Speakers

John Marble is the founder of Pivot and is a writer and speaker on innovation, autism, and neurodiversity. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama to the United States Office of Personnel Management. There, his work focused on workforce development, innovation, and incorporating into government services the best practices and thinking of Silicon Valley.

In addition to his White House service, he has served as an advisor and aide to Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator John Kerry, and Vice President Al Gore. In 2017, he joined Expandability as an advisor to its Neurodiversity Pathways program for underemployed autistic adults. John lives in San Francisco. He is autistic.

John's LinkedIn

Dr. Lawrence Fung 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 serves as the director of the Adult Neurodevelopment Clinic which specializes in assessing and treating adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Dr. Fung’s research aims at advancing the understanding of neural bases of human socio-communicative and cognitive functions by using novel neuroimaging and bioanalytical technologies. His lab devises and implements novel interventions to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals by maximizing their potential and productivity. Dr. Fung is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He received his Bachelor’s of Science with honors from University of California at Berkeley, Master’s of Science in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, Doctor of Philosophy from Cornell University, and Doctor of Medicine from George Washington University. Dr. Fung completed his general psychiatry residency, child & adolescent psychiatry fellowship, and postdoctoral research fellowship at Stanford University.

Dr. Fung is the recipient of several awards including the Pilot Research Award from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Outstanding Resident Award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and Clinical Investigator Award from the NIMH. In addition to his roles of physician, researcher and teacher, Dr. Fung is the father of a neurodiverse teenager with ASD from whom he receives much inspiration and motivation to make change in the field of autism.

Stanford Neurodiversity Project

Lawrence's LinkedIn

Paulette Penzvalto is a classically trained opera singer and Google executive. She says her autism diagnosis later in life was a relief and a blessing. Despite being exceptionally intelligent, her severe learning difficulties during childhood impacted her ability to read and recall words. Realizing her passion for music, with determined spirit, she performed at conservatory level and eventually ended up having a world-class career as a classical vocalist despite never achieving her high school diploma. Paulette now leads the Women’s Disability initiative at Google and provides support for autistic women working in the notoriously male-dominated Silicon Valley.

Yenn Purkis is an author, public servant and passionate advocate for Autistic people and their families. Yenn is the author of 'Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures with Asperger Syndrome' – an autobiography, 'The Wonderful World of Work: A Workbook for Asperteens'- an activity book about employment for teens on the Autism spectrum. Yenn is co-author of 'The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum' and 'The Parents' Practical Guide to Resilience for Children aged 2-10 on the Autism Spectrum.' Yenn has also contributed to other books, journals, blogs and websites. Yenn has a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome and atypical schizophrenia.

Yenn’s Personal Site

Matt Ormiston is a technologist, adventurer and learner. He believes technology has the power to change the world through developing teams and harnessing their potential. At ANZ, he heads the Spectrum Program which establishes career pathways for people on the autism spectrum. This is something he is deeply passionate about, as he is a parent of a child with autism and hopes that the ANZ hires will continue to provide a positive future for people with autism.

The Spectrum Program

Matt’s LinkedIn

Susanne M. Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC, is currently Professor of Disability Studies and the Director of the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, ILR School, Ithaca, N.Y. Dr. Bruyère has served as Project Director and Co-Principal Investigator of numerous federally-sponsored research, dissemination, and technical assistance efforts focused on employment and disability policy and effective workplace practices for people with disabilities.

Susanne’s LinkedIn

Yenn Purkis is an author, public servant and passionate advocate for Autistic people and their families. Yenn is the author of 'Finding a Different Kind of Normal: Misadventures with Asperger Syndrome' – an autobiography, 'The Wonderful World of Work: A Workbook for Asperteens'- an activity book about employment for teens on the Autism spectrum. Yenn is co-author of 'The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum' and 'The Parents' Practical Guide to Resilience for Children aged 2-10 on the Autism Spectrum.' Yenn has also contributed to other books, journals, blogs and websites. Yenn has a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome and atypical schizophrenia.

Yenn’s Personal Site

Natalie Phong is a collaborative-minded human resources professional who is committed to excellence at SAP, working on the Autism at Work program in Australia.

Natalie’s LinkedIn

Robert D. Austin, PhD, is a professor of Information Systems at Ivey Business School, and an affiliated faculty member at Harvard Medical School and Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences. Published widely in business management and digital transformation, both in academic journals and popular media, Robert is passionate about exploring the strengths of an individual to enhance organizational innovation.  He is the lead on several innovative projects including 'Neurodiversity as a Source of Organizational Talent.

Rob’s LinkedIn

Tom D’Eri is a strong advocate of the movement to empower individuals with autism to turn their natural talents into professional skills. Having seen the struggles that his brother Andrew, a vibrant individual with autism, faced in finding a job, Tom knew that there must be a way to help. He enthusiastically decided to work with his father, John D’Eri, to found Rising Tide Car Wash, a groundbreaking social enterprise and high-quality car wash experience.

Rising Tide Car Wash

Holly Robinson Peete is an American actress and singer. She is a parent of a child with autism: one of her twins, Rodney Jr., was diagnosed with autism at age three. After her father was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, Robinson and her husband co-founded the HollyRod Foundation, which is dedicated to help find a cure for the disease, as well as for autism, and assist those living with the conditions.

HollyRod Foundation

John Elder Robison, like every one of his generation grew up before the Asperger and autism diagnoses were in common use. He knew he was different, but he didn’t know why. His early social and academic failures would be signs of disability today, but back then, they were dismissed as laziness or a bad attitude. After a long and valiant struggle, John dropped out of high school. His school years had ended in failure, but he’d been fortunate to find two of his great life interests – music and electronics. At sixteen, John joined his first band as a sound engineer. Within a few years he was building equipment for Pink Floyd’s sound company, before moving into more conventional engineering management, and eventually starting his own car business. John is the author of ‘Look Me in the Eye’, detailing his life with undiagnosed Asperger syndrome and savant abilities.

John’s Official Blog

Michael Fieldhouse is an executive with DXC Technology, in Australia. He is responsible for the Dandelion Program partnership with Department of Human Services and Specialist (Specialisterne) People Foundation within Hewlett Packard. The program provides skilled employment for people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Michael’s LinkedIn

Neil Barnett is the Director of Inclusive Hiring and Accessibility, at Microsoft. In 2015, Neil helped roll out a pilot program that would identify and bring in autistic candidates for positions at Microsoft’s HQ. By broadening the neurodiversity of its workforce, Neil says Microsoft is tapping a great resource. Their program goes beyond just employing qualified candidates; it seeks continued success through assigned mentors, support systems, and special training for managers and colleagues.

Neil’s LinkedIn