Women Beyond The Box Launch their 2023 ‘50 Influential Neurodivergent Women List’
An interview with Founder Emma Case
Founder of Women Beyond The Box - Emma Case, a Black woman wearing red lipstick, large pearl drop earrings and a denim jumpsuit. She has long, black curled hair over one shoulder.
Women Beyond the Box, founded by Emma Case is a platform created to celebrate the careers of Neurodivergent Women and is groundbreaking in its intersectional representation. In 2019 Emma disrupted the Neurodivergent space by creating the first ever ‘list’, to globally showcase ’50 Influential Neurodivergent Women.’
We are proud and excited to announce that we are a ‘Small and Mighty’ sponsor of the ‘Top 50 Influential Neurodivergent Women list 2023’. As part of our sponsorship commitment we interviewed Emma to gain insight into how she got started.
We asked Emma ‘what drove her to single handedly create and launch’ The List’?
“In 2018, sat at home I had a lightbulb moment and the idea of ‘The List’ came to me. I wanted to create a career resource and community that would give hope, reassurance and provide practical advice to other neurodivergent women in the workplace, something that I did not have when I received my own diagnosis in 2017.
I felt confident that I could use my existing skills and expertise to create something valuable which would benefit women like myself. It was crucial that whatever I created was impactful, beyond a vanity project and ultimately, would allow Neurodivergent women to feel connected and to have their career experiences validated.
Back in 2019 the landscape was very different within the neurodivergent space, speaking from the perspective of a Black woman, it was clear that intersectionality was not part of the discussion. Voices were not being heard, faces were not being seen and I wanted to create something that represented more people. What was missing was nuanced discussions.”
How has the campaign evolved since the inception of the first ‘List’?
“The initial concept has now evolved into a unique careers resource which serves as a practical roadmap and careers tool for other neurodivergent women. This supports building connections across industry sectors and is the opposite of gatekeeping - demystifying career paths and providing a much needed network for women building their careers.
My own experience of career triumph and challenges as a late diagnosed woman was the catalyst for the work that I now do within the Neurodivergent community and within organisations.”
A video of headshots of the 50 finalists set against a yellow background, cut together in close succession after the Women Beyond the Box logo.
At Born Equal consults we believe language matters, it is deeply embedded into our values and we are always critically evaluating our choice of words and their meaning so we asked Emma…
What ‘Influential’ means within the context of the campaign and the community?
“To be influential, is to disrupt our environment. All Neurodivergent women have the ability to influence their work environment in some way, big or small. It’s important that we are aware of our ability to influence, that we develop the confidence to own it and to utilise it, otherwise we risk giving that power away.
‘The List’ is an example of this, and of what happens when women speak up and unify. There is power in collective storytelling, taking important conversations around Neurodiversity in a fresher and more inclusive direction.”
This year Women Beyond The Box have launched their sponsorship programme.
We asked Emma why it was important to secure sponsorship?
“Since its inception I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been approached by organisations wanting to be more involved and offer more support. A sponsorship programme was the next logical step. I’m really excited to partner with organisations who are actively committed to making meaningful changes to support Neurodivergent people. It's also an opportunity to continue the evolution of our work from a list to an annual campaign.”
As active accomplices of Emma Case, Born Equal Consults are proud to be a ‘Small & Mighty’ sponsor of ‘The List’ to support her influential work across our networks and through interdependent partnership. It is a privilege to be a part of this intersectional annual campaign and we can’t wait for what’s to come.
If you are interested in sponsoring ‘The List’ for 2024 click this link to discover more.
