Dani Bowman (Founder and CCO of Danimation; cast member, Netflix, "Love on the Spectrum") shares her inspiring life story.

The Autism In Entertainment (AIE) Conference was a one-day, in-person event that was held on Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. This conference is helping to create a bridge to employment for individuals on the autism spectrum who are interested in entertainment-related fields, including film, television, production, animation, and game design. This video was edited by award-winning film editor, Jonathan Posell and shares some of the highlights of the day. It features footage shot by the Autism In Entertainment Neurodivergent Video Team led by Paul Hemstreet, an award-winning independent producer, director, and editor, who pioneered and led Warner Brother’s content creation team for Home Entertainment and all Film and TV releases on disc and digital for over two decades. He is a proud father of two neurodivergent adult twin children, one of them an animator. About the Autism In Entertainment Conference The Autism In Entertainment (AIE) Conference was hosted by the Orange County Asperger’s Support Group (OCASG) working with the Autism In Entertainment Workgroup with support from Zavikon. Zavikon is an employment agency whose mission is to place neurodivergent individuals, as well as those with disabilities, in career-oriented meaningful jobs. Zavikon uses a supported placement model to set both employer and employee up for success. The conference is funded by a Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Grant designed to help Regional Center consumers find employment. For more information about DDS, visit www.dds.ca.gov.

The Autism In Entertainment Conference was held on Friday, April 5, 2024 at the prestigious Skirball Cultural Center. This one-day, in-person conference will brought together industry leaders and advocates to explore ways to bridge the gap between the autistic community and the entertainment industry. Our goal was to provide a platform that would empower individuals with autism to showcase their talent and creativity, and to help them find meaningful employment opportunities within the entertainment industry. The conference featured Jorge Gutierrez as the Keynote Speaker. Annie Award-winning Jorge R. Gutierrez is a Mexican animator, painter, voice actor, writer and director. A Cal Arts Experimental Animation BFA & MFA graduate, Gutierrez has completed various films, cartoons, and paintings exploring his love affair with Mexican pop and folk culture. Gutierrez was Director & Co-Writer of the Guillermo del Toro produced animated feature The Book of Life, which earned him a 2014 Golden Globe Award nomination. Along with his wife and muse, Sandra Equihua, they created the multiple Emmy Award-winning animated series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon. Gutierrez most recently created, wrote, and directed the event series Maya and the Three for Netflix which won 2 Annie Awards, and won 4 Emmys. Gutierrez is currently writing/directing a Netflix animated feature named I, Chihuahua with Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias. About the Organizers The conference was organized by the Autism In Entertainment Working Group, led by the Orange County Asperger’s Support Group with support from Zavikon an employment agency whose mission is to place neurodivergent individuals and those with disabilities in career-oriented, meaningful jobs, and they utilize a supported placement model to set both employer and employee up for success. The conference is funded by a Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Grant designed to help Regional Center consumers find employment.

Ubisoft Associate Game Producer David Manuel shares his story of being diagnosed with Autism as an adult after having his son diagnosed, and how this helped him make sense of his life.

Musician and Actor Domonique Brown (Netflix, "Atypical") on his life as a composer and performer.

Isaiah Strum shares his journey to become a Visual Effects Compositor at Exceptional Minds Studios.

Featuring independent filmmaker and ABA therapist Alex Astrella.

Jimi Bordeaux shares his story of overcoming adversity to pursue a career in graphic design. Jimi designed the Autism in Entertainment logo.