Employment Panel 1: Jobs of the Future

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Jobs of the Future

Moderator: Cole Hasserjian

Panel Objectives:

• Explore strategies for designing both physical and virtual workplaces that are accommodating and accessible for neurodiverse individuals, considering how tools such as AI might either help or hinder this goal.
• Leverage Neurodiverse Strengths: Discuss the unique skills and strengths that neurodiverse employees bring to the table, such as creativity, original thought, and high accuracy in tasks like data annotation.
• Analyze Workplace Relationships for Neurodiverse Individuals: Discuss the "double empathy problem" and provide insights on how to improve communication and relationships between neurodiverse and neurotypical employees, moving beyond the assumption of neurotypical norms.
• Advocate for Equitable Processes: Highlight how current organizational rules and conflict resolution methods often disadvantage neurodiverse individuals and propose solutions for creating more equitable and supportive workplace policies.

Larysa Kautz, President & CEO, Melwood, Inc.

Larysa Kautz serves as President & CEO of Melwood, bringing over 20 years of experience in law, business, advocacy, nonprofit management, and disability rights to this position. She is a fierce advocate for inclusion and innovation that expands opportunities for people with disabilities in the community. Ms. Kautz earned law degrees from Yale Law School (JD) and the Georgetown University Law Center (LLM), and has deep experience in affordable housing development, venture philanthropy, and advising national and international nonprofits. Prior to joining Melwood, Ms. Kautz was a partner at the Schaner & Lubitz law firm. Before that, she served as counsel at Bingham McCutchen (now Morgan Lewis). As a first-generation American with disabilities, a daughter of parents with disabilities, and a mother of a child with disabilities, Ms. Kautz is passionate about Melwood’s mission of inclusion and has been a fierce advocate for individuals with disabilities throughout her life. She founded Melwood’s Advocacy Department, which has significantly increased the organization’s effectiveness at influencing polices and legislation that benefit the communities that Melwood serves. Ms. Kautz has also been instrumental in advocating for the abolition of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows employers to pay workers with disabilities below minimum wage. Larysa serves on the Boards of NVC, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the DMV Regional Congress, the Alliance for Expanding America’s Workforce, and the CEO Commission for Disability Employment. She previously served as a consultant to President Obama’s Office of White House Counsel, Virginia Governor Northam’s Transition Team, and the National Archives Foundation, and on the Boards of the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) State Rehabilitation Council and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board.

Andrew Begel, PhD, Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

Andrew Begel is an Associate Professor in the Software and Societal Systems Department at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to this, he spent over 16 years as a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research in Redmond, WA, USA. Andrew received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005. His goal is to create inclusive workplaces where all people can be successful, without discrimination, especially those with disabilities and the neurodivergent. His research uses AI and HCI to increase the accessibility of technology for those with physical and cognitive disabilities. His most recent work has been to study and help people on the autism spectrum obtain employment and facilitate social interaction, to help blind software developers collaborate with their sighted colleagues, and to use affective computing and biometrics (including eye tracking) to better understand how software developers do their work

Kay Sargent, Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors, HOK

Designing with purpose and leading with vision, KAY SARGENT has spent four decades shaping how people experience the built environment. As director of thought leadership, interiors at global design firm HOK, she helps organizations — from startups to Fortune 500s — navigate change through workplace strategy, inclusive design and real estate innovation. A global advocate for neuroinclusive and human-centered environments, Kay has positioned HOK at the forefront of inclusive design. Under her leadership, the firm’s work has earned international recognition, including awards from Green Good Design, IWBI and Best of NeoCon. Her design of the TOCCO hardware line for PBA was honored with both Gold and Innovation awards in 2024. Kay’s influence reaches far beyond project delivery. She has testified before U.S. Congress, advises global wellness leaders through Delos, and serves on the leadership teams of IFMA’s Workplace Evolutionaries, Work Design Magazine and ASID’s research task force. As an author and speaker, her work continues to inspire a more equitable, inclusive and future-ready workplace for all.