About Us

Our company is made up of neurodivergent professionals who have come together to give your business the understanding it needs to properly support all employees, no matter their neuro-type.

The company was established by its directors, Jessie Hewitson and Hayley Harding, after they noticed a lack of insight in the business and media worlds around what it means to be neurodivergent. This, combined with a lack of confidence in knowing what language to use, means too often employers and managers are finding it hard just to have a comfortable discussion, never mind figuring out what good support looks like.

As a society, we are in the early stages of working this all out, and NeuroUniverse has been founded to help shape the modern neuro-inclusive office and workplace. Environments that respect and value different brain types, and minimise stress. In short, we remove the barriers that get in the way of neurodivergent people being happy at work.

Jessie Hewitson

Director

Author of the best-selling book, Autism, How to Raise a Happy Autistic Child and Contributing Money Editor for the i Newspaper, Jessie has given dozens of talks to professionals and schools on supporting autistic children, young people and adults, and has worked with charities in the sector including Ambitious about Autism. Her campaigning work around special educational needs and disabilities has been referenced in  debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords, and she lives in London with her two neurodivergent children. She is autistic and is currently being assessed for ADHD.

"A lot of neurodivergent people learn from making painful mistakes", says Jessie. "We believe that a sizeable minority of people leaving jobs on mental health grounds are neurodivergent people who can't cope with the sensory demands, the unspoken social rules, the expectation that they should be able to focus like a neurotypical. We are passionate about working with companies to help neurodivergent people be happier at work".

Hayley Harding

Director

Commercial solicitor and founder of national campaign group Let Us Learn Too. Hayley has extensive in house legal experience having worked for companies including  Google and Avis Budget Group. Her work has included putting in place national compliance processes and advising on disability policy.

As a result of her campaigning for children with special educational needs Hayley was awarded the Most Inspirational Volunteer Award by the National Autistic Society in 2020 and has appeared on national TV and radio including Good Morning Britain, Sky News, BBC News and LBC. She has also been commended in Parliament for the work she has done.

In 2008 Hayley, at 27 years old was diagnosed with dyslexia and the small adjustments that she was able to put in place to address the needs enabled her to excel at work,

On her diagnosis, Hayley says: "It was such a relief to discover why areas of work that I was struggling with weren't because I wasn't trying hard enough which at times was the incorrect perception from my colleagues. The changes weren't massive or costly but enabled me to stop small errors  which made all the difference to my overall performance and self confidence".

Hayley also has two neurodivergent children. "On a daily basis I see the effect and consequence of environment on them. Making the right adjustments to suit their needs makes such a difference to them and enables them to thrive". 

Laura James

Program consultant and trainer

Laura James is a successful writer, journalist, founder of Mabel Gray communications agency, and ambassador for the National Autistic Society. Her bestselling Memoir, Odd Girl Out, details her experience of being identified as autistic in her 40s. In addition to her book, Laura has written for The Sunday Times and The Telegraph and has appeared on BBC Breakfast talking about navigating life as an autistic individual.

Having waited more than 40 years to find out who she really was, she says, in the space of a few short months "I learned why both my body and my mind operate differently to those of most others".

Laura has joined NeuroUniverse to give clients practical examples of adjustments that they can make that could make all the difference to autistic employees. "I really believe that everything that helps autistic people in work - clear instructions, a less harsh sensory envrionment - helps non autistic workers too" she says. "No one has ever wished for louder hand dryers in the toilets."