Show Notes:

Episode Summary:

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron welcomes autistic self-advocate and tech leader Shea Belsky for a candid and insightful conversation on neurodiversity, leadership, and authentic inclusion. Shea shares how his IEP shaped his self-awareness, the power of crafting a personal advocacy "elevator pitch" at work, and how inclusion requires more than intention—it requires action. From working with multiple managers to running marathons, Shea offers practical tools and deeply human perspectives that challenge assumptions and empower change. This episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, employers, and advocates striving for meaningful inclusion.

Key Takeaways:

Personalized Inclusion: True inclusion requires not just open doors, but pathways people can confidently travel.

Elevator Pitch Growth: Shea refined how he communicated his needs at work, evolving from vague to impactful.

Manager Engagement: Open dialogue is essential—assumptions don’t work when supporting neurodivergent team members.

Workplace Tools: Documents like “working with me” guides benefit both neurodivergent and neurotypical colleagues.

Culture Add vs. Fit: Inclusive companies value diverse thinkers as a “culture add” instead of forcing conformity.

About the Guest(s):

Shea Belsky:

I was diagnosed with autism at two years old, at which point my doctors were not convinced that I would ever be able to live independently of my parents. With an IEP in one hand and incredible parents in the other, I began a journey of self advocacy to discover my own identity, strengths, and weaknesses.

Graduating from high school mainstreamed, on-time, and with my peers, I attended Cornell University which truly put my self advocacy to the test. There, I discovered not just how to live, but to thrive: Fostering a group of friends I still meet up with to this day, connecting with the Cornell disability community, and finding gainful employment through summer internships at IBM and Google. I graduated with both my Bachelors and Masters of Professional Studies in Information Science, and began working at Wayfair as a software engineer.

Within my first year at Wayfair, I had five different people managers. Though quite a whirlwind for me, this gave me an unexpected opportunity to find my own confidence in discussing autism and neurodiversity with each of them. I learned how to teach them and each team how to foster accessibility and equity for their disabled peers.

At the same time, I would start the seeds of what would later become Mentra, a Sam Altman backed startup connecting neurodivergent jobseekers with gainful employment opportunities. I became the Chief Technology Officer and Technical Founder at Mentra in 2022, shaping not just the company's engineering culture but also its product direction and making critical business decisions. All the while, I'm working with organizations such as TD Bank, MIT, and Microsoft to foster meaningful neuroinclusion. I led a team of four software engineers, managing Mentra's end-to-end technology presence, providing meaningful coaching and career growth support to my engineers, and built out a job talent platform used by AWS, Microsoft, Pratt & Whitney, among many others.

Today, I am a Tech Lead II at HubSpot and planting the seeds for HubSpot's official disability ERG. I continue to be an outspoken voice for disability inclusion and equity within HubSpot, both on my team and within my product group. I've been featured in the New York Post, Forbes, TechCrunch, and at the Davos World Economic Forum for my work on neurodiversity, inclusion, and autism acceptance. I host my own show, Autistic Techie, on neurodiversity in tech careers.

Shea's definition of inclusion:

Inclusion is creating meaningful opportunities for everybody that seeks to not just open up doorways and open up pathways, but to create meaningful ways for people to actually travel through them.

Connect with Shea Belsky:

Website: https://www.sheabelsky.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/autistic.techie

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/autistic_techie

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheabelsky/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@autistic_techie

SPAM© Count:

Host:

Yes

Current Guest: 

No

Cumulative Guest Stats:

Yes - 47

No - 72

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