2026 Corporate Leaders Impact Award (Martin McKay, CEO of Everway)

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Recognized for advancing neuroinclusive leadership in the corporate sphere by building real-world structures that help cognitively diverse talent thrive and perform at scale.

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2026 Social Impact Award (Shirley Woods-Gallagher, Founder/Architect of Bee Neuroinclusive, Manchester UK)

Honored for translating neuroinclusive values into civic infrastructure and public systems that expand opportunity and shift outcomes for communities across Manchester and beyond.

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2026 Unsung Hero Award (Claire Toller, née Hazle, CTO, OneTech Services, L&G)

Celebrated for behind-the-scenes advocacy and steady, human-level support that removes barriers and creates belonging without seeking recognition.

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2026 Young Changemaker Award (J Grange, ADHD UK Ambassador, UN Speaker, Entrepreneur; and Natalie Montecino, WEF Global Shaper)

Recognized for courageous, high-visibility leadership that accelerates cultural change by showing what inclusive thinking looks like in action at the next-generation level.

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2026 Bridgemaker Award (Tristan Lavender, Head of Employee Resource Group, Philips)

Honored for connecting people, ideas, and institutions in uncommon ways that turn neuroinclusion from conversation into collaboration and forward motion.

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2026 Community College Leadership Impact Award (City Colleges of Chicago & Oakton College)

Reserved for a community college or CC leader who has measurably expanded access and redesigned student support to better serve diverse learners at scale. CCC for building structured, funded pathways for students who are too often excluded from traditional postsecondary models and Oakton for moving neurodiversity from values to governance by appointing a Board of Trustees liaison, adopting a formal Neurodiversity Inclusion Statement, and translating that commitment into concrete action through cross-campus accountability, sustained board reporting, and community- and workforce-focused initiatives that embed neuroinclusion into institutional practice.

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2026 Public Awareness Award (Paris Hilton, Public Figure and Advocate)

Recognized for using her platform to bring ADHD—especially for girls and women—into mainstream visibility in a way that reduces stigma and expands public understanding.

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2026 Higher Education Leadership Impact Award (Cornell University and University of Connecticut)

Honored for strengthening campus-wide neuroinclusion through visible programming, student support ecosystems, and institutional initiatives that empower more kinds of minds to succeed.

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2026 Cultural Impact Award (Lamorne Morris, Actor and Comedian; Second City Alumnus)

Recognized for the power of comedy and storytelling to normalize human difference, spark empathy, and widen cultural space for neurodivergent experiences.

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2026 Innovation Award (Kay Sargent, Workplace and Design Strategist, HOK)

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Honored for pioneering practical, scalable innovation in neuroinclusive design that reduces friction and improves real-world outcomes in how people learn, work, and belong.

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2026 Education Impact Award (Kara Ball, Bezos Courage & Civility Awardee; Curriculum Developer & Educator)

Recognized for building curriculum and learning environments that translate neuroinclusion into everyday practice and measurably improve student engagement and success.

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2026 Executive Leadership Award (Stephen DeStefani, Senior Vice President at a Major Banking Institution)

Honored for embedding neuroinclusive strategy into senior-level leadership priorities and driving accountable, measurable culture change inside a major institution.

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2026 STEM Inclusion & Innovation Award (Keiven Stassun, Vanderbilt Professor; Founder of the Frist Center for Autism & Innovation)

Recognized for creating nationally influential STEM pathways for autistic and neurodiverse talent through systems-building work that expands opportunity from education to employment.

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Enterprise Neurodiversity Leadership Award (Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM)

For institutionalizing neurodiversity within a global enterprise, proving inclusive talent systems can scale and endure.

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Neurodiversity Knowledge-to-Impact Award (Dr. Amanda Kirby, Honorary Professor, Cardiff University)

For translating evidence into action and shaping neurodiversity practice across generations and sectors.

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Neurodiversity Legacy & Innovation Award (Bill Gates, American businessman and philanthropist)

For shaping a legacy of innovation that normalized cognitive diversity as a driver of global progress.

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Neurodiversity Economic Inclusion Award (Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce)

For innovating a new model of economic inclusion that empowers neurodivergent people, employers, and communities to participate fully in regional growth and shared prosperity.

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2026 Cultural Systems Change Award (Dr. Grant Bruno, Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the University of Alberta)

For pioneering community-led, culturally grounded approaches that reshape autism research and services for indigenous communities—strengthening diagnostic access, caregiver support, and global knowledge-sharing in ways that honor identity, restore trust, and create sustainable pathways for neurodivergent children to thrive.

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