Lived experience is not a limitation. It is the qualification.
The Founder
Benjamin James Royer, PhD, is a neurodivergent researcher, advocate, and practitioner based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Ecology from Cornell University, a Master of Public Administration from the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (where he was a Fellow), and a Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.
Benjamin lives with ADHD and uses AI as documented cognitive scaffolding for executive function challenges. This is not incidental to his work — it is central to it. His research, his advocacy, and the organization he built all proceed from a single conviction: the people who understand neurodivergence best are the people who live it, and when those people also have the training to produce rigorous scholarship, the result is work that neither purely academic nor purely experiential approaches can match alone.
His published work spans social capital theory (drawing on Putnam, Bourdieu, and Coleman), AI accessibility and ADA accommodation frameworks, civic technology policy, behavioral health compliance, and consumer protection advocacy. He is the author of the Cognitive-Capital Mediation (CCM) framework and the architect of the Civic AI Accountability Standard (CAAS), a public-domain policy framework for pre-deployment and post-hoc AI oversight.
Our Mission
Neurodivergent Minds Inc. is a Wisconsin nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research, public policy, and practical tools for neurodivergent adults. We operate at the intersection of academic rigor and lived experience, producing scholarship, frameworks, and resources that serve neurodivergent communities and the institutions that interact with them.
Our work is guided by a commitment to treating AI tools as legitimate cognitive accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, producing original research grounded in established social science, and building resources that respect the intelligence and agency of the people they serve.
Our Values
Lived experience as expertise
We do not study neurodivergence from the outside. This positionality is not a bias to disclose — it is the foundation of our credibility.
Academic rigor without gatekeeping
Our research meets doctoral-level standards. We also publish in plain language and reject the premise that scholarship must be inaccessible to be credible.
Technology as accommodation, not novelty
AI and assistive technology are cognitive prosthetics that enable participation in systems not designed for our brains. We advocate for their recognition as reasonable accommodations under federal disability law.
Transparency in all relationships
We maintain a transparent, disclosed relationship with Foundations Technology — legally, financially, and operationally separate. Trust is non-negotiable for the communities we serve.
Board of Directors
Board recruitment is currently in progress. We are seeking individuals with expertise in disability rights law, behavioral health, nonprofit finance, and neurodivergent community leadership. If you are interested in serving, please use our Contact page.
Organizational Relationships
Neurodivergent Minds Inc. is a Wisconsin nonprofit corporation. It operates the Nerdy brand series of community websites (beginning with NerdyADHD.org) and the Civic AI Accountability Standard (CAASNow.org) as organizational programs.
Foundations Technology is a separate commercial consulting entity specializing in AI integration for organizations serving neurodivergent populations. It was founded by the same individual but maintains separate legal, financial, and operational structures. Any transactions between the two entities are conducted at arm's length and approved independently by the NDM Inc. Board of Directors.