Tim Goldstein Gives an Update on What is Up With Him & Shares a Presentation He Gave at Google

Ed Thompson from Uptimize.com and I go back to the early days when the few involved were focused on Autism at Work. This episode is a unique twist in that Ed is the host and I am the guest! This came about because Ed had me as a guest on the Uptimize fireside chat webinar series. The content came out so well I asked Ed if I could use the audio as a podcast episode. So here it is.

To reach Uptimize, Ed, and his team head over to Uptimize.com

This episode continues Tim's chat with Danny. After years of hearing about Danny and T.A.C.T., we catch up with Danny Combs. Danny was a successful Nashville Musician and a Music Educator and then an idea struck him that completely changed his life.

Generations of Danny's family built great careers working with their hands in the trades. He recognized that not all autistic individuals are going to be amazing computer programers despite what many organizations have promoted. His idea was to teach hands on trade skills in the belief that a large segment of autistics could build solid, well paying careers doing the jobs much of American education has forgotten.

The result is Colorado based T.A.C.T. (Teaching the Autistic Community Trades). In the 7 years since he began working out of a van he has grown the program to its new home in a beautiful facility teaching a range for trades. His placement rate for graduates is in the high 80% range with high quality career jobs.

If creating a successful career program for autistics isn't enough he is also one of the co-founders of the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce. Believed to be the first chamber of commerce created around neurodiversity, it has attracted the interest of companies large and small.

Join us for a 2 episode chat with Danny Combs.

T.A.C.T.
https://www.buildwithtact.org/
     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildwithtact
     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tactkidsorg/
     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tact-kids-inc
     YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRZYpkaoUfVDW5GpD8sg-nA
Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce
https://www.cndcc.org/

Contact Danny
danny@buildwithtact.org

In this episode, after years of hearing about Danny and T.A.C.T., we catch up with Danny Combs. Danny was a successful Nashville Musician and a Music Educator and then an idea struck him that completely changed his life.

Generations of Danny's family built great careers working with their hands in the trades. He recognized that not all autistic individuals are going to be amazing computer programers despite what many organizations have promoted. His idea was to teach hands on trade skills in the belief that a large segment of autistics could build solid, well paying careers doing the jobs much of American education has forgotten.

The result is Colorado based T.A.C.T. (Teaching the Autistic Community Trades). In the 7 years since he began working out of a van he has grown the program to its new home in a beautiful facility teaching a range for trades. His placement rate for graduates is in the high 80% range with high quality career jobs.

If creating a successful career program for autistics isn't enough he is also one of the co-founders of the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce. Believed to be the first chamber of commerce created around neurodiversity, it has attracted the interest of companies large and small.

Join us for a 2 episode chat with Danny Combs.

T.A.C.T.
https://www.buildwithtact.org/
     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildwithtact
     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tactkidsorg/
     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tact-kids-inc
     YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRZYpkaoUfVDW5GpD8sg-nA
Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce
https://www.cndcc.org/

Contact Danny
danny@buildwithtact.org

I had a very enjoyable and informative conversation with Genie Love. While Genie's background is in special education where she worked extensively with high school students, it also has some very interesting twists and turns that helped create the unique perspective she brings to her coaching of adults.

One point that came up which I believe in deeply, and so does Genie, is that it doesn't matter what condition label is attached to someone, it is the behaviors we need to be concerned with. If the problem is blurting out in group discussions does it really matter if they are autistic, ADHD, or neurotypical? Regardless of the label the behavior is what the focus needs to be on, not which of all the factors in a human is causing it to happen.

Enjoy a great conversation with one of the few coach focused on helping neurodistinct adults and particularly working neurodistinct adults.
 
https://www.genielove.coach
https://www.linkedin.com/in/genie-love-beyond-coaching
genie@genielove.coach

This was a super enjoyable episode to record for multiple reasons. Angela Powell has a super upbeat and infectious personality which is a great start. Based on her families experience with her son Charlie and the way the medical culture and schools systems recommended she learned that at least for Charlie the approaches were ineffective at best. One of the statements she made that really struck me was that she and her husband came to realize it wasn't Charlie that needed therapy, but her and her husband. This realization revolutionized their view of autism and the approaches that would best enable Charlie to grow to be the adult able to become all is capable of.

After their extensive efforts to find resource which could help them to support Charlie and allow him to flourish, Angela saw the need to help parents find the information and services they need to support their child from the perspective of the neurodiversity culture instead of the disability culture. Being the motivated and caring person she is Mad Charlie Inc was created to fill this need.

Join Angela and Tim as they talk about what lead to the creation of Mad Charlie Inc, experiences with Charlie and the amazing change when they moved away from the disability/deficit model. Join Tim for a delightful and educational conversation with the amazing Angela Powell.

Contact information:
Website: madcharlieinc.com
Instagram: @madcharlieinc
Facebook: Mad Charlie Inc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-powell-madcharlieinc

Here is the bio Karen sent me. Having known her for a number of years I can assure you it is very modest compared to the contributions she has made and the people she has helped. In our chat we cover some of the other things Karen has done which are not reflected in the below bio.

In 1998, Karen Simmons a mother of seven, founded Autism Today, the first online global autism resource center, winning the Internet Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 from Multiple Streams of Income. Featured on PBS, ABC & Woman’s World, she is a “Chicken Soup for the Soul, Children with Special Needs” Co-Author and manifested 14 books including Gold Medal winning “The Official Autism 101 Manual” and hosted 72 conferences across North America.

Prior to her current path, Karen worked as a gemologist where she discovered the magic of gemstones. She joined the US Air Force, where she worked in a base hospital and lived across the United States.

Karen now lives in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, is transitioning Autism Today into a non profit, Autism Today Foundation with her partner Vincent dela Luna. They plan to share information through a Channel, ARTS network and Learning & Education Division. This will easily and affordably provide resources that are needed to the autism world and beyond.

karen@autismtoday.com
karen@autissmtoday.ca
https://autismtoday.com/

Here is the bio Karen sent me. Having known her for a number of years I can assure you it is very modest compared to the contributions she has made and the people she has helped. In our chat we cover some of the other things Karen has done which are not reflected in the below bio.

In 1998, Karen Simmons a mother of seven, founded Autism Today, the first online global autism resource center, winning the Internet Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001 from Multiple Streams of Income. Featured on PBS, ABC & Woman’s World, she is a “Chicken Soup for the Soul, Children with Special Needs” Co-Author and manifested 14 books including Gold Medal winning “The Official Autism 101 Manual” and hosted 72 conferences across North America.

Prior to her current path, Karen worked as a gemologist where she discovered the magic of gemstones. She joined the US Air Force, where she worked in a base hospital and lived across the United States.

Karen now lives in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, is transitioning Autism Today into a non profit, Autism Today Foundation with her partner Vincent dela Luna. They plan to share information through a Channel, ARTS network and Learning & Education Division. This will easily and affordably provide resources that are needed to the autism world and beyond.

karen@autismtoday.com
karen@autissmtoday.ca
https://autismtoday.com/

Peter and I had a great time talking. I am convinced I would have a great time handing out with him! Below is his formal bio.

Peter Mann is the CEO & Founder of Virginia-based Oransi, a leading air purification company known for its efficient, intuitive and reliable products for consumers, schools, organizations and businesses. He also is the Chair of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ Air Cleaner Council. In 2021, Oransi merged with Aviemore Technologies and is now a motor technology company with a clean energy mission. Oransi’s new manufacturing facility in Radford, Virginia is making products in the USA with advanced motor technologies. Previously, Peter was the Founder & CEO of the Austin, Texas-based Alen Corp., an air purification company he built, and after 7 years had a successful exit. He went to college on a Navy ROTC scholarship and then served 4 years, including a tour in the Red Sea during the First Gulf War. He was a communications officer and then gunnery officer on the USS McCandless. Peter is late diagnosed autistic and now advocates for autism awareness in the workplace. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-mann/

OPPS, Sorry if you got a corrupted download. I was trying some beta software and somewhere along the way missed a very poor file. A new clean version is now available.

Peter and I had a great time talking. I am convinced I would have a great time handing out with him! Below is his formal bio.

Peter Mann is the CEO & Founder of Virginia-based Oransi, a leading air purification company known for its efficient, intuitive and reliable products for consumers, schools, organizations and businesses. He also is the Chair of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers’ Air Cleaner Council. In 2021, Oransi merged with Aviemore Technologies and is now a motor technology company with a clean energy mission. Oransi’s new manufacturing facility in Radford, Virginia is making products in the USA with advanced motor technologies. Previously, Peter was the Founder & CEO of the Austin, Texas-based Alen Corp., an air purification company he built, and after 7 years had a successful exit. He went to college on a Navy ROTC scholarship and then served 4 years, including a tour in the Red Sea during the First Gulf War. He was a communications officer and then gunnery officer on the USS McCandless. Peter is late diagnosed autistic and now advocates for autism awareness in the workplace. Connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-mann/

Theo Smith is the co-author of the Business Book Awards Winner for best book in DE&I ‘Neurodiversity At Work: Drive innovation, performance and productivity with a neurodiverse workforce’. He’s worked in the recruitment and employment sector as a leader for over 15 years.

He brings plenty of lived experience to ND at work, as someone who associates with being ND, Dyslexic, ADHD, Autistic and… He is also the Dad of a neurologically diverse family.

I had a great time chatting with Theo. Besides being a bright guy to chat with on a range of topics, Theo brings the understanding of needing to meet those wanting to learn about neurodiversity and become neuroinclusive where they are at. No radical agendas or making neurotypicals feel bad to boost the neurodistinct. As you will hear Theo bring clear straight forward thought and dialogue to our tremendously enjoyable discussion.

ND by Design
50 Neurodiversity Evangelists to follow Globally in 2023
80 Neurodiversity Evangelists to follow UK in 2023

ND at Work

https://www.linkedin.com/in/theosmithuk/