Expand Talent Pipelines | Embracing Neurodiversity @ Work
October 1 @ 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
$75.00 – $110.00
Join us at Prince Conference Center & Hotel in Grand Rapids for a dynamic session focused on embracing neurodiversity at work. Employers will discover how they can benefit from including individuals who are neurodivergent in their workforce and contributing to the economic thriving of our region.
The program will be followed by our popular Partner Fair, where participants can build bridges with educational institutions, community organizations, and talent partners. This event will help employers diversify talent pipelines and strengthen talent development and succession planning.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, network, and make a positive impact in your company!
What to Expect
- Learn about the neurodivergent workforce and the opportunities to include them in your workforce.
- Hear from employers already benefiting from this untapped talent pool.
- Build bridges with talent partners, community organizations, and education institutions to diversify your talent pipelines and strengthen your talent retention, development, and succession planning.
- Earn 2 SHRM professional development credits.
Keynote Presentation
Since 2020, workforce challenges have defined the US economy. In difficult times like these, marked by a shrinking working age population and persistent labor shortages, it’s surprising that a very large, readily-available pool of talent remains untapped — the neurodivergent workforce.
The neurodivergent workforce encompasses working-age adults with neurological and developmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and dyspraxia, among other conditions. Collectively, neurodivergent people make up about 15 to 20% of the population, or upwards of 1 in 5 people on earth.
Despite accounting for a large segment of the workforce, traditional organizational structures and business models often overlooked the value of neurodiversity. In fact, research shows that neurodivergent workers often face significant barriers to employment and economic mobility, with unemployment rates as high as 30-40%. More than a waste of human potential, unemployment and under-employment of the neurodivergent population costs the US economy and taxpayers billions in lost productivity and safety net benefits.
Today, the neurodivergent workforce is still deeply misunderstood, and continues to be underserved and underutilized by employers and the broader workforce system. During this presentation, we will dive into this critical issue, prescribing the challenges and opportunities for advancing neurodiversity in the workplace, and offering employers practical guidance for charting a path to attracting, retaining, and growing neurodiverse talent.
Meet Our Speaker
Matthew Leger is the founder of ML Consulting and Advisory, a research and strategy firm supporting social enterprises, nonprofit organizations, policy think tanks, and research institutions with strategic research and thought leadership initiatives. He also serves as the Director of Research and Strategy for NeuroTalent Works, a nonprofit based in Los Angeles, helping employers build neurodiverse-inclusive workplaces and supports neurodivergent adults in finding and retaining meaningful employment. He also hosts The Disgruntled Millennial Podcast, a show highlighting impactful solutions to some of the world’s most pressing, complex, and polarizing problems. Matt previously worked as a policy research analyst at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Bloomberg Center for Cities and as a research analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
His thought leadership and research on topics such as government and education technology, the future of work, workforce development, and public sector innovation has also been featured in a range of media outlets, including EdTech Magazine, ComputerWorld, Bloomberg, CNN, The Associated Press, Washington Post, ABC News, Business Insider, Harvard’s Data-Smart City Solutions, and ArcNews Magazine.
He holds a BA in public policy and world affairs, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Ellie, and two children, Owen and Elara.
Thank you to our strategic partners!
These organizations are investing in West Michigan through their sponsorship of our 2024 Talent Solutions Series. With their support, we are convening experts and innovators to elevate best practices in talent management and workforce solutions.
