Creative Spirit Lights Up NYSE for Annual Gala Advancing Neurodiverse Employment

NEW YORK, April 22, 2025 (Newswire.com) - On April 21, Creative Spirit, the leading nonprofit dedicated to increasing employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals, held its annual Illuminating Brilliance Gala at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), bringing together leaders from the creative, media, technology, and advertising industries for a powerful evening of celebration and impact.

The event-chaired by Creative Spirit Trustees Lori Falcone, Director of Global HR at Voya Financial; Martha Riley, Strategic Advisor; and Andrea Sullivan, CEO, vYve-raised critical funds in support of Creative Spirit's mission of creating one million fair-wage, integrated employment opportunities for neurodiverse talent by 2030.

"One in five people are neurodivergent-1.64 billion worldwide-and yet, despite their immense potential, fair-wage employment and accessibility remain out of reach," said Laurel Rossi, Co-Founder and Board Chair of Creative Spirit. "This profoundly inhibits talented individuals from reaching their potential and also denies employers the innovation and financial growth that come with embracing neurodiversity."

The gala was proudly supported by a distinguished group of sponsors committed to advancing the neurodivergent community, including Havas, Mastercard, Colgate-Palmolive, Infillion, Shutterstock, AMC Networks, CBRE, Diageo, INVNT, IPG, Paramount Advertising, SalientMG, Scripps, The Advertising Club of New York, and Voya Financial.

Honoring Champions of Disability Inclusion

The 2025 honorees - Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Mastercard, and Donna Murphy, Global CEO of Havas Creative & Health Networks - were recognized for their visionary contributions to accessibility, innovation, and support of neurodivergent talent.

Rajamannar has been a pioneer in disability innovation, spearheading initiatives like the Touch Card feature - a series of unique notches for payment cards enabling people who are low or partially sighted to pay by touch alone. Under his innovative direction, Mastercard's commitment to accessibility in product development, employee support, and financial inclusion has earned accolades from Disability:IN and Fast Company.

"It's an honor to be recognized by Creative Spirit, an organization championing meaningful opportunities for everyone," said Raja Rajamannar. "Throughout my career, I've seen that the most powerful ideas often come from unexpected places. And at Mastercard, we believe that embracing different ways of thinking can lead to better outcomes - for business and for society."

Murphy recently led the development of a globally recognized initiative focused on fostering a more inclusive and accessible workplace. Under her leadership, the network launched Neuroverse Powered by Havas in March 2025 - a global Center of Excellence dedicated to advancing neurodiversity in creativity and brand building. A longstanding supporter of Creative Spirit and fair-wage hiring practices, Murphy has championed efforts that reimagine how agencies attract, support, and grow neurodivergent talent.

"At Havas, we believe the future of creativity belongs to those who think differently. That's why we launched Neuroverse - to embed neurodivergent talent and insights into how we build brands, spark innovation, and design better experiences," said Donna Murphy.

An Evening of Impact and Celebration

The Illuminating Brilliance Gala is Creative Spirit's largest annual fundraiser, providing 95% of the funding needed to deliver free job coaching, mentorship, and placement services to neurodivergent candidates.

Guests experienced a powerful evening in the historic NYSE Boardroom, complete with a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and an inspiring awards ceremony honoring the transformative impact of neurodivergent professionals and the forward-thinking companies that champion them.

To make a donation, visit https://hiredifferent25.givesmart.com

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About Creative Spirit

Founded in 2017, Creative Spirit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to transforming the employment landscape for neurodivergent individuals who are unemployed at an astounding 85%. Creative Spirit provides education, extensive training, and support to candidates, employees, and employers to place skilled candidates successfully in full-time fair-wage positions, internships, fellowships, and apprenticeships. Creative Spirit facilitates the job success of neurodiverse individuals by providing coaching and mentorship to help them thrive in their roles and by providing best-in-class certification and training for companies interested in building a thriving culture and successful business outcomes.

For more information, visit www.creativespirit-us.org.

Source: Creative Spirit