Speakers

Aron Mercer (he/him) is a PhD candidate at Griffith University, social entrepreneur, and neurodiversity expert. He is the author of Untapped Talent (2024). He has over 25 years of experience across corporate leadership, non-profits, and social enterprise. Aron is passionate about blending profit with purpose and has founded and advised several social enterprise startups.

Diagnosed with ADHD at 12 and living with hearing loss from a childhood accident, Aron understands the systemic and intersecting barriers people with disabilities face in employment and is determined to dismantle them. Aron was part of the founding team of Xceptional, now Xceptional Academy, a leader in inclusive recruitment. He helped grow the organisation from concept to national impact. This unique work has been recognised by the $1m Google.org Impact Challenge award.

His current PhD research explores how organisational factors and the employee lifecycle infulence disclosure decisions of neurodivergent employees. Aron holds degrees from Macquarie University and Swinburne, with executive education from Stanford and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).