“My autism and ADHD diagnosis didn’t box me in. It freed me.
"It helped me see that the curiosity, the jumping between worlds, the many skills and passions I carry are not contradictions.
"They’re the way my mind and body works.”
Dennis V. Tran (he/him)
I’m a queer, disabled, partially blind, late-identified autistic ADHDer and proud Vietnamese American. I work as a cultural and inclusion strategist, storyteller, and narrative consultant, partnering with organizations that want thoughtful, lived-experience-informed approaches to accessibility, inclusion, and strategy.
I’ve built my career across media, tech, entertainment, and digital health with a background in Public Health Policy, working as a storyteller, advocate, and consultant on projects that shape how disability and identity are understood. Navigating life with multiple disabilities and neurodivergences, many of them were delayed and unidentified for much of my life, informs how I think about systems, culture, and belonging.
I see myself as a lifelong learner who is deeply reflective and curious. My work often moves across different topics and industries, and my platform evolves alongside the projects, ideas, and communities I’m engaged with.
From Cultural Silence To Empowerment
In 2020, my late autism diagnosis became a turning point. A storyteller was born as I stepped into my own life, learning to embrace my experiences and live more authentically. By turning struggles into strengths, I moved from surviving to thriving, guided by a commitment to “be the representation I needed when I was younger and the change I wanted to see in the world.”
Launching the Asian Lifing Podcast in 2021 allowed me to share my story publicly for the first time and marked the beginning of my journey as a storyteller. I now want to use what I’ve learned and my lived experience to help create a more equitable, inclusive world.
"Be the representation I needed when I was younger and the change I wanted to see in the world"
As Seen & Featured In
Asian Lifing Podcast
Launched in 2021 after 6 months of life coaching, the Asian Lifing with Dennis Tran podcast explores mental health, disability, and identity through the lived experience of a disabled, neurodivergent Vietnamese American. The series follows Dennis’s journey as a partially blind, late-identified AuDHD individual living with glaucoma and C-PTSD, offering honest conversations about healing, access, and self-advocacy. Through storytelling and practical reflection, the podcast supports listeners in moving from survival toward resilience and growth.
5 years later, the Asian Lifing podcast served as Dennis' launching pad for storytelling, advocacy, community building, leadership development, and the inclusion work he does today.
1.3K+ listeners reached
"Behind the Smile" - A Note from Dennis:
What you see on the outside does not reflect what someone may be experiencing. The battles they are facing, the scars they carry, and the layers of identities that shape them.
It is important that we stay curious and be kind.
I know what it's like because I lived through this very experience of being misunderstood and dismissed for years struggling in silence and shame. My deep desire to connect with others and hoping someone out there would get to know me beyond the smile.
A Glimpse into My Reality:
Behind my smile is someone who struggled for years with cultural identity as a queer, disabled, partially blind, late-identified autistic-ADHD (AuDHD) neurodivergent Vietnamese American living with glaucoma, C-PTSD, and chronic conditions. I grew up low-income and became a first-generation student and professional. For more than 25 years, I navigated life in survival mode.
Mental health and disability were rarely discussed because of cultural stigma and shame. There was no language for my neurodivergence. Instead, it was often labeled as personal failure, laziness, or something that needed to be fixed.
I also didn’t grow up with a supportive family dynamic and had very little social support. I experienced bullying, ableism, abuse, discrimination, and inaccessibility that deeply shaped my life. For a long time, I felt like I didn’t belong. My differences were treated as flaws I needed to hide, and I learned early on that I had to carry everything on my own.
Today, I embrace my differences and all of my intersectional identities as my superpower, the very things that drive innovation, resilience, and change in the world.
Let's Connect
Dennis is eager to collaborate on projects, deliver insightful speaking engagements, and offer consulting services. Together, we can champion a more neuro-affirming world where individuals, regardless of their differences, can thrive and lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.
"Celebrate difference, embrace diversity."
