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The biggest security talent pool you’ve never heard of |
Abstract
At a time of huge shortages in technology talent projected to reach 3 million globally by 2022, businesses are in search of creative solutions. On the other hand, autistic people face huge employment barriers despite many having highly sought after skills. The UN estimates that 80% of the 125 million people with autism globally are unemployed or underemployed. Xceptional is a technology platform that enables autistic job seekers to demonstrate rather than articulate their strengths and matches them to employer partners. Mike Tozer will unpack the idea of cognitive diversity and share practical case studies from this unique work which has been recognised through $1 million from Google. The session will include a practical immersion experience, designed to give a glimpse of what life is like if you have significant sensory processing challenges, as do some autistic people. Speaker Bio: Mike Tozer is the founder & CEO of Xceptional, a multi-award-winning tech platform that connects autistic people to jobs in IT. Mike has been featured on ABC’s Employable Me, spoken at the CAST Association for Software Testing conference, TEDx Hong Kong and advised companies across the banking and tech sectors. Equipped with studies in physics and computing at Oxford and public policy at Harvard, Mike has spent his career at the intersection between innovation, social impact and systems change. For 12 years, he worked in agile software teams in Hong Kong. His team built international systems to connect multinational corporations with nonprofits and 25 United Nations organisations. Mike and Xceptional have been recognised by a number of awards, including Westpac Business of Tomorrow, Optus Future Makers and the AMP Tomorrow Fund. Recently, Xceptional won the Google.org Impact Challenge of $1 million for their autism-friendly app, with the aim of impacting thousands of job seekers with autism. In his spare time, Mike is an elite runner with Team Brooks and has the world record for the fastest half marathon in a business suit. Nicole Done is the Head of Training and Coaching at Xceptional, a tech company that harnesses the unique strengths of people with autism and channels their skills into business technology roles that call for different solutions. She has 20 years experience as a Special Educator, Trainer, Coach and Disability Advocate working across the business, tech, education and health sectors to help individuals access the supports needed to meet their full potential both in Australia and the UK. In her spare time, Nicole loves travel and is always planning her next adventure. |
