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Become part of the Neurosapien business revolution

Harnessing Potential - Supporting Our Future

The average work environment is staffed by a diverse blend of people of different genders and cultures. In todays social environment it should be perceived as standard that no matter who a person chooses to be, where they come from, or how they dress, has no affect on their ability to perform a trainable task or succeed at an advertised role within a company. To turn a person down for promotion or to decline personal growth opportunities within the workplace based on skin colour or gender is a gross act of discrimination and has been deemed unacceptable in society for some time. The same however sadly cannot be said for people with Neurodivergency. 

While there are now some government initiatives for businesses to learn about Neurodiversity in the workplace which is having a positive impact on the work landscape, with some forward thinking employers now being able to recognise and utilise hidden talents and supporting mental health in the workplace to help ensure stress based absences are minimised, in a study in 2020, 50% of managers, when interviewed anonymously, said they would never hire someone with neurodivergent traits. This suggests that many neurodivergent thinkers become entrepreneurs to prove their worth. Currently there is next to no support for Neurodivergent people wishing to start their own businesses. 

It Just Doesn't Add Up

  • 20% of the UK are Neurodivergent, which is 13,466,000 people out of a total population of 67,330,000.
  • Out of around 5,500,000 businesses in the UK, just 825,000 are Neurodivergent owned.
  • This means just 1.2% of the population has received enough support to start and run a business as a Neurodivergent person.
  • Neurodiverse Business Owners

    Below are three famous Neurodiverse business-men who achieved their level of status and company wealth by harnessing the talents provided by conditions like ADHD, Autism & Dyslexia and not by inheriting generational wealth. These men got to where they are today when most Neurodiverse conditions were not medically recognised or misunderstood. We must stress that Neurodivergent women have made equally as important contributions but reports of their Neurodiversity have been lacking so we have been unable to name any modern day Female entrepreneurs in this section out of respect for privacy and potential false-assumption which sadly even in more inclusive times may cause social or professional negativity.

    Bill Gates

    • Early Life:

      • Born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
      • Demonstrated a passion for computers early on, writing his first software program at the age of 13.
    • Initial Ventures:

      • In high school, he computerized his school’s payroll system and co-founded Traf-O-Data, selling traffic-counting systems to local governments.
      • As a sophomore at Harvard University, Gates collaborated with Paul G. Allen to adapt BASIC, a programming language, for use on microcomputers.
    • Formation of Microsoft:

      • Co-founded Microsoft Corporation, which became the world's largest personal-computer software company.
      • Licensed MS-DOS to IBM for its first personal computer, setting a technical standard for the PC industry.
    • Growth and Dominance:

      • By the start of the 1990s, Gates had become a pivotal figure in the PC industry.
      • Recognizing the potential of the Internet, Gates refocused Microsoft on Internet-based products in the mid-1990s.
      • Developed the Windows CE operating system, created the Microsoft Network, and acquired significant digital assets like the Bettmann photo archives.
    • Philanthropy:

      • Launched the William H. Gates Foundation (later renamed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) in 1994, focusing on global health and education.
      • Funded libraries through the Gates Library Foundation and supported minority study grants through the Gates Millennium Scholars program.
      • Received a significant donation from Warren Buffett in 2006, bolstering the foundation's assets.
    • Transition from Microsoft:

      • In 2008, Gates stepped back from day-to-day operations at Microsoft to focus more on philanthropy, though he remained chairman of the board.
      • Continued to serve on the board until 2020 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

    Jeff Bezos

    • Early Life and Education:

      • Developed the Dream Institute in high school to promote creative thinking in young students.
      • Graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1986 with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science.
    • Initial Career:

      • Worked in various roles before joining the New York investment bank D.E. Shaw & Co. in 1990.
      • Became the firm's youngest senior vice president, exploring the investment possibilities of the rapidly growing Internet.
    • Amazon's Inception:

      • Left D.E. Shaw in 1994 and moved to Seattle to start an online bookstore.
      • Launched Amazon from his garage in July 1995, selling its first book.
      • Under Bezos's leadership, Amazon quickly became the leader in e-commerce, expanding from books to CDs, videos, and a wide variety of products.
    • Diversification and Growth:

      • Introduced Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2006, which became the world's largest cloud-computing service.
      • Launched the Kindle in 2007, revolutionizing the way people read books.
      • In 2010, Amazon ventured into producing TV shows and movies with Amazon Studios.
      • Amazon's net sales grew exponentially, with revenue surpassing $100 billion in a single quarter for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Other Ventures:

      • Founded spaceflight company Blue Origin in 2000, with plans for crewed suborbital and orbital spacecraft.
      • Purchased The Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million.
      • Became the world's richest person in 2018 with a net worth of $112 billion.

    Richard Branson

    • Early Life:

      • Born on July 18, 1950, in Shamley Green, Surrey, England.
      • Dropped out of school but showcased entrepreneurial spirit early on.
    • Initial Ventures:

      • Started his first successful business venture as a teenager with the magazine "Student."
      • Formed Virgin Mail Order Records in the late 1960s to raise funds when the magazine began losing money.
      • In 1971, opened the first British discount record store.
    • Virgin Records:

      • Co-founded Virgin Records in 1973, which became a principal label for punk and new wave music.
    • Virgin Atlantic:

      • In 1984, backed the airline which he renamed Virgin Atlantic Airways, growing it despite challenges from established airlines.
      • Sold Virgin Records in 1992 to raise more funds for Virgin Atlantic.
    • Expansion of Virgin Brand:

      • By the 1990s, the Virgin conglomerate comprised around 100 businesses, including Virgin Megastores.
      • Formed Virgin Galactic in 2004, aiming for commercial suborbital passenger flights.
      • Sold Virgin Mobile in 2006 but remained its largest shareholder.
      • Collaborated to form entertainment companies Virgin Comics LLC and Virgin Animation Private Limited in 2006.
    • Adventurous Endeavors:

      • Set a record in 1986 for a powerboat crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
      • Made multiple attempts at round-the-world balloon flights in the late 1990s.
      • Supported Steve Fossett's record-setting solo nonstop circumnavigation of the world in an airplane in 2005.
      • Made a suborbital spaceflight in a Virgin Galactic spacecraft in 2021.

    The Take Away

    The average brick and mortar business with wholesale stock can be started with funding of around £10,000 -  £20,000 and can potentially achieve first-year profits ranging from £7,200 to £21,600.

    The average ODM (Original Design Manufacture) product can take  £25,000 -  £100,000 to get from idea to 1st production batch and can realistically achieve first year profits ranging from £60,000 to £120,000 with second year profits ranging from £6,600,000 to £33,000,000 from targeted online marketing leading to consistent yearly growth. With support these numbers could become typical.

    Your Company or Non-Profit Organisation could help an Neurodivergent Entreprenuer to achieve their potential. 

    When considering the bigger picture and viewing a business plan or a product pitch for what it could be in the future had it received the help and resources it needed to get started and the continued assitance needed to become a consistently profitable business guided by existing professional expertise, it becomes clear that the need for support & investment, be it providing preferential access to services like design, legal advice or business mentorship right through to more typical idea-stopping hurdles like funding, becomes an opportunity for larger companies and organisations to not only increase their own finances and public image in the long term, but by sponsoring the next generation of quiet thinkers to become the next industry disrupting innovators who may go on to form their own ultra-large companies, you would be directly responsible for helping to create jobs and boosting the economy. It's a worthwhile legacy for anyone with the funds, time and the desire to make a difference. 

    If you think your company or organisation can help, we encourage you to get in touch so we can start shaping the future together.