✨ THE WAIT IS OVER — My TED Talk Is Live!

Hey friends,

I can finally share some news that still feels surreal to me: my TEDx talk is live on YouTube!

🎤 Mask Off: The Cost of Fitting In as a Neurodiverse Black Woman in Corporate America

In this talk, I share a very personal journey — being diagnosed with autism/ADHD in my late 20s, learning what it means to be a high-masking autistic Black woman, and the emotional cost of constantly trying to “fit in” at work.

I never thought I would have a community of over 350,000 people on LinkedIn following my story. And I definitely never imagined myself standing on a red circle, giving a talk in front of hundreds of people. Yet here I am — proof that our paths may not look like what we envisioned, but they are still powerful and filled with purpose.

This talk is more than just my story. It’s about the power of authenticity, the freedom that comes when we stop performing, and the reminder that none of us are truly alone in our struggles. My hope is that this message reaches someone who needs encouragement to take the mask off and show up as themselves — fully and unapologetically.

Regardless of whether you are neurodivergent or not, everyone has worn a mask at some point.

Maybe it was putting on a smile at work when you were going through something heavy at home.

Maybe it was code-switching to fit in with certain crowds.

Maybe it was toning down your personality to avoid being labeled “too much.”

Maybe it was pretending to understand when deep down you felt completely lost.

We’ve all done it — tried to shrink, shift, or perform just to belong. But the truth is, those masks come at a cost. They keep us from being fully seen, fully valued, and fully free.

My TED Talk is a reminder that authenticity isn’t just about showing the world who we are — it’s about giving ourselves permission to breathe.

✨ Watch here: https://youtu.be/VnOhbq03Bc8?si=nLCNXAz_3Ts5LuAF

Thank you for being on this journey with me — whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just joined recently. Your support, encouragement, and belief in me made this moment possible.

Let’s keep pushing for workplaces and communities that celebrate us for who we really are.

With gratitude,

Jalonni 💜