Building a Business with Neurodiversity at its Heart: Kirsten Jack, founder of Uncommon

How do you build and fund a business built around a mission that life-changing for your community but doesn’t represent a typical 10x opportunity for investors? Meet Kirsten Jack, founder of Uncommon, the online community where neurodivergent young people can connect, find their people, and build the support networks they need.

At a crossroads in a her career, Kirsten did more than change jobs. She answered a call she’d felt since childhood. Diagnosed with autism in her teens, she was shaped by years of navigating organisations not built for her. When she became a parent she found that the world’s newfound openness to neurodivergence wasn't translating into real support. She found long waiting lists, a patchwork of under-funded groups, and families left to improvise. That frustration sparked Uncommon, an online community built because Kirsten refused to wait for someone else to act.

Autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other types of neurodiversity aren’t rare. It affects somewhere between 10 and 15% of the population. However, many young people are undiagnosed (especially girls), and are navigating it without even knowing why things feel so hard. The scale of unmet need is significant, and it’s a gap that Uncommon exists to fill.

Listen to This Episode to Learn:

• How she funded the start of the business and absolute must-haves when seeking funding for a purpose-led business
• How to design a product around your most vulnerable users from day one, and why they pivoted their community focus early on
• The honest truth about grant funding that has conditions attached - and the NHS contract that taught Kirsten the hard way
• How Kirsten manages the decision fatigue of being a solo founder - and the simple habit that changed things for her
• What success actually looks like for a business built around purpose

 

Chapters

1:00 - Building Uncommon: A Safe Space for Neurodivergent Youth

7:35 - Supporting Neurodivergent Employees in the Workplace

12:21 - Decision-Making Strategies for Solo Founders

14:20 - Building Early Support Systems for Youth Mental Health

16:59 - Challenges Faced by Neurodivergent Students in Mainstream Schools

19:22 - Supporting Neurodivergent Youth Through Flexible Online Programs

23:43 - Targeted Fundraising and Impactful Business Models

28:19 - Supporting Young People Through Clubs, Mentoring, and Fun

33:59 - Empowering Youth Through Safe and Supportive Creative Spaces

38:21 - Strategic Insights and Challenges in Educational Community Building

42:09 - Transformative Impact of Uncommon on Youth and Families

 

Links and Resources

Find out more about Uncommon:
https://www.bemoreuncommon.com/

Read the testimonials from grateful parents:
https://www.bemoreuncommon.com/testimonials

Connect with Kirsten on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-jack/

 

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