Rebranding the Brain: Neurodiversity, Psychological Safety & the Future of Hiring with Dave Thompson

What if the way we’ve been thinking about brains at work is fundamentally broken? What if accommodations aren’t about fixing people, but about unlocking talent we’ve been filtering out for decades? In this powerful episode, Lori sits down with Dave Thompson to explore how neurodiversity is the biggest shift in human capital in a generation, and why the companies that get it right will lead the future of work.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why “rebranding the brain” matters, and how moving from a deficit model to an ecological, strength-based framework changes everything for individuals and organizations

• The four levels of psychological safety (inclusion, learner, contributor, and challenger safety) and what they actually look like when done well — not as buzzwords

• Why hiring is broken for everyone, and how job descriptions, ATS systems, and rigid requirements filter out some of the most brilliant talent before they even get a chance

• The difference between accommodations and “success enablers” and why Dave’s “desk tour” approach unlocks self-advocacy without labels or paperwork

• How ERGs can become true business resource groups, and why emotional labor and self-advocacy deserve recognition, not just a bullet on a job description

About Dave Thompson:

Dave Thompson is a strategist, author, and internationally recognized speaker focused on redesigning systems that support the full range of human cognition. A program coordinator and visiting scholar at Vanderbilt University’s Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, two-time TEDx speaker, and advisor to Fortune 100 companies, he translates lived experience as an early-identified ADHDer and dyslexic thinker into practical change. His book Brainstorm: Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work is available now wherever books are sold.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Cold open — What if brains at work are fundamentally misunderstood?

[01:10] Intro — Meet Dave Thompson

[02:00] Dave’s why — From cheese club to systems change

[04:30] Rebranding the brain — The rainforest analogy for neurodiversity

[08:00] Belonging & psychological safety — The four levels explained

[14:30] Hiring is broken — Job descriptions, ATS bias & filtering out brilliance

[21:30] Success enablers vs. accommodations — Dave’s desk tour approach

[26:00] Self-advocacy & recognition — Not everyone wants a birthday party

[33:00] ERGs that actually work — From afterschool clubs to business drivers

[40:00] Brainstorm the book — What Dave hopes readers take away

[43:30] Outro — Patreon exclusive teaser + calls to action

Want more? Dave joins us in the Difference Makers community on Patreon for an exclusive: watch here.

Find Dave Thompson at:

Website: brainstormneurodiversity.com

Book: Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, bookshop.org, and wherever books are sold

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