Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work - Hardcover

by Dave Thompson (Author)

Redesign the Future of Work with Neurodiversity in Mind

Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work is a bold, practical guide to rebuilding work from the ground up. It shows that inclusion is more than the right thing to do, it is essential to business success. With raw honesty, sharp storytelling, and real-world tools, Brainstorm challenges tired corporate narratives and equips leaders, managers, and teams to unlock overlooked talent. Drawing on the voices of people across industries and ways of thinking, including trailblazers, business leaders, and academics, it highlights how work must be built for every kind of mind.

Written by Dave Thompson, a pioneering self-advocate, educator, and innovator in the field of neurodiversity employment for over a decade, this book shows readers how to:

• Build environments that empower people across every cognitive profile
• Rethink "accommodations" as Success Enablers that fuel performance and growth
• Foster psychological safety, allyship, and trust in teams of every size
• Rethink hiring, management, and retention practices to expand your talent pipeline
• Tackle real workplace obstacles like communication breakdowns, burnout, and bias

For employers of all sizes and industries, Brainstorm delivers an urgent call to action: stop forcing people to fit a system that was not designed for them. Instead, rewire the system itself and watch innovation, productivity, and engagement surge, and see everyone win.

Front Jacket

How can organizations tap into overlooked talent while boosting innovation and productivity? Why do traditional workplace systems consistently fail employees who think differently? Leaders everywhere are confronting these questions as budgets tighten and employees struggle to keep up with workloads that feel increasingly inflexible and unattainable.

In Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work, Dave Thompson--a leading voice in neurodiversity and workplace innovation--delivers a practical and transformative approach to creating sustainable and effective work environments from the ground up. The book offers a bold challenge to tired and unproductive corporate narratives: Rather than ask neurodivergent employees to adapt to systems not designed for them, why not redesign your company's approach to work in a way that captures the enormous value offered by the millions of people who may not think, act, or work like everyone else?

Thompson provides real-world examples, actionable strategies, and insights from trailblazers across industries and identities, revealing how to foster psychological safety, implement neuroinclusive hiring practices, and build traditional "accommodations" into "Success Enablers" that benefit every employee. Brainstorm solves common workplace obstacles like communication breakdowns, burnout, and bias while providing scalable solutions for organizations across industries, budgets, and belief systems. It goes beyond theory to offer hands-on tools for retention, career development, and building environments where innovation thrives.

Perfect for anyone shaping, leading or participating in the modern workplace--from executives, managers, and HR professionals to educators, colleagues and self-advocates--Brainstorm is also an essential playbook for everyone committed to creating workplaces in which anyone can thrive, regardless of how they think, learn, or communicate. It's a roadmap to transforming good intentions and exciting ideas into measurable results that benefit companies and the people who work for them.

Back Jacket

Praise for BRAINSTORM

"In the humble kingdom of my brain, Dave Thompson's Brainstorm reimagines the workplace through the lens of neuroinclusion, offering actionable insights to create environments where everyone belongs. A must-read for leaders, advocates, and anyone shaping the future of work."
--NATALIA (NAT) LYCKOWSKI, Global Neurodiversity Advancement Leader, IBM

"Brainstorm is powerful, inspiring, and refreshingly practical. Dave Thompson blends real-world stories and strategies to show that neurodiversity isn't just an inclusion goal--it's a competitive advantage."
--DANNY COMBS, Inaugural Director, Colorado Disability Opportunity Office

"With raw and resonant storytelling, Brainstorm sparks reflection, growth, and practical pathways toward neuro-inclusion. It invites us to embrace unique perspectives and the many ways we engage with the human experience."
--DANIELLE BIDDICK, Program Manager, Global Talent Acquisition, Dell Technologies

"Brainstorm makes the case that neuroinclusion isn't just a moral imperative--it's a competitive advantage. By reframing neurodiversity as a driver of innovation, this book offers a roadmap for leaders who want to unlock talent and stay ahead."
--JASON BENITEZ, Vice President, Inclusion, Capital Region Chamber, New York

"If a picture is worth 1,000 words, one of Dave's doodles is a masterclass in neuroinclusion."
--TARA CUNNINGHAM, CEO, Beyond-Impact; Co-Founder, Yes! Access

"After 35 years in education, I am amazed we are still exploring how to embrace every learner. Dave Thompson offers a fresh opportunity to understand neurodivergent people and how they contribute to the fabric of society. Required reading for educators and leaders alike."
--DR. KEVIN SCANLON, Superintendent of Schools, Three Village School District, New York

Author Biography

DAVE THOMPSON is an educator, strategist, and TEDx speaker who helps organizations better understand, hire, support, and leverage the strengths of neurodivergent professionals. An early-identified ADHDer and dyslexic thinker, he grew up navigating systems not built for brains like his and now works to redesign them. Dave, a Visiting Scholar at Vanderbilt University's Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, speaks to audiences from Fortune 500 leaders to professionals and advocates, bringing lived experience, systems expertise, and big-picture thinking to complex change. Outside of work, he's a dad, a husband, and a former New Yorker living near Nashville.

This is just the beginning. Join us at www.BrainstormNeurodiversity.com