involved in Autism since the late 1960’when one of my four brothers were diagnosed with Autism (another brother diagnosed with Asperger’s in the 1980’s). Cathy is a long time Venture Advisor at University of California, Berkeley, SkyDeck and LAUNCH accelerators. She is an Industry Mentor at National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (NSF i-Corps). Cathy sits on several boards including the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) and the Autism Center of Northern California. She is also an Autism Consumer Research Reviewer for the DOD CDMRP (US congressional directive medical research program).
Dr. Maureen Dunne has lectured on neurodiversity, entrepreneurship, and innovation at the local, national, and international level. A former National Science Foundation Fellow, Kauffman Entrepreneurship Fellow and Women 2.0 "Founder to Watch," Maureen has deep industry and clinical expertise with a particular passion for healthcare and education technology companies that embrace inclusive and neurodiverse teams. Dr. Dunne spearheaded the Autism and Innovation Initiative with funding from the Discovery Partners Institute (a public/private partnership with an initial $1B in seed funding) and private donors with the mission "to strengthen the technology and innovation talent pipeline by including people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and taking a strength-based approach to training, entrepreneurship and workforce development."
A lifelong autism advocate, Dr Dunne has been a foster parent to children with autism (including a nonverbal boy she taught to communicate), has set up the Dr. Maureen N. Dunne Autism Student Success Scholarship at select colleges and founded The Transition 2 Success Project.
Geoff Weber
Founder
Heirloom Cloud
Geoff Weber founded Heirloom Cloud Corporation to solve a big problem. He laments disconnectedness from precious memories, and each other, while clutter destroys our joy. Trillions of outdated media items trap our shared histories on VHS cassettes, aging photographs, and other mediums vulnerable to a total loss. Heirloom's solution makes it easy for full enjoyment of all photos, videos, and other cherished media, from any device, forever. This includes digitizing old media directly into each customer's private network. As a veteran of the US Intelligence Community, Geoff identified neurodiversity inclusion as critical to solving complex problems. He now brings that same passion to recruiting talent at Heirloom.
Betsy Furler*
Founder
For All Abilities
Betsy Furler is the founder of For All Abilities. She is passionate about optimizing the strengths of all people and insuring that all people are valued for their strengths and their differences. At For All Abilities, Betsy leads the company in the development of a software solution that enables employers to easily and inexpensively understand and support the unique strengths, needs and preferences of their employees. She is the host of For All Abilities - The Podcast. Betsy is passionate about the accurate and respectful portrayal of disabilities in film and consulted on the film, Salting The Fly. She is a subject matter expert in the use of technology for people with disabilities. Betsy has been a speech pathologist for over two decades. Betsy enjoys speaking about the value of our differences, workplace accommodations, technology and accessibility. She has spoken at national and international conferences including SXSW. Betsy was a speaker for the 2020 TEDx event at Austin College, her alma mater. Betsy has written several books on the use of technology and apps to improve lives. In addition to her BA from Austin College, she also earned a MS in Communication Disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Vikram Rangraj
Chief Academic Officer, Rize Education
Vikram Rangraj is the Chief Academic Officer of Rize Education, which works with a network of over 100 colleges to build and launch degree programs in fast-growing fields such as Computer Science, Data Science, and Healthcare Administration.
Prior to his work with Rize, Vikram co-founded two venture-backed startups, dropleaf and Tradecipher, both of which had a focus on connecting consumers with personalized products, dropleaf participated in Y-Combinator - the world's most prestigious startup accelerator.
Vikram grew up around a school that his mother founded, sparking a lifelong passion for education. As teacher for 10 years, Vikram developed accredited curricula for The Princeton Review, The University of Washington, and Trent International School. A leader with significant expertise in Digital Marketing, Product Development and Curriculum Development, Vikram serves as an advisor to a variety of startups and non-profits in addition to his work on Rize.
Moderator: Andrew Eddy, Neurodiversity Hub
Abstract of Panel Discussion: The Genius Armoury project is a platform to attract and identify a cybersecurity talent pool within the autistic community and provide them with some fundamentals training in cyber security. The course provides a foundation syllabus in an inspirational and understandable manner that is intended to spark interest amongst autists and the pursuit of further learning or commencing a career in cybersecurity and ethical hacking. The session will provide a moderated discussion of the conception, delivery and outcomes of this project to date, including the opportunity of cybersecurity, history of the project and its critical success factors, reach and impact of the project to date, experience of the users of the platform and moving into the world of work and future plans and opportunities.
This session will be a moderated, guided discussion amongst the panel members around the following topics:
− The opportunity of cybersecurity
− History of the Genius Armoury project from inception to implementation
− Outline of the critical success factors and activities of the project
− Reach and impact of the platform to date
− Experience of the users of the platform and moving into the world of work − Future plans and opportunities
Raza Nowrozy
Cybersecurity Tech Lead
Untapped Holdings
Raza Nowrozy is a Cybersecurity Tech Lead and a Security Advisor at Untapped Holdings. He received his Master's in Cybersecurity from Latrobe University, Australia in 2019. He is currently pursuing his PhD at Victoria University researching Blockchain Technology and the Australian Health Record (MHR). Raza is a highly qualified and knowledgeable IT and a Security Professional with over 15 years of work experience working in cybersecurity, network security and system administration. He is an Australian Computer Society (ACS) Certified Cyber Security professional and currently leading a team of talented Neurodivergent employees at BHP Australia working with Untapped. Raza was also involved in the development of the Genius Armoury platform. Raza Nowrozy is also an Academic Tutor and Research Assistant at La Trobe University. Raza holds a Master’s in cyber security and a bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Science from the University of South Australia. He is a IP3P, ACS CP, AWS, CISM, CDPSE certified professional with a particular focus on Cyber Security and helping Autistic individuals in Australia build a career in Cybersecurity.
Paul Watters
CEO
Cyberstronomy Pty Ltd
Professor Watters is Academic Dean at Australasian Academies Polytechnic, an ASX-listed education provider. He is also Australia's leading trusted cybersecurity advisor, thought leader, and founder of Cyberstronomy Pty Ltd, home of the 100pointcybercheck.com. Professor Watters is Honorary Professor at Macquarie University. He is a Chartered IT Professional, a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Senior Member of the IEEE, and a Member of the Australian Psychological Society.
Victoria Pike
Cybersecurity Specialist
Untapped Holdings
Victoria Pike is a Cybersecurity Specialist at Untapped Holdings and is currently working on a project for BHP. Victoria discovered her talent for Cybersecurity through a virtual assessment with Untapped Holdings. She was encouraged to complete the Genius Armoury course and went on to apply for a traineeship in the field. Victoria enjoys the challenge her current role offers her, and now has the opportunity to further her studies and make a significant contribution through her employment.
Andrew Eddy
Co-Founder
Untapped Holdings
Andrew Eddy is a co-founder of Untapped, a social enterprise focused on developing a neurodiverse employment ecosystem to increase opportunities for autistic individuals.
Adam Easterbrook
Chief Operating Officer
Untapped Holdings
Adam Easterbrook is COO at Untapped and helps organisations discover, engage and sustainably manage untapped talent. Prior to joining Untapped, Adam developed and managed the operations for DXC Technology’s highly successful autism employment program known as the Dandelion Program. Adam’s career in IT has delivered complex technology solutions for global and national organisations in Australia and the UK. Adam lives by the beach in Adelaide, South Australia, with his wife Tina.
Ibrahim Hakeem
Cybersecurity Analyst
Untapped Holdings
Ibrahim is a CyberSecurity Analyst at Untapped Holdings, currently engaged in a project for BHP. Despite having a background in ICT/Legacy computing, he never thought he had a talent for CyberSecurity until being invited to do a virtual training/assessment workshop through Untapped Holdings. Upon the discovery of his talent and subsequent completion of the Genius Armory Workshop, Ibrahim then began a traineeship placement in the field of CyberSecurity. With this new door open, he is now able to proceed in this new and exciting field, filled with opportunities to learn and make a real impact going forward.
