Nonprofit Autism Innovation Hub Taps Neurodiversity Experts to Join Board of Directors
21 Jul 2022
Multiple strengthens its leadership team with the addition of four new champions for the autism community to its board of directors
SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Multiple Hub, Inc., a new nonprofit designed to be a force-multiplier to accelerate the work of early stage entrepreneurs developing and scaling hi-risk innovations that support unmet needs in the autism community, today announced the appointment of founding members to its board of directors.
"We're thrilled to have such a terrific group of leaders join us. They not only understand the power of innovation to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals, but have direct, personal connections to autism that motivate their work," said Dan Feshbach, founder & CEO of Multiple, the father of a 28-year old son with profound autism. "Together they will bring powerful insights and resources to our fast growing community of founders and advocates as they seek to solve challenging problems facing the autism community through building awareness and supporting pathways to viability of high-potential solutions."
Multiple's autism innovation database is an educational tool that represents the nation's first global effort to track and analyze emerging entrepreneurs, funders, and startups working to develop and scale solutions that can unlock the educational and employment aspirations of neurodiverse individuals.
"The promise of tapping into the collective potential of a massive and growing neurodiverse community has already inspired entrepreneurs with big and powerful ideas," said Stuart Savitz, member of the Board of Directors of Autism Speaks. "This is not only about inspiring connections and collaboration, but bringing philanthropic capital, insights and know-how to bear in ways that can expand and accelerate the impact of these efforts."
"Today, 1 in 44 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism. I feel a deep sense of urgency to create an ecosystem that accelerates solutions that can immediately serve individuals with autism. Multiple is providing a bridge between the 'dot org' world and the 'dot com' world, enabling the most promising innovations to punch through the early stage chasm and become viable, scalable solutions that address pressing needs within the autism community " said Eric Olafson, newly announced board member and the proud grandparent of "little Eric," who has profound autism.
The four individuals appointed to the Multiple board of directors include:
Stuart Savitz, has been a member of the national Board of Directors of Autism Speaks since 2012. As a board member, he chaired the Nominating and Governance Committee from 2015-2019, leading a modernization of the organization's governance and a recruitment of nearly half of the organization's board members. He continues to serve as a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee, as well as the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, the DEAI Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Previously, Mr. Savitz served as a member of the Family Services Committee and the Executive Committee of the Board. In addition to his work with Autism Speaks, Mr. Savitz has informally advised a number of autism and disability organizations both locally and nationally, assisting with their strategic visions, and efforts to partner and collaborate with other individuals and organizations. Stuart holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University and a JD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.
Christopher K. McKelvy, General Partner at K. Ventures. Christopher is an experienced tech operator and the former head of partnerships & e-sports at Oculus VR. Since 2015 he has served as Vice Chairman of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and he is a lifelong advocate for the IDD community. A graduate of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Christopher is an Airborne Ranger who served a combat tour in Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division.
Eric Lars Olafson, investor in and advocate for innovation within the autism community. A former software CEO, Eric is an investor and member of the global board of auticon GmbH. Headquartered in Munich, auticon hires autistic people with tech skills as consultants that are deployed to leading companies around the world. Both Eric and his wife are active supporters of Columbus Serves, Utah Autism Academy, Utah Autism Society, Guadalupe School, and numerous community support programs in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Vanessa Castañeda Gill, CEO and Co-Founder of Social Cipher. Vanessa founded Social Cipher, a game-based social-emotional learning platform for neurodiverse youth and the professionals who work with them, based on her own experiences as an autistic/ADHD individual. l. Her 50% neurodivergent team recently released the second episode of their game series, Ava: a space-pirate adventure that explores social challenges through the eyes of an autistic protagonist. Vanessa and her team have earned recognition as Forbes 30 Under 30s, AT&T Aspire Fellows, Facebook Global Gaming Citizens, and most recently LEGO Play for All Accelerator Fellows.
About Multiple:
Multiple is a charitable non-profit dedicated to catalyzing innovation and supporting technologies for the autism community at scale. Multiple is the engine for innovation—a global community of dedicated families, entrepreneurs, funders, and experts collaborating to solve the greatest challenges for people with autism. Learn more at www.multiplehub.org.
SOURCE Multiple Hub
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