Reimagining Inclusion by Transforming Systems and Building a Neurodiversity Inclusive World Through the Power of Storytelling

-Chingcha V., Sr. Program Manager at LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics) 

I first met Dennis about a year ago when he was considering applying for the LEAP Impact Program. From our very first phone conversation, he challenged me in the best possible way to think differently and more expansively about disability, neurodiversity, and what inclusion truly looks like in leadership spaces. That conversation set the tone for every interaction since: I’ve experienced Dennis as thoughtful, intentional, and grounded in deep care.

Dennis is one of the most authentic, strategic, and visionary thinkers I’ve had the privilege of knowing. He brings a rare blend of lived experience, professional expertise, and storytelling skill to everything he does, whether consulting on inclusive media, designing equitable systems, or helping organizations reimagine what accessibility and belonging can look like.

Throughout and beyond the LEAP program, I’ve continued to learn from Dennis. He is a true champion and advocate for the communities he represents. He is able to leverage his lived experiences as a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent Vietnamese American leader to build bridges across sectors and spark real change.

I’m deeply proud to call Dennis both a colleague and a friend. I cannot recommend him highly enough for any partnership, consultancy, or collaboration. Anyone who has the chance to work with him will walk away with a richer, more human understanding of what inclusion and leadership can truly mean.

-YouTube Viewer of Jubilee Media's Spectrum Series "Do all Men Think the Same"

Dennis, thank you for representing neurodivergent people and being yourself. I almost cried when you made the statement; ‘over-apologize, apologize for my existence’ because that is something that I have felt growing up. I hate that other people have felt the same way. I wish honestly that people were more accepting instead of forcing people to conform to the norm. Our unique is our gift.

-Jennifer M. AIM's Outreach Staff, UCLA's AIM 2025 Taking AIM Conference

Dennis Tran is an impactful speaker whose lived experiences inform his perspectives on the medical and mental health care systems. I first met Dennis through Autism Advocacy’s Speaker Panel at UCLA, and because his story resonated with me and he had partially touched on the intersectionality between him being Asian-American and autistic, I invited him as one of the guest speakers for AIM’s (Advocating for Intersectional Medicine) panel on the Asian-American Experience in the U.S. Healthcare System, where he was a pleasure to work with and an honor to have speak at our panel.

Dennis’ story is especially important and highlights intersectionality between healthcare, disability, and the Asian-American experience. With his many intersectional identities, as a disabled AuDHDer and Asian-American from a Vietnamese and Southeast Asian immigrant household, Dennis Tran sheds light on gaps within the healthcare system through his poignant work as a meaningful storyteller and disability and neurodiversity advocate.

As someone who is also an Asian-American AuDHDer, I could definitely resonate with his late-diagnosis story of his neurodivergence being overlooked in the mental healthcare system. His story deeply resonated with not just me, but also many others, who asked him questions after the panel and commented on his story.

Dennis’ story made me feel seen in a world, where disability, neurodiversity, and mental health are often hidden and overlooked, especially in Asian-American immigrant communities. I am grateful for Dennis’ story shining a light on an often unspoken topic.

-Conference attendee, UCLA's AIM 2025 Taking AIM Conference

I loved the panel, and I did find Dennis to be my favorite panelist, mainly because of how he highlighted an intersectional experience that is not often brought up, and I personally really felt seen. It’s so important to highlight the perspectives of disabled people in any community because we exist everywhere, and I feel like we are often silenced so much.

-Conference attendee, UCLA's AIM 2025 Taking AIM Conference

Before I knew I was autistic, I often felt like I was not even a real Chinese American because my meltdowns made it hard for me to connect with my peers or participate in cultural activities, and I never learned how to read the language. I think the panel was great, and Dennis gave lots of great advice, and I enjoyed connecting with him.

I thought his experience was especially important to share because the way cultural background informs how people interact with and are hindered by systems isn't talked about enough.

-Conference attendee, UCLA's AIM 2025 Taking AIM Conference

I appreciated that the panel included Dennis’ perspective as a disabled Asian American. It was so nice seeing the intersectionality in the panel because I've heard a lot of stories about the Asian American experience in literature before, and honestly, I never could identify with them. The ones I read were always about people who were pushed to the breaking point by their parents' standards, but I felt increasingly isolated because they usually met those standards at some point, while I had always been viewed as an outcast and not up to par because of my social differences.

-Sophie A., President and Event Chair at Autism Advocacy at UCLA

Dennis was delightful to work with. Not only did his presentation bring a new and welcome perspective to our event by introducing various forms of intersectionality with the autistic community, predominantly Asian American representation, but he was also responsive and flexible. There were numerous changes to the event, and Dennis always adjusted to meet our needs, which paid off because the event was a success. His presentation was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience and other speakers, and he answered a variety of interesting questions with thought-provoking responses in our Q&A section. Overall, we'd be lucky to work with Dennis again in the future!

-Jourdan S., CEO of The Resource Key

Your quote is powerful Dennis, "Be the representation he needed, when he was younger and the change he wanted to see in the world." (The quote you shared at 44:38 during your talk). Thank you for your vulnerability and for sharing your story. I enjoyed listening to your story and the other panelists.

-Sarika K., Heap's ERG Lead

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage and Mental Health Awareness Month, we had the privilege of inviting Dennis Tran to join us at Heap as a guest speaker and advocate for mental health and DEI. Dennis graciously shared his personal journey, navigating the intergenerational traumas associated with mental health awareness in the AAPI community. The impact of Dennis’ talk was truly remarkable and deeply moving. The Zoom chat overflowed with numerous examples of how individuals could relate to Dennis’ story. If you’re in search of an event, I highly recommend considering Dennis as a speaker. Our DEI team absolutely loved working with him.

-Kiomi V., Heap’s former Asian ERG, Co-Chair

Amazing having Dennis joined us to share his story. So many of us resonated with it and learned so much, so much so that the chat was on fire. The themes that came up in his story overlapped with many of our experiences, and his vulnerability and storytelling were incredible. We really appreciate his partnership on this!

-Serena B. and Patricia W., Steelcase 

Dennis & AADI's team created a thought-provoking narrative. A great conversation. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us and letting us glimpse into your world – which we can all hopefully make better together! We truly appreciate the experience Dennis & AADI's team have so thoughtfully created with and for us.

-Paul P., CEO and Founder of vablet by Appsolutely Inc.

Working with Dennis was a pleasure.As a remote worker before the widespread adoption of remote work, Dennis proved to be an easy collaborator. His ability to quickly learn and perform a wide range of tasks without extensive training was important. Given the diverse range of platforms vablet utilized, including tablets from Apple, Android, and Windows devices, as well as browsers with varying skill sets, Dennis’s adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies were crucial to his success during his tenure with us.Dennis helped us transition to a completely new tech support platform. He had to learn Zendesk, organize hundreds of files and then was responsible for providing support to our customers. He was responsible for maintaining the help system as many changes to the platform were common as new vablet features were introduced.Dennis also performed QA on multiple vablet platforms and device types. Vablet runs on iOS, Windows and Web. His ability to grasp multiple operating systems and learn the nuances of the platform was very helpful.

-Nich S., CEO and Founder of Create Purpose

Working with Dennis was so productive and easy. He brought a great deal of skill and empathy to the work, and it was such a pleasure being guided by him through all the different programs and events to further our impact from ideas to implementations. Our success would not be possible without him. If you're looking for a program consultant, advisor, or project manager for your organization, I highly recommend considering Dennis for your team!

-Prof. H. Seung, Cal State Fullerton, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

The information that Dennis shared was well-organized and informative. His message regarding neurodiversity was very powerful and rooted in his own lived experience. I am confident that the information and impact of Dennis' talk and presentation will have a long-lasting impact on our speech-language pathologist graduate students as they go into their professional careers.

-Erasing Shame Podcast Host

The Autism Self Advocacy Panel was a great panel and I'm thankful I got to attend. Thank you for organizing and sharing to the public such important identities that are often an afterthought or ignored.

-Hannah S., DE&I Corporate Strategist

Dennis provided a great perspective on the practical ways to create more inclusive workplace cultures and leadership - especially the essential nexus between mental health and disability support and accommodations at work during the Culture First Global Chapter by Culture Amp's panel discussion. Very informative!

-Ran Schwarzkopf., Professor/Orthopaedic Surgeon NYU Langone Orthopedic at NYU Langone Health

Dennis and I worked collaboratively on an outcomes clinical research study (UCI Health Dept. Orthopaedic Surgery) where he reported directly to me. He made great contributions to not only our research study but also to the entire team with his persistence and due diligence to complete assigned tasks and projects in a timely manner. During his time here, he was a big help and always willing to take on different assignments and projects, building rapport with patients, staff, and facilities in the process. His commitment and contribution to improve patient care and patient health outcomes were truly remarkable. It’s been such a joy working with him and seeing him grow over the year.