A few years ago, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of home movies, photo prints, and hard drives taking over my space. Like so many families, our priceless memories were fragmented—scattered across outdated formats and slowly fading.

When I tried to preserve them, I discovered a bigger issue: the industry wasn’t built to handle memories with care. I tested every major digitizing service, sending off irreplaceable tapes and pictures. What did I get back? Poor quality transfers, digital clutter on multiple DVDs, and no easy way to securely share these memories with the important people in my life.

What was missing was innovation and a true commitment to quality.

So I asked myself a tough question:
How do you scale a company that can digitize the world’s memories—with attention to detail necessary for success?

That’s when I met Layla Luna, the founder of Just Bee, a Mount Pleasant-based organization that supports neurodiverse adults. She listened to Heirloom’s mission and said, “You need to meet Ray!”

Ray Gionet joined Heirloom shortly after. Ray is an adult with autism, and from day one, his contributions set a new standard for excellence. He spotted tiny formatting flaws on DVDs, rescued hidden gems from broken VHS tapes, and uncovered ways to improve our process that others overlooked. His attention to detail became one of Heirloom’s defining advantages.

Ray doesn’t just work at Heirloom. He helps shape who we are. Our team is stronger because he’s in it—and our product is better because of our neurodiversity recruiting.

This wasn’t my first time championing neurodiverse talent. In 2019, the U.S. government surprised me with a Galileo Innovation Award for building a pipeline of neurodiverse talent into the intelligence community—an effort the NSA adopted with great success. It all started with a belief:

Neurodiverse individuals don’t need pity. They just need a workplace opportunity.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and while awareness is valuable, action is vital.

More than 80% of adults with autism are unemployed. Not because they lack talent—but because most workplaces lack the training or imagination to unlock it. That’s not just a loss for all of us—it’s economic inefficiency.

At Heirloom, we aren’t just preserving the past—we’re building a future where talent is seen, nurtured, and celebrated. A future where people like Ray thrive.

If you’re an employer, ask yourself:
Where could attention to detail improve my business?

Then look for someone who sees the world differently. You might just find your greatest strength.