TRS Center For Innovation & Entrepreneurship

One-Of-A-Kind Program Dedicated To Creating Genuine Entrepreneurial Opportunities For Our Neurodivergent Students & Young Adults 

Autistic young adults have unemployment and underemployment rates 10X higher that the overall population and disturbingly 5X higher that other disability categories.  Our Center For Neurodiverse Innovation & Entrepreneurship has two programs rolling out in 2025 to directly address this injustice.

The Rising Start-Up Program & Incubator

With the generous help of an Innovation Grant from The Children's Trust,  The Rising Start is launching a one-of-a-kind Start-Up "Incubator" for Autistic/Neurodiverse students .  Commencing in January of 2025, the Incubator will provide world-class innovation and entrepreneurial training to innovation teams consisting of the neurodivergent student, a parent, family member or friend, and a volunteer mentor.

Donate To The Rising Start-Up Program

These innovation teams will focus on creating businesses, products and services that meet the unmet needs of both the neurodiverse and broader community.  Rather than training students and young adults for the very few, traditional jobs reserved for the autisitic and related disabilities communities, The Rising Start is encouraging our students and young adults to take the future into their own hands.  We want our students to explore their incredibly unique interests and skills and build unique, innovative products, services and businesses that will be all their own.  

The Children's Trust Grant got us started but doesn't cover all of the costs of the programs.  Your donation to the Incubator and Rising Start-Up program will provide funds directly to three of the teams presenting the most exciting and promising business opportunities at our Showcase in May 2025 to get their business off the ground (equity-free "seed funding").  Remaining funds donated will help cover part of the operating costs of the program as well as future instalments of the program.