My talk "Autism, technology and (almost) everything in between - the power of neurodiversity"

(Recent clients:P&G, Hubspot, Argenta, Nexxworksetc.)(For other neurodiversity-related work, lookhere) My missionis to help create an environment where neurodiverse people like mefeelit's "safe"to stay true to who they are, where they know their different brain is valued for it'spowerand it is not something to be ashamed of.Unfortunately, we can't just do this by hanging an inspirational quote on the wall. Why?I grew up myself unaware of how I processed things differently. Luckily, I was able to fit in by slowly cutting pieces of my authentic self (why behappy if you can be "normal"right?). However this has given me some hard-won wisdom, which I now try to convey in my keynote. I support this with insights/analogies coming from my work inAI/genetics. I try to bringawarenessand adeeper understandingabout:- how every organization has(undisclosed) neurodiverse employees, and that "normality really is an illusion"- that from anevolutionary perspective, "different brains" have been key for human inventiveness, and made some companies (e.g. in SFO) really flourish- the many ways somebody mightprocess information(and behave) "differently", using analogies from my work with AI (and, why you should't be insulted if I don't pass on your "greetings")- thestrengthsthis cognitive power can bring, and how this might have driven the innovation in technology (and why you wouldn't have your fancy iPhone without it).-the biasI meet too often (no, I can not draw a city after viewing it from a helicopter) I also share my hard-won wisdom on how towork withormanage"difficult people" like me, and not waste their talents. Often, peoplerecognisethemselves, or somebody they know, in my story. That's why I also share in a slightly melodramatic way:- how my road to insanity was paved with "just doing my best and hiding it"- how getting a "label" (excuse my language) brought hope and self-love again- some evidence-based wisdom on what made mereconnectwith somebody I lost a long time ago, myself: a bike trip and a psychedelic jungle plant Here's anexcerpt(more info below): Most importantly, I put my awkwardness to good use, and bring this heavy topic with an overlysilly sense of humor. Ironically, I'm even told I'm "highly-engaging", as you can see in thetestimonialsbelow: