David Flink has ADHD and dyslexia, which makes him neurodivergent—a term for people who are ADHD, dyslexic, on the autism spectrum, or whose brains see the world differently. Neurodiverse individuals make up 20% of all humans, one of the largest hidden minorities. Yet, their characteristics have often been mislabeled as deficits—when in reality, they are strengths.

As the CEO of The Neurodiversity Alliance and author of the book Thinking Differently, David has devoted his life to unlocking the power of the neurodiverse community. Diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD at a young age, he committed early to building a world where all learners are seen, heard, and valued. In 1998, while a student at Brown University, David founded The Neurodiversity Alliance (formerly Eye to Eye) alongside a group of dedicated volunteers. Today, the Neurodiversity Alliance is known as the only national organization run for and by people who are neurodivergent.

Over the past two and a half decades, The Neurodiversity Alliance has become a leader in advancing neurodiversity inclusion in schools across the country. David also works with families and companies to harness the unique strengths of neurodiverse individuals—1 in 5 people—who bring invaluable, atypical advantages to the world.

David’s work has earned national recognition, including being named a CNN Hero in 2021 and appearing in the pages of GQ's “Men of the Year” issue in 2016 alongside fellow dyslexic Mark Ruffalo. He has served on many national nonprofit boards, including the Swanee Hunt Foundation, Generation Citizen, CAST, and the New Profit Reimagine Learning Advisory Board. David holds a master's degree in dis/ability studies in education from Columbia University and bachelor's degrees with honors in both education and psychology from Brown University.