Stanford Neurodiversity Project: Employment Panel Discussion

Date: June 4, 2025
Host: Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Format: Zoom Webinar
Panelists:

🌐 Opening Announcements

Dr. Fung shared details on the upcoming Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, scheduled for September 13–15, 2025. The hybrid conference will include:

  • 6 keynote speakers
  • 27 panels
  • 50+ poster sessions
  • 3 special interest groups

Theme: Leveraging Neurodivergent Strains to Create a Better Future Together

💼 Business Highlights

Aspiritech (Tara May)

  • Tech services: QA, web dev, LLMs, accessibility, cybersecurity
  • 75 clients, $6M revenue
  • 95% of team members are autistic adults
  • Strengths-based hiring and internal structure

Rising Tide Car Wash (Tom D’Eri)

  • Founded to support autistic workers (including Tom’s brother Andrew)
  • 3 locations, 90 autistic employees (80% of total staff)
  • Plans for franchise expansion
  • Work structured around detail-oriented tasks

🧠 Core Strategies

System Design Philosophy

“It’s not the employee that’s failing the business—it’s the business that’s failing the employee.”
— Tom D’Eri

Organizations were urged to focus on removing system friction before blaming individuals. Most performance issues, they argue, are rooted in flawed systems.

Strengths-Based Environment

“Autistic people are capable of anything given the right environment.”
— Tara May

Supports include:

  • Pre-shared interview questions
  • Multi-modal training: visual, auditory, and written
  • Recorded meetings and async check-ins
  • Directness and clarity in communication

Hiring & Interviewing

  • Recruitment via job coaches and educators
  • Emphasis on skill demonstrations, not traditional interviews
  • Cultural fit includes grit, growth mindset, and openness to feedback

📈 Growth Plans

Aspiritech:

  • Target: $10M revenue by 2027
  • Exploring acquisitions and international consulting

Rising Tide:

  • Fourth location underway
  • Early franchise development
  • Industry-specific neurodiversity program design

🔍 Broader Impact

Both orgs focus on autism but naturally serve wider neurodivergent populations. Values include:

  • Inclusion
  • Imperfection acceptance
  • Human needs beyond work hours

🧩 Takeaways for Stakeholders

For Job Seekers:

  • Know your strengths
  • Normalize requesting accommodations
  • Choose companies with inclusive values
  • Prefer demos to interviews when possible

For Employers:

  • Target high-turnover industries first
  • Build clear, multi-modal systems
  • Involve autistic voices in policy design
  • Use structured feedback loops and training

For Business Leaders:

  • Neurodivergent workers increase loyalty and retention
  • Systems improved for ND staff benefit all
  • Hiring for diversity enhances innovation

📚 Resources Mentioned