My autism and ADHD diagnoses came in adulthood, long after I'd learned to adapt, mask, and work twice as hard just to survive in spaces designed for neurotypical minds. But here's what I discovered working in multiple functions, companies, and industries: our workplaces aren’t just broken by accident. They were designed for the mythical “average employee” - easy to manage, predictable to scale. But that average employee is a statistical fiction. The result? Workplaces that serve no one particularly well, while neurodivergent minds simply can't cope with the dysfunction everyone else barely tolerates.

I've seen brilliant neurodivergent minds burn out trying to be something they're not. I've watched innovation and potential get buried under impossible expectations and zero support. I've heard the silence of people too afraid to speak up, too afraid to be seen as "difficult" or "less than". And when they do speak up, they are often told to “stop complaining” and “try harder”. Or find a new job. Because surely a fish can climb a tree if it just tries hard enough.

But I've also seen what happens when we level the playing field. When we remove the unnecessary obstacles. When we stop asking zebras to be horses and start celebrating what makes each and every one of us extraordinary.