2019 Graduate, "Leadership in the Digital Age", MIT Sloan School of Management
Speaker
Multi-faceted in his pursuit of passion in spreading autism and mental health awareness around communities nationwide, Russell has become one of the most sought-after speakers of his generation. He is relentless in his craft and prioritizes the importance of connection. His speeches invite every audience member on a journey through his mind - inside out - through genuine, heartfelt, and deeply vulnerable moments. Russell takes care to leave each group with thoughtful action items and tools they can bring back into their own communities to push this important movement forward.
Author
From a young age Russell found comfort, solace, and internal inspiration through his writing. From poetry and rhymes to spoken word and fiction, the written word became a tool for him to express his inner most self with a world that otherwise might never witness it. His book "Inside Out" garnered critical acclaim from Temple Grandin herself. It would be his writing that invited others to explore his story more... eventually motivating Russell to publicly share his experience with small groups around his community before becoming a prominent nationwide speaker.
Advocate
Russell believes that changing the mental health stigma comes through action. He is a council member for the Autism Society of America, a founding member of the Kulture City Speaker's Bureau, was appointed by the governor of Nevada to serve on the Council for Developmental Disabilities, sits on the board for the Autism Coalition of Nevada and chairs their statewide Youth Advisory Committee, and is the Youth Ambassador for Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. He also holds other positions to encourage change across national communities.
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In 2017 Russell made international headlines when he wrote a heartwarming Facebook post about a meltdown he had at an airport and the kind airline employee who went above and beyond to help him work through it. The story quickly went viral and was featured on Yahoo! News, USA Today, Autism Speaks and countless other media platforms. Everybody everywhere was encouraged to #BeLikeDavid!
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