When you’re a neurodivergent founder, you don’t just build a product. You also carry the weight of constant comparison, rejection, and feedback loops. Some are helpful, but many are hard to digest.
You pitch alongside neurotypical-led startups that are often more performance-oriented, confident, better funded, and maybe less impacted by things like Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). Every “no” from funders hits hard. Every piece of feedback, even well-meant, can feel like a flood. And when you’re building tech with no funding, you’re not just building, you’re laying the tracks while the train is moving.
But here’s what keeps me going.
I started Kaboose because I watched my son go through high school and young adulthood completely disconnected.
He was bullied, misunderstood, and deeply isolated.
He missed school.
He didn’t find his tribe.
He didn’t believe in himself enough to go for a job. And honestly, there wasn’t a system around him that ever really made space for who he was.
I knew he wasn’t alone. I knew there were thousands like him.
So I built Kaboose – an inclusive online community for neurodivergent people to connect, learn, and find purpose. A safe digital space where being different isn’t something to mask, fix, or work around, but something to honour, support, and celebrate.
Our vision is that all neurodivergent people feel confident navigating life and thriving.
Our mission is to build a supportive community that enables understanding, confidence, and belonging.
It’s not easy. The startup world isn’t always kind to people who think differently. But I believe neurodivergent people deserve more than “inclusion” as a buzzword. We deserve spaces built for us, by us.
And that’s exactly what Kaboose is.
If you’re building something for community, inclusion, or mental health (and especially if you’re doing it while navigating your own neurodivergent experience), I see you.
You’re not alone either.
