Santa Clara, CA: Stanford University is hosting the second virtual Neurodiversity Summit on November 7-9, 2021. This virtual conference brings together neurodiverse individuals, employers, service agencies, educators, parents, and professionals from all areas of the field. Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Summit Director, believes that individuals with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia make historically significant contributions to society. He recognizes keynote speaker Temple Grandin, who is one of the 100 most influential people in the world for scientifically documenting her personal experiences with autism. The first day of the summit concluded with a panel of three entrepreneurs, each with a unique story of neurodiversity in their company.
Heirloom Cloud Corporation CEO, Geoff Weber, described neurodiverse talent as a business imperative for his company. With a mission that includes converting nearly one billion VHS cassettes to digital, Heirloom (heirloom.cloud) requires hundreds of focused Digitizing Specialists paying close attention to detailed variables. “Neurotypical people make too many mistakes”, said Weber. He’s therefore grateful to train young adults with autism to capture these one-of-a-kind memories with exceptional quality. Heirloom plans to expand operations to multiple fulfillment centers, making it easy for everyone to fully enjoy their photos, videos, and other cherished media from any device, for life.
“Neurodiversity is the new sexy”, says Weber, as he considers how Elon Musk revealed his autism to the world earlier this year on Saturday Night Live. Having struggled with ADHD, Weber is careful not to make light of neurodiversity’s challenges, while still appreciating this growing awareness. “We see things differently and are often misunderstood by neurotypicals”, Weber confides. He has a heart for those who are bullied and believes everyone is created for a special purpose, including those considered “low functioning” on the autism spectrum. “I’m encouraged we have this forum of neurodiversity professionals”, says Weber, as he inclusively forges forward as a neurodiverse entrepreneur.
