Dyslexic Design Thinking: Recent Episodes
Gershoni Creative
Creative director Gil Gershoni connects with amazing dyslexics from around the world, exploring how we reimagine dyslexia as a hyper-ability. Together with co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth, Gil talks to surgeons, architects, authors, farmers, entrepreneurs and designers about the advantages of the dyslexic mindset and outlines the steps needed to build awareness and effect change.
Gil is joined by neuroscientist, author, meditation teacher and speaker Nicole Tetreault. Nicole discusses the concept of neuroindividuality, the power of twice exceptional (2e) individuals and the inspiration for her book “Insight Into a Bright Mind: A Neuroscientist's Personal Stories of Unique Thinking.” She also shares how a constellation of challenging life experiences led her to combine the unlikely worlds of neuroscience and meditation.In this episode:
- Nicole’s website
- Nicole on Instagram
- Nicole’s book, “Insight Into a Bright Mind: A Neuroscientist's Personal Stories of Unique Thinking”
Find out more about Dyslexic Design Thinking or drop us a line at dyslexia@gershoni.com.Dyslexic Design Thinking is a production of Gershoni Creative, a full-service branding agency with offices in San Francisco and Dallas. For more information, visit gershoni.com.
Gil is joined by David Lucchino, an executive, entrepreneur and investor in the field of biotechnology. David shares insights from his career leading several groundbreaking biotech companies, as well as how he helps children and young adults find their passion for life sciences and how the ability to see around corners has been a key to his success. In this episode:
- David Lucchino on LinkedIn
- Landmark College
- David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
- Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice by Howard Gardner
Gil is joined by Theresa Fitzgerald, a mission-driven design leader, educator and designer. Theresa’s career as a creative director and design executive includes stops at Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon and United Media. Hear her discuss how she connects to her maker spirit as a creative director, what it’s like being a reading tutor as a dyslexic and how the world’s most famous children’s TV program stays on-brand.For more information:
- Theresa Fitzgerald at Parsons School of Design, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
- Children’s Dyslexia Centers
Find out more about Dyslexic Design Thinking or drop us a line at dyslexia@gershoni.com.Dyslexic Design Thinking is a production of Gershoni Creative, a full-service branding agency with offices in San Francisco and Dallas. For more information, visit gershoni.com.
Gil is joined by award-winning novelist Sally Gardner. Sally talks about her early career as a set designer and what it was like writing from the perspective of a dyslexic protagonist. Stick around to hear Sally share her favorite word. (Surprise: It's five syllables!)In this week's episode:
- Sally Gardner's website, Instagram and Twitter.
- Sally's contribution to Dyslexic Dictionary, the exhibit executive produced by Gil that premiered in San Francisco in 2022
- Sally's appearance on The Bigger Picture With Amazing Dyslexics co-hosted by Gil, Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth from 2021
Find out more about Dyslexic Design Thinking or drop us a line at dyslexia@gershoni.com.Dyslexic Design Thinking is a production of Gershoni Creative, a full-service branding agency with offices in San Francisco and Dallas. For more information, visit gershoni.com.
Gil is joined by director, actor and writer Aaron Wolf. Aaron talks about how growing up on movie sets inspired him to start his own production company, how his I Am Able Foundation is empowering a new generation of dyslexics and how graduating with honors from a top university surprised even him.
In this week's episode:
- Aaron Wolf's Instagram, Twitter, TikTok
- I Am Able Foundation
- Howling Wolf Productions
- The Hopeless Show with Aaron Wolf & Rohit Thawani
Find out more about Dyslexic Design Thinking or drop us a line at dyslexia@gershoni.com.
Dyslexic Design Thinking is a production of Gershoni Creative, a full-service branding agency with offices in San Francisco and Dallas. For more information, visit gershoni.com (https://gershoni.com/).
Gil is joined by David Taffet, a parallel entrepreneur, executive whisperer and photographer. David talks about the power of staying open to possibilities, the impact of being diagnosed as dyslexic later in life and, believe it or not, the world’s first germ-freezing, zero-odor waste bin.For more information:
- Beginner's mind is a Zen Buddhist concept that was popularized by Shunryu Suzuki's 1970 book "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind."
- David's Fast Company article: "Why the very best leaders embrace this one mindset"
- INVISIBLEMAN.PHOTOGRAPHY
- Follow David's photography on Instagram and Facebook
- Follow David on Twitter and LinkedIn
Gil is joined by James Kinross, a senior lecturer in colorectal surgery and consultant surgeon at Imperial College London. James talks about navigating med school as a dyslexic, the latest advances in robotic surgery and what the microbiome can teach us about preventing noncommunicable diseases. James’ new book, Dark Matter: The New Science of the Microbiome, is out now on Penguin Random House.
For more information:
- James’ bio at Imperial College London
- Follow James on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn
- Order Dark Matter at Penguin Random House
Gil talks to Sara Fenske Bahat, the CEO of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and a 2022 Presidential Leadership Scholar. Sara shares how she leveraged her background in finance and economics to develop a one-of-a-kind MBA program and how her dyslexic mindset influenced her innovative approach to calendaring and note-taking.For more information:
- Follow Sara on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
- Presidential Leadership Scholars Program
Award-winning director of photography Jake Swantko talks to Gil about his life behind the lens. Jake discusses the directors (all dyslexic!) who have influenced his career and shares how the dyslexic mindset became an asset to his work. He also offers tips for dyslexic cinematographers looking to break into the industry.
For more information:
- Visit Jake's website
- Follow Jake on Instagram
- See a list of Jake's credits
Actor Lloyd Everitt talks to Gil about a career that has taken him from playing Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe to a role in one of Britain’s longest-running dramatic series. Find out about Lloyd’s inventive approach to learning his lines and what advice he would give an aspiring actor with dyslexia.
For more information:
- Follow Lloyd on Instagram
- Follow Lloyd on Twitter
Intercontinental flyweight champion boxer and author @ruqsanabegum_mt joins host Gil Gershoni on the new episode of Dyslexic Design Thinking. Ruqsana talks to Gil about the aspects of dyslexia that allowed her to become a world-champion fighter, the mantras that guide her life and what it meant to win Autobiography of the Year at the Sports Book Awards.
For more information:
- Follow Ruqsana on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ruqsanabegum_mt/?hl=en)
- Watch In the Ring with Ruqsana on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC894z50SxxHWfqP72PogSOg)
- Find Born Fighter by Ruqsana Begum on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Born-Fighter-Ruqsana-Begum/dp/147118515X)
In this special two-part episode, innovator, creative thinker, writer and entrepreneur Chris Arnold talks to Gil about the viral job posting that put dyslexic ingenuity on the map, what it takes to conduct an orchestra of creative minds and the trouble with being able to solve problems too quickly.
Chris is the founder of CONNECT2, co-founder of Dyversity Lab and a former board director and creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi.
For more information:
- Find Chris on LinkedIn.
- CONNECT 2
- Dyversity Lab
- Ethical Marketing & The New Consumer by Chris Arnold
- Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
- Do schools kill creativity? (TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson)
In this special two-part episode, innovator, creative thinker, writer and entrepreneur Chris Arnold talks to Gil about the viral job posting that put dyslexic ingenuity on the map, what it takes to conduct an orchestra of creative minds and the trouble with being able to solve problems too quickly.
Chris is the founder of CONNECT2, co-founder of Dyversity Lab and a former board director and creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi.
For more information:
- Find Chris on LinkedIn.
- CONNECT 2
- Dyversity Lab
- Ethical Marketing & The New Consumer by Chris Arnold
- Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
- Do schools kill creativity? (TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson)
Gil welcomes Joe Fuld, the founder and president of The Campaign Workshop, a consulting firm that specializes in political and advocacy campaigns. Joe talks to Gil about why dyslexics make great entrepreneurs, how his dyslexia disclosure impacted his career and what mentors can teach us about our differences.
For more information:
The Campaign Workshop (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
The Campaign Workshop Advocacy Training Program
How to Win a Campaign
How to Win a Campaign on Spotify
Confessions of a Dyslexic Entrepreneur by Joe Fuld
Gil welcomes rocket scientist, adventure athlete and motivational speaker Meghan Buchanan to the podcast! Meghan talks to Gil about her pursuit of the explorer's grand slam, how she became a "fire chief" in her career and what her GGRIT philosophy can teach us about dyslexia.
Stu Shader talks to Gil about bringing a conference on neurodiversity to Silicon Valley, how companies are challenging assumptions about employees with differences, and what raising dyslexic children can teach parents about their own dyslexia.
Dyslexic Advantage founders Drs. Brock & Fernette Eide talk to Gil about patterns they’ve noticed among dyslexic creatives, why dyslexics make good astrophysicists and what they’ve learned in the decade since their groundbreaking book was published.
For more information:
Dyslexic Advantage Book
Dyslexic Advantage Newsletter
Donate to Dyslexic Advantage
Claire Shepherd is helping us kick off the new season of the Dyslexic Design Thinking podcast. The Unispace COO joins host Gil Gershoni to talk about how we can optimize workspaces to be more inclusive, more collaborative and more productive. Unispace has created spaces for Microsoft, Nike, Coca-Cola, GE and Verizon.
For more information:
The Dyslexia Association
Claire Shepherd’s LinkedIn
Fast Company article
Individuals with dyslexia benefit from support networks and strong communities. How does dyslexia teach us to dissolve boundaries and strengthen connections? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth explore dyslexia's and design thinking's impact on community-building.
Guests Include:
- Holly Tucker, entrepreneur
- Guy Singh-Watson, Riverford Organic Farmers founder
- Dom Wilder, furniture designer and entrepreneur
Follow DDT on Instagram
Subscribe to our email list
Read Gil's Medium articles
Dyslexia helps creatives bring a unique perspective to their work. Does this mean that dyslexia is influencing new standards for visual aesthetics? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth discuss dyslexia’s role in art, film and media with a panel of creatives with dyslexia.
Guests Include:
- Aaron Wolf, actor, writer, and director
- Christian Boer, typographer with dyslexia
- Lennie Varvarides, DYSPLA founder
- Kazimir Bielecki, DYSPLA creative director
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
What does it mean to be a champion in your chosen profession? Creative director Gil Gershoni talks dyslexia, empathy and success with panel of people with jobs that require them to get up-close and personal on a regular basis.
Guests Include:
- Lloyd Everitt, TV and film actor
- Ruqsana Begum, Muay Thai champion
- Obi Ohaka Daniel, social worker for people with learning differences
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
What can dyslexia teach us about nurturing curiosity and creative modes of thinking? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth look into dyslexia’s role in science and academic research as they chat with an exciting panel of experts.
Guests Include:
- James Kinross, surgeon and Imperial College London lecturer
- Nicole Ofiesh, cognitive and behavioral scientist
- Sara Rankin, professor of leukocyte and stem cell biology
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
How does dyslexia change the way we understand abilities and so-called disabilities? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth lead a discussion on changing perspectives and shifting paradigms with a panel of professionals with dyslexia.
Guests Include:
- Charlotte Edmonds and Elizabeth Rose Arifien, choreographers
- Mark Francis Long, I AM LEX founder
- Susanna Cederquist, author and dyslexia advocate
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
Dyslexia helps artists, designers and architects make connections that other people don't see. Does the dyslexic mind help these creatives innovate to achieve success? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth explore the link between dyslexia and design with a panel of creatives with dyslexia.
Guests Include:
- Bill Amberg, Bill Amberg Studio
- Julian Ogiwara, Eric Parry Architects
- Sari Räthel, RÄTHEL & WOLF
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
What do haute couture fashion, award-winning children’s books and a creative agency have in common? They're all powered by individuals with dyslexia. Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth dig into dyslexia's link to creative execution with this week's guests.
Guests Include:
- Flora McLean, House of Flora
- Sally Gardner, award-winning author
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
People with dyslexia often struggle in traditional school settings, but they have so much to offer as students and teachers. How can we support the dyslexia community through more inclusive ways to learn? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth talk about the future of learning with two subject matter experts.
Guests Include:
- Qona Rankin, Royal College of Art
- Marcia Brissett-Bailey, Waltham Forest Dyslexia Association
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
Creatives are in the business of coming up with big ideas. But what does it mean to “think big"? Can dyslexia help creative professionals succeed? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth lead an in-depth discussion exploring the creative mindsets of people with dyslexia.
Guests Include:
- Charlotte Edmonds, choreographer and founder of Move Beyond Words
- Lloyd Everitt, TV and film actor
- Pip Jamieson, founder and CEO of The Dots
- James Kinross, surgeon and Imperial College London lecturer
- Helen Taylor, researcher and project lead at the University of Strathclyde
- Ab Rogers, creative director, architect and founder of Ab Rogers Design
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles
Dyslexia enables people to see the world from an entirely novel perspective. So where do dyslexia and innovation intersect? Creative director Gil Gershoni and co-hosts Kate Power and Kathy Iwanczak Forsyth explore how dyslexia helps inventors and marketers confront existing ideas to create room for new ones.
Guests Include:
- Tom Pellereau, winner of BBC One’s "The Apprentice"
- Steven “Woody” Woodgate, Samsung Electronics UK
More from Dyslexic Design Thinking:
- Follow DDT on Instagram
- Subscribe to our email list
- Read Gil's Medium articles