Name: ND Leaders
Start: 2025-02-27T18:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-02-27T21:00:00+00:00
Location: Major Players

Join us for the 4th ND Leaders event—an evening of insights, networking, and complimentary drinks. Register soon to avoid disappointment.
About this Event

Join us for our fourth ND Leaders event, bringing together neurodivergent leaders from the creative and tech industries to share their experiences, insights, and leadership journeys.

This time, we’re delighted to host three remarkable ND leaders—Dr. Nancy Doyle, Adah Parris, and Kevin Chesters—who will share insights into their professional journeys, reflect on the challenges they’ve overcome, and celebrate their successes.

Enjoy complimentary drinks, valuable networking opportunities, and the chance to connect with the neurodivergent community in a welcoming, inclusive space.

Our goal is to amplify the voices of ND Leaders, foster awareness, combat stigma, and create a space where everyone can show up authentically.

Whether you're neurodivergent (self-identifying or otherwise), an ally, an HR professional, a manager, or simply curious, this event is for you.

This event will not be live-streamed but if you cannot attend and have registered we can share an audio recording on request after the event. We will also share a write-up of the key points as usual.

Agenda:

6:00pm – Arrival, complimentary drinks, and networking
6:30pm – Introduction by Lucy Hobbs
6:35pm – Dr. Nancy Doyle
7:00pm – Break and networking
7:30pm – Kevin Chesters
7:55pm – Comfort break
8:00pm – Adah Parris
8:25pm – Closing remarks
8:30pm – Complimentary drinks and networking
9:00pm – Event ends

Speakers

Dr. Nancy Doyle – Founder of Genius Within and Author

Bio:
Dr. Nancy Doyle is a Chartered Occupational and Coaching Psychologist and the founder of the social enterprise Genius Within. The organisation employs a majority ND/disabled staff and donates 65% of its profits annually to grassroots organisations.

Nancy co-founded the Centre for Neurodiversity Research at Work and co-authored Neurodiversity Coaching: A Psychological Approach to Supporting Neurodivergent Talent and Career Potential with Prof. Almuth McDowall.

She is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology (USA), where she has influenced the profession towards more neuroaffirming practices.

Talk Title:
Leading Differently: Arriving, Surviving, and Thriving as Neurodivergent Leaders

Nancy Doyle, ADHD, and PhD, shares insights from her journey founding Genius Within and inadvertently stepping into leadership as her business grew.

Frustrated by leadership advice tailored to privileged norms, Nancy carved her own path, developing practices better suited to those entering leadership from more marginalised backgrounds—often risk-averse and eager to please.

Drawing from her experiences and insights from neurodivergent peers, corporate leaders, and academics, Nancy’s upcoming book, Learning from Neurodivergent Leaders, will be published on 21st February.

With practical guidance and personal stories, both her book and this talk offer invaluable lessons for neurodivergent professionals, helping them save time, energy, and emotional strain.

Nancy will also host a Q&A session in the break, with discounted copies of her book available for signing.

Kevin Chesters – Strategy Consultant & Author

Bio:
Kevin Cheaters is a strategic consultant, trainer, and keynote speaker. He was the former Chief Strategy Officer at W+K London, Dentsu, and Ogilvy, as well as the Head of Consumer Planning at BT. He now works directly with a select group of clients across the UK, USA, and Europe, including M&S, PureGym, Adidas, and Ovo.

In addition to his consultancy work, he lectures in Creativity and Storytelling at six UK universities. His first book, The Creative Nudge, co-authored with Mick, became an Amazon bestseller.

Talk Title:
There Are No Shortcuts to Success in Life (But There Is a Cheat Code)

What do UNICEF and the WEF have in common?
Creativity and Neurodiversity
Why being different is both valuable and challenging
How to stand out in a world that demands conformity

Adah Parris - Futurist & Strategic Foresight Consultant

Bio:
Adah Parris is a futurist, pattern navigator, and award-winning keynote speaker who helps leaders and organisations thrive in complexity. By integrating ancient wisdom with future innovation, she enables breakthroughs in increasingly challenging times. Named one of the most important futurists in the world by Forbes Brazil, Adah has delivered three TEDx talks and collaborates with forward-thinking organisations to navigate transformation in leadership, innovation, and culture.

Her approach combines ancient wisdom with future-focused insights through her pioneering frameworks for pattern recognition and elemental transformation. As a polymath who works across boundaries—artist, futurist, navigator—Adah helps organizations transform challenges into possibilities. Her forthcoming Wiley business book explores how embracing paradox can lead to unprecedented breakthroughs in our complex world.

Talk Title:
The Quantum Edge: Leading Through Neurodivergence

Early in my career, I masked my neurodivergent way of processing information, which involves patterns and mind maps rather than traditional linear formats. What I once saw as a limitation has now become my greatest leadership strength—the ability to see connections others miss and recognise patterns across seemingly unrelated domains.

From climate crises to technological disruption, today’s complex challenges demand leaders who can spot systemic patterns and turn polarisation into progress. Through holistic frameworks and mind maps, I’ve transformed my neurodivergent thinking into a catalyst for innovation and systemic change.