Rajesh Anandan founded his company Ultranauts (formerly Ultra Testing) with one aim: to prove that neurodiversity and autism could be a competitive advantage in business.
“There is an incredible talent pool of adults on the autistic spectrum that has been overlooked for all the wrong reasons,” says 46-year-old Anandan. “People who haven’t had a fair shot to succeed at work, because of workplace and workflow and business practices that aren’t particularly effective for anyone but are especially damaging for anyone who is wired differently.”
His New York-based software quality company is now one of an increasing number of firms looking towards autistic talent. But while programmes at companies including Microsoft and accounting firm EY are small and focused around supporting neurodiverse workers in the office, Ultranauts has redesigned its entire business around neurodiverse employees, changing hiring efforts to actively recruit and accommodate individuals on the autism spectrum. Read more
