September 30, 2026
From growing up non-verbal to becoming Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year, National Neurodiversity Training's Founder is recognised for transforming how organisations support neurodivergent talent
Iveta Pudilova, founder of National Neurodiversity Training, has won both the Training and Education Award and the overall Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2026 title at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Future Faces. The awards recognise Iveta Pudilova's contribution to helping organisations create workplaces where neurodivergent talent can thrive through lived-experience-led, bespoke and data-driven training programmes.
The awards were presented at Birmingham Town Hall in front of 385 guests at an event organised by Future Faces, the young professionals' network of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. Award applications were assessed by 21 judges across six judging panels.
For Iveta Pudilova, the recognition is deeply personal.
As an autistic and ADHD business owner, she grew up non-verbal and experienced first-hand many of the barriers that neurodivergent people continue to face in education and employment. Today, she leads National Neurodiversity Training, delivering workplace programmes across the UK and internationally, advising organisations on people and culture strategy, and speaking publicly on the importance of neurodiversity from the business stage in Silicon Valley to the BBC.
National Neurodiversity Training was founded to address a challenge seen repeatedly across organisations.
Many managers genuinely want to support neurodivergent employees but are worried about saying the wrong thing. At the same time, many neurodivergent employees choose not to disclose their needs because they are unsure how they will be perceived or whether support will be available.
With autism and ADHD being the number one health condition in employee tribunals and up to 20% of people estimated to be neurodivergent (with even higher concentrations of neurodivergent talent in sectors such as technology and hospitality) companies cannot afford neurodiversity to remain misunderstood or overlooked.
National Neurodiversity Training helps Chief People and HR Officers turn neurodiversity into a leadership skill and a business advantage. Through lived-experience-led, bespoke and data-driven programmes, the organisation helps build confidence and capability across the workforce, educating nervous people managers, supporting neurodivergent colleagues and creating inclusive, productive team cultures.
The organisation's programmes focus on moving organisations from awareness to behavioural change, ensuring that learning translates into practical workplace actions and measurable outcomes.
The awards recognise a year of significant growth and impact for National Neurodiversity Training, spearheaded by founder, Iveta Pudilova.
Over the past 12 months, the organisation has trained more than 1,600 people across the UK and internationally, working with organisations including Arcadis, Popeyes, the Transport for West Midlands. The company also delivered the first neurodiversity training programme at the University of Birmingham for 300 managers.
Crucially, National Neurodiversity Training measures behavioural change rather than only focusing on standard L&D metrics, such as attendance and engagement.
At Data Literacy and AI Academy, 25% of previously undisclosed neurodivergent employees disclosed to their line manager, demonstrating a significant increase in psychological safety and trust. Additinoally, 83% of managers reported adapting their leadership style and communication practices to better support neurodivergent colleagues.
National Neurodiversity Training delivers bespoke pathways for neurodivergent employees, people managers, HR teams, senior leadership and even neurodivergent managers, ensuring that every audience receives training relevant to their responsibilities and level of influence.
The award judges recognised the business's commitment to delivering practical, bespoke learning pathways that reflect the experiences of all employees while aligning neurodiversity with broader people and business objectives, rather than as a standalone EDI initiative.
The awards represent an important milestone for both National Neurodiversity Training and the wider conversation around neurodiversity in the workplace.
As demand grows for legal compliance and practical, bespoke, and lived experience neurodiversity training, the recognition highlights the increasing importance enterprises are placing on creating workplaces that enable everyone to thrive.
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce described the achievement as recognition of a journey that has seen Iveta Pudilova grow from a category award winner in 2024 to the overall Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year winner in 2026.
Iveta Pudilova, Founder and CEO at National Neurodiversity Training, said:
“When I founded National Neurodiversity Training, I wanted to solve a problem I saw time and time again. Well-intentioned managers were nervous, and many neurodivergent employees did not feel safe disclosing their needs. As an autistic founder with ADHD who grew up non-verbal, that challenge felt deeply personal. Winning these awards is an incredible honour, but what makes me proudest is seeing enterprises create cultures where their people feel confident enough to lead or be themselves and perform at their best."
For more information, contact info@nnt.training.
