July 11, 2024
Beacon College Recognizes Journalist Denise Brodey with Difference Maker Award
By Cindy Peterson
Beacon College Recognizes Journalist Denise Brodey with Difference Maker Award
“A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity,” the PBS television show produced by Beacon College, recently recognized Denise Brodey with its Difference Maker Award. The Difference Maker Award is presented to famous and/or successful individuals who are thriving with learning disabilities or to neurodiversity allies, along with a high-profile segment on the “A World of Difference” television show.
Brodey is an award-winning journalist who channels her personal experiences with learning differences into articles championing inclusive workforces. She is a Forbes senior contributor and the founder of the Boston-based boutique consulting firm, Rebel Talent, which creates impact reports and interactive workshop materials for Fortune 500 companies interested in hiring and supporting unconventional talent. Her clients include Getty Images, The Valuable 500 and Disability:IN. Her research shows leaders and managers how to create high-performing teams that embrace neurodiversity and has been showcased at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In her interview on “A World of Difference,” Brodey explains how “finding a middle ground between managers and employees, in which they can face both challenges and find success,” will be the key to attracting and retaining top talent.
After 20 years in the national media, as a deputy editor at Glamour Magazine and general manager at USA Today, Brodey began speaking publicly about her lived experience with anxiety and ADHD. Her first book, “The Elephant in the Playroom,” was named a Library Journal Best Book. She received the 2023 Harrison Sylvester Awardee by the Learning Disabilities Association of America, and Broad Futures, which connects neurodivergent adults to corporate internships, awarded her their 2021 Champions’ Award.
Watch the “A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity” episode featuring Denise Brodey at: https://awodtv.org/segment/difference-maker-denise-brodey/.
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.