10096824Neuro-divergent Startup Accelerator.ClosedInvestment AcceleratorInnovate UKI am applying for funding to deliver a very specific program of events targeted at aspiring and emerging neurodivergent founders of all ages, helping to equip them with the skills they need to get their businesses off the ground. We have identified this as a very real need following conversations with two of our founding members.We have identified this as a very real need following conversations with two of our founding members: an autistic and dyspraxic university graduate who wants to start his own business but has not been able to access the resources and support he needs to do so, and a qualified counsellor diagnosed with autism and ADHD who feels she is stuck within the benefits system. Joyfully Different has a member who is a fully qualified counsellor, she is being stopped from launching her business due to traumatic experiences in mainstream employment as a result of her neurological differences. As a result, she has become trapped by the benefits system and even though she is fully qualified in her profession and has a deep understanding of how to support neurodivergent people in their mental health and wellbeing, which could potentially make such an impact on the mental health of neurodivergent workers if only she could be supported in her first few months of business while she establishes herself and gets ready to begin trading. Joyfully Different has a member who is a recent university graduate. He is creative and passionate and has already built an impressive library of self-funded short movies and novels with an original story structure that doesn't exist in modern entertainment. He already has clarity about his business and audience, but has no idea where to start . Without a dedicated support system in place for neurodivergent innovators which is able to provide dedciated training in all of the different skills and knowledge he has to learn, he has been left feeling completely lost and disheartened. Factoring in the lived experience of founders like our members will allow us to provide support that not only provides practical upskilling, but also a place to heal. Workplace trauma is very real for many neurodivergent founders, often leaving them with high levels of Imposter Syndrome and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RD). Creating a space in which thy can learn as well as heal will help address their confidence barrier, and result in real social and economic impact.