Stay ConnectedFirst impressions can take only 6 seconds to make! But if you’re neurodivergent, those quick judgments about you can be misleading.
That’s where the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast comes in! Join me, Carolyn Kiel, as I talk with neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creators, advocates & more about their lives and identities. Their stories shatter misconceptions, break stigma and showcase the vibrance of neurodiversity.
Kuda Biza is a serial entrepreneur who started his first company when he was 9 years old in Zimbabwe. Over the course of 10 years he has successfully launched 6 businesses. Currently, he is the co-founder & CMO of Nunbelievable, a socially-conscious baked goods company that donates meals for every box of cookies sold. He is also the co-founder of #ThisIsMyEra, a personal development brand, and Signables, a sports collectibles brand.
Kuda also founded the Amani Hope Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to empower underprivileged children by providing scholarships.
During this episode, you will hear Kuda talk about:
Learn more about Kuda at his website www.SPEARMethod.com and follow him on Instagram @kudabiza.
Special offer: Use the code BEYOND6SECONDS to get 20% off your cookie purchase at nunbelievable.com! For every box of cookies you purchase, Nunbelievable will donate a meal to someone in need.
Chien-Chi Huang is the founder of the Asian Breast Cancer Project and the Executive Director of Asian Women for Health, a peer-led, community-based network dedicated to advancing Asian women's health and wellbeing through education, advocacy and support.
During this episode, you will hear Chien-Chi talk about:
On June 5, 2021, join Chien-Chi at the Asian American Mental Health Forum! The event is free and open to all. Register at http://bit.ly/AAMHF2021
To find out more about Chien-Chi and Asian Women for Health, check out the resources below: Website: www.asianwomenforhealth.org Email: info@asianwomenforhealth.org "Racism is a Virus" PSA (video) and other anti racism resources
TW/CW: War, violent imagery, PTSD
Diana Oestreich is an activist, veteran, nurse, and relentless practitioner of peace. She is the founder of the Waging Peace Project, a movement activating everyday peacemakers to commit acts of courage for the sake of justice, rooted in relentless love. In her first book, "Waging Peace," she shares her experience serving in Iraq as a combat medic and her choice to wage peace during wartime and after returning home.
During this episode, Diana shares:
You can learn more about Diana on her official website www.dianaoestreich.com, where you can buy an autographed copy of her book, "Waging Peace," read her Waging Peace Manifesto and learn more about hosting a book club with Diana.
Kevin Allen is a classically trained pianist, music producer, math teacher, guest speaker, entrepreneur and YouTuber. From spending 12 years working in the corporate world, to becoming a middle school math teacher, to really diving into music and content creation, Kevin has had a diverse and multi-creative career journey. He has been making music for about 15 years and just recently decided to begin sharing his content with the world through his podcast and YouTube channel.
During this episode, you will hear Kevin talk about:
You can find out more about Kevin and his work on his YouTube channel K_AL Experience, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and on his official website www.kalexperience.com.
Hunter Hansen is an autistic content creator on YouTube and Instagram and a blogger on thelifeautistic.com. After discovering his autism in his late teens, Hunter tried to outgrow and suppress his autistic traits for years, until coming to terms and embracing his identity as an autistic adult. He has since turned that suppression into passion, advocating for greater understanding and appreciation of autism and autistic people. Hunter works for a major company as a business analyst and lives in the Denver area with his wife and three daughters.
During this episode, you will hear Hunter talk about:
Learn more about Hunter and follow his content on thelifeautistic.com blog, The Life Autistic YouTube channel, on Twitter, and on Instagram @the_life_autistic.
Also, here's the link to the "bricks" post on The Life Autistic blog that Hunter mentions during this episode.
TW/CW: Mentions of domestic violence
Nichelle Walker is a passionate community service advocate who encourages people to take responsibility for doing things that matter within their local communities. She sees community service as a way to find local solutions to national and global problems. Nichelle is also a survivor of domestic violence; her experience further cultivated a need inside of her to give back to others.
During this episode, you will hear Nichelle talk about:
Learn more about Nichelle at her website, nichellewalker.myportfolio.com.
Julia Ward is an actor and filmmaker whose award-winning documentary, in.clu.sion, is raising awareness about the authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media. Julia is also a senior in high school, and filmed in.clu.sion during lockdown in 2020.
During this episode, Julia shares:
You can watch in.clu.sion on Amazon Prime and find out more about Julia on her official website.
If your employees spent their workdays engrossed in colorful LEGO® bricks, what would you think?
If you're David Kokai, you'd probably think that business is good!
David founded a company devoted to the LEGO® secondary market when he left the corporate world to start WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB), a LEGO® parts dealer. WLWYB operates their breakthrough platform, MOCHUB, which allows LEGO® builders to share their work and make money with their creations.
WLWYB is a neurodiverse workplace that employs autistic people in key parts of their business, and recognizes that the diversity within their teams makes their company stronger.
During this episode, David and Lili talk about:
To find out more about WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD, visit their official website wlwyb.com and connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also contact David and Lili through the contact us page on the WLWYB website.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
Click here for the episode transcript.
More about David Kokai, Founder of WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB):
David Kokai is the founder of WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB). He studied economics at the Corvinus University of Budapest (former University of Economics Budapest) and graduated from the University of Vienna.
He had been working in the IT sector at leading multinational companies for more than a decade in several managing roles based in Budapest and Vienna. After getting acquainted with the secondary market for LEGO® in 2010, he opened a LEGO® parts dealership called WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB). WLWYB's business innovation is that it has placed its operations in this segment in a unique way in the world based on strong data science, supporting key enterprise functions with a comprehensive, custom-developed business intelligence system; such as purchasing, inventory management, and pricing.
As a result of many years of systematic building, in addition to its position in the secondary market of LEGO®, WLWYB opened the world's first marketplace in 2018 specializing in bespoke LEGO® creations, called MOCHUB. MOCHUB provides an opportunity for emerging and professional LEGO® builders to receive a royalty from the sale of the models they design. MOCHUB sold many thousands of bespoke LEGO® kits around the world in its first year of operation. After several years of work, the company became an autism friendly workplace in 2019.
Kevin M. Yates is a learning & development leader with a career spanning 20+ years, a sought-after expert in the field of learning measurement, a global public speaker and e-book author... and as a Black man living and working in the U.S., he sometimes feels he is mistakenly seen as a "unicorn."
On this episode, Kevin talks about what he means by "unicorn" and how it relates to his experiences as a Black man living and working in the United States. He speaks candidly about the impact of race in his professional and personal life. We also talk about how the racial and social justice movements of 2020 have further inspired Kevin to live in authenticity by being transparent about his whole self and experiences, because as he puts it, "living in duality is too much work."
Find out more about Kevin on his website, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on YouTube.
Get your free copy of Kevin's e-book, "L&D Detective Kit for Solving Impact Mysteries©"
Elaine Montilla is an accomplished senior executive who has been an IT leader in higher education for two decades. As an immigrant, Latina, lesbian woman, Elaine has overcome many challenges to build her successful IT career. She is currently Chief Information Officer and Assistant Vice President for Information Technology at The City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, a Forbes Technology Council member and contributor, and an AMA Women's Leadership Center presenter.
Elaine is also a TEDx speaker and the founder of 5xminority.com, a company and social media brand dedicated to empowering women and minorities, especially in tech, with a mission to demonstrate how businesses can be powerful platforms for social change.
During this episode, you will hear Elaine talk about:
Learn more about Elaine and her work at 5xminority.com and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Watch Elaine's TEDx talk: The Value of Mentoring Women and Minorities in Tech
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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