A young maker who has autism starts a business around building stuff

Business
Written By Ben Weinlick

I'm stoked about this young man who with a little help and creativity is launching a small business.  One of the cool things about Brad's startup is that it is a creative way to support someone with a significant disability to offer their unique contributions in the community. Unfortunately people with disabilities still live on the margins, but if we begin to see an individual's unique abilities and figure out creative ways for them to offer those, then our communities will become even more vibrant and interesting. Hats off to Brad and his friends and family who helped tell his story and launch this cool enterprise.

Meet Brad

Brad is 25 years old, and has autism. He can't speak or read, but he has a knack for building things. He can understand any diagram or blueprint, no matter how complicated. For brad, putting together furniture is as easy as putting together a lego set. Brad's family helped him start this business so that Brad could do what he's best at, feel a sense of accomplishment, and be an active part of the community.

Ben Weinlick

Ben Weinlick is the founder of Think Jar Collective.

Currently Ben is also the Executive Director of Skills Society. Skills Society is one of largest and most innovative social service organizations in Canada. Stewarding an amazing collective of 500 employee, and a 25 million a year budget, Skills Society has a long and unique history related to social innovation and systems change around the rights and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Ben and colleagues of Skills are known internationally for quality human centered services and creating tangible social innovations. Before becoming Executive Director in 2019, Ben stewarded Social Innovation Research & Development through an innovation lab he helped launch in 2015 called the Action Lab. The Action Lab focuses on systems change and innovation around some of the most wicked and entangled problems that humans are facing today. He is also the co-founder of MyCompass Planning which is on a mission to humanize social service case management systems where people served are centered in shaping their support services.

As the founder of Think Jar Collective and his expertise in disciplined innovation culture and methods, he regularly is asked by Universities, Businesses, Governments, and Non-Profits to help grow capacity to problem solve better and in more holistic ways. He offers keynotes on human centered service design thinking, social innovation labs and the tools and culture of disciplined innovation. Along the way striving to nudge positive systems change over the last 20+ years, he has had stellar mentors and colleagues that he shares credit with for accomplishments and awards.

He is deeply driven by the desire to help people, organizations and community to get better at navigating complex challenges together.

https://www.thinkjarcollective.com
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