Dr. Maureen Dunne at The Atlantic Festival
Dr. Maueeen Dunne talks about the importance of neurodiversity inclusion at The Atlantic Festival 2022 in Washington, D.C.

Autism Community Ventures ("ACV"), a public benefit corporation with a global network of partner organizations and a mission to drive social, economic, and financial inclusion among neurodiverse jobseekers, is pleased to announce that its founder and neurodiversity expert Dr. Maureen Dunne was featured this week as a keynote speaker at the 2022 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit (the "Summit"), which took place virtually from Oct. 23-25.

Dr. Dunne's keynote presentation, "Investing in Neurodiversity to Build a More Inclusive Future", centered on the importance of innovation and investment in neurodiversity inclusion through private sector projects and funding, as well as the critical role neurodiversity will play in driving organizational performance and social progress in the years ahead. Dunne's experience as senior neurodiversity expert for the LEGO Foundation's $20 million Play For All Accelerator Fund, which launched earlier this year, was highlighted. Her presentation also offered an original framework for models of authentic inclusion. 

The presentation will be available for on-demand viewing in the near future. More information can be found at the Summit's website.

Dunne also moderated a panel at the Summit to introduce entrepreneurship as a vital opportunity pathway to meaningful employment among the neurodiverse community. Panelists included business leaders selected for sponsorship as part of the Neurodiverse Entrepreneur Program, which was formed earlier this year through a partnership between Innovation DuPage (ID) and Autism Angels Group (AAG) to provide ongoing support to neurodivergent entrepreneurs.

The Stanford event follows Dr. Dunne's participation as an invited speaker at The Atlantic Festival 2022 (the "Festival"), which took place at the Wharf in Washington D.C. in September. Dunne was invited by The Atlantic as a key speaker as the Festival addressed the topic of neurodiversity within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion segment for the first time in its history. The session was moderated by celebrated journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist John Donvan who authored the New York Times bestseller, "In a Different Key: The Story of Autism."

About Autism Community Ventures
Autism Community Ventures is a public benefit corporation with a global network of partner organizations and a mission to drive social, economic, and financial inclusion.