Minds at Work: How Neurodiversity Fuels Business and Belonging

About Minds at Work: How Neurodiversity Fuels Business and Belonging

A podcast for leaders in neurodiversity and business, hosted by Nathan Friedman, co-president and CMO of Understood.org. This show explores how neurodiversity drives innovation and creativity in business and beyond. With over 50% of Gen Z identifying as neurodivergent, neurodiversity isn’t just a movement — it’s the future. That means future-proofing your business starts with embracing difference, both in the talent you hire and in the customers you serve. We feature key changemakers in the space and dive into real-world outcomes across tech, design, marketing, and work culture. We’ll be highlighting the power of difference to spark connection, shift systems, and shape a more inclusive future for all

Publisher

Understood.org

Category

business · business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Jun 2025

Latest episode

2 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Why disability representation in ads is still stuck at 3% (with Frank Starling from LIONS)

   Only 3 percent of ads tested feature someone with a visible or invisible disability — and that number has barely moved in years. Frank Starling, chief DEI officer at LIONS (the organization behind Cannes Lions) joins Nathan Friedman to unpack the state of inclusion work in advertising and marketing and what it will take to close existing gaps. Frank discusses findings from a joint report with LIONS, Understood.org, the Unstereotype Alliance, and Shift 20 on disability and neurodiversity in marketing. Frank also shares why co-design with underrepresented communities is essential to authentic storytelling, and why brands should narrow their DEI focus in order to drive real commercial and cultural impact.

2. 

   19 Aug 2026

   How diverse minds build stronger creative teams (with Gina Wolf from LinkedIn)

   What happens when you take a global team of strategists and turn them into a creative studio overnight? Gina Wolf, global director of BrandWorks Creative Studio at LinkedIn, joins Nathan Friedman to talk about leading through that transformation and creating space for different communication and working styles. Gina discusses authentic leadership and shares an exercise that helped her global team navigate different styles of conflict, collaboration, and processing time, including insights from neurodivergent teammates that changed how she leads. She and Nathan also dig into how AI is accelerating upskilling, reshaping creative workflows, and giving more voices a seat at the table.

3. 

   8 Jul 2026

   The entrepreneur’s advantage (with Rakia Reynolds from Actum)

   Entrepreneurship rewards people who see opportunities that others miss. Rakia Reynolds joins Nathan Friedman to discuss how ADHD shaped her leadership style, fueled her creativity, and helped her build a thriving business. From masking at work to embracing pattern recognition as a superpower, Rakia shares why some of the qualities that once made her feel different in school and traditional workplaces became her greatest strengths as a founder. Together, they explore what leaders can learn from entrepreneurial thinking — and why workplaces that embrace neurodiversity are better equipped to innovate and grow.

Who has been a guest on Minds at Work: How Neurodiversity Fuels Business and Belonging

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Stephen Damianos
• Eve De Rosa
• Maureen Dunne
• Rebecca Grone
• Kevin Delaney

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 17 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Minds at Work: How Neurodiversity Fuels Business and Belonging

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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