Imisi Fakunle

Imisi Fakunle is an award-winning final-year Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence student at the University of Leeds. She also works on the board of Econominds, a London-based pre-seed startup, which makes accessible and neurodivergent friendly resources to understand economic concepts. Imisi is a UK STEM Ambassador and has worked with Techwuman to deliver multiple activity days. She also tutors GCSE maths to children from disadvantaged backgrounds and mentors high school students.

Please tell us about your career

My current industry is technology and what I like most about it is the opportunity that it creates for problem solving, as I am quite a curious person who likes to break large problems into smaller, more manageable tasks. I feel excited to complete my degree and continue adding value in different ways, whilst supporting and mentoring those who come from underrepresented backgrounds as well. I am inspired by a lot of work done in my industry and the opportunity to contribute to this is invaluable to me.

How has being Neurodivergent shaped the direction of your career?

Being Neurodivergent has helped me to better understand the reasons behind how I function, so that I know how to leverage my strengths and am more compassionate towards my shortcomings. This has pushed me to look at roles where problem simplification and solving are required as well as paying good attention to detail.

Do you feel that your job/industry is a good fit for an ND woman?

I think technology is good for ND women as the flexibility and accessibility it could offer (e.g. fully remote work, and access to physical and online tools), means that it could cater to many needs of different ND women. However, as with most industries, I believe that more could be done to promote inclusivity within workplaces so that ND women could feel more like a good fit within any organisation, and to help combat imposter syndrome.

What advice would you give to another Neurodivergent woman navigating their way through life?

Try to find role models that look like you. It could- even subconsciously- make you know that you deserve to take up space and feel seen. And when possible, try to be that role model for others. In addition, make an attempt to understand your Neurodiversity better because this can help with feelings of confusion and alienation.