NeuroEmergence 2023

The international NeuroEmergence event has grown out of the want for people to be able to come together and help build a more neurodivergent friendly world and sits proudly amongst a range of activities and events that form the Neurodiversity Pride Day which takes place on June 16, 2023.  Over two days (June 15-16), we will gather in a virtual space where people from all over the world to explore the theme "Owning Our Stories". We invite you to take part in a range of "spaces". 

This year we have the following spaces: 

• Learning Labs 
• Sharing Circles 
• Recorded Video presentations 
• A gallery of coaches who work with neurodivergent clienteles 
• Panel Discussions  

We designed these spaces based on our principles and values: 

• Push the edge and expand the allowable circle by challenging the conventional ideas on "what is it to be this way" 
• Encourage and applaud people who want to come out, to emerge from the ground and from the shadows and embrace their differentness 
• Belief that there is no one Neurodivergent experience and that we allow for the sharing of stories of our lived experiences 
• Offer spaces to meet the need for autonomy, competence and relatedness of neurodivergents
• meeting each one where they are at 
• Create spaces where people inherently belong 

 Programme of Activities 

JUNE 15: ON AMPLIFYING STRENGTHS 

10:30 - 11:00 AM KICK-OFF EVENT: Tjerk Feitsma, Director, Neurodiversity Foundation

11:00 - 12:30 PM LEARNING LAB & SHARING CIRCLE: "What's STRONG With You? by Lana Jelenjev and Saskia Wenniger

1:00 - 2:00 PM LEARNING LAB: Awakening the Potential of Neurodivergents by Emmanuel Stephen Oluwaseun

2:30 - 4:00 PM PANEL SESSION: Dyslexia and Work moderated by Saskia Wenniger and Stephen Emmanuel. Panelists: Stephanie Raber, Dr. Martin Bloomfield, Tahirah Yasin, and Frank Emboltura

5:00 - 6:30 PM     Keynote Address by Jessica McCabe, Founder of "How to ADHD"

7:00 - 8:00 PM SHARING CIRCLE: Supporting Parents and Children with Dyslexia facilitated by Saskia Wenniger and Lana Jelenjev

JUNE 16: ON CULTIVATING SPACES 

10:30 - 11:00 AM Kick-off Event: Saskia Wenniger and Rosalie Ekstein

11:00 - 12:00 AM LEARNING LAB: The Art of Self-Coaching by Saskia Wenniger and Rebecca Jackson

12:30 - 2:00 PM LEARNING LAB: What's ALIVE in You? by Lana Jelenjev and Anya Pearse

2:30 - 4:00 PM PANEL SESSION: Designing Neuroinclusive Spaces moderated by Lana Jelenjev and Stephen Emmanuel. Panelists: Marc Almodovar , Mark Stoddart and Rebecca Garside

4:00 - 4:30 PM KEYNOTE SPEECH: Prof. Nancy Doyle, Founder Genius Within, Co-Director Centre for Neurodiversity at Work

4:30-  6:00PM Learning Lab: Innertopia for Self-Empowerment faciliated by Marilyn Mehlmann,  and Saskia Wenniger

7:00 - 8:00 PM PANEL SESSION: Promoting a Neuroinclusive Organizational Culture moderated by Saskia Wenniger and Lana Jelenjev. Panelists: Joy Carol Young, Leena Haque, Autumn Kelley and Georgia Kyriakopoulus

*all time slots are in Central European Summer Time - CEST  

Our Vision for NeuroEmergence 

NeuroEmergence hopes to evolve into an international cutting-edge event in the following years. Starting this year as a Neurodiversity Pride Celebration event we aim to connect to a broad of people who can help us shape the PLACE TO BE for people who want to both discuss important themes and questions related to Neurodiversity and work to influence the landscape. A place where they can come to find a COMMUNITY, to evolve their THINKING, and move into DOING. Our wish is to co-create a more Neurodiversity Friendly World, and create the spaces where we can collaboratively reimagine, envision and activate ourselves towards this future.  This year we are planting a seed with a limited budget, and an online gathering. But we profoundly hope to find enough co-creators, allies and sponsors to nurture and grow that seed into a strong, healthy multi-decade tradition of co-creations around cutting-edge discourse and valuable change-making and collaboration.   

About Neurodiversity Pride Celebrations 

Neurodiversity Pride Day is created and celebrated by neurodivergents and their allies, in a rapidly growing amount of nations, with local activities, to celebrate pride and appreciate the value of neurodivergents in a neurodiverse society. More information about the day can be found on neurodiversiteit.nl/pride2023