Neurotypical people don’t have all the answers, but it’s often tough for neurodivergent people—with disorders such as autism and ADHD—to break into the job market and find meaningful work. Enter Jhillika Kumar, who cofounded Mentra in 2018, when she was 19 years old. Menta matches neurodivergent jobseekers with recruiters and companies that can make use of their unique abilities. Kumar seems to be the ideal woman for the job, as a self-described “AuDHDer” (someone who has both autism and ADHD). In the past five years, Mentra has attracted more than 33,000 users, buoyed by intuitive website design, powerful candidate-matching algorithms, and a deep pool of previously untapped talent.
Mentra charges an annual fee for companies that want to use its services, but remains free for job applicants. That makes sense, given the company’s claims that neurodivergent companies are 72% more productive and 19% more profitable than their neurotypical counterparts—and that 80% of neurodivergent individuals are either un- or underemployed. This year, Mentra received $3.5 million in seed money from Shine Capital, on top of a $1 million investment last year from OpenAI’s Sam Altman. If Mentra continues to grow, it could benefit neurodivergent employees, small businesses, big corporations, and even the worldwide workforce as a whole.
