Ellie Middleton

Influential Neurodiversity Advocate, Bestselling Author of ‘UNMASKED’ & ‘How To Be You’, Founder of (Un)Masked Community

Ellie Middleton’s Biography:

Ellie Middleton is a keynote speaker, writer and consultant recognised as one of the most influential voices in the neurodiversity space. She is best known as the Founder of (un)masked, a community created to support neurodivergent adults after diagnosis, and as the author of ‘unmasked: the ultimate guide to ADHD, autism and neurodivergence’. Ellie is a lived-experience speaker whose work focuses on autism, ADHD, burnout prevention and practical inclusion, translating complex realities into clear, human insight that resonates with individuals, teams and senior leaders alike.

Ellie’s early career began far from public speaking or advocacy. After leaving Giggleswick School in 2015, she moved straight into full-time employment, working as a Counter Clerk at Post Office Ltd before progressing to Customer Service Advisor roles at Santander UK and Damart UK. These frontline positions shaped her understanding of workplace pressure, communication barriers and emotional labour. She later transitioned into digital roles, becoming Online Coordinator at Damart UK, followed by Content and Social Media Executive at Kurogo, and then Personal Brand Manager and Content Strategist at Great Influence. Throughout these years, Ellie was repeatedly labelled as difficult or overly intense, experiences that later made sense following her diagnosis of autism and ADHD at the age of 24.

That diagnosis marked a turning point. Ellie has described it as the moment she finally understood herself, likening her brain to ‘a Mac operating system in a Windows world’. She began unlearning years of masking and self-criticism, then started sharing her journey online with honesty and clarity. This led to the creation of (un)masked in 2021, now a trusted platform offering resources, community and guidance for neurodivergent people navigating diagnosis. Ellie’s influence grew rapidly, building an online audience of over 300,000 people, delivering a powerful TEDxShoreditch talk titled ‘Why an autism diagnosis is an invitation to finally be yourself’, and earning a National Diversity Award nomination for Positive Disability Role Model. Her writing expanded further with the publication of her second book, ‘How to Be You’, cementing her position as a leading educator in this field.

Why Hire Ellie Middleton?

Today, Ellie works with major organisations including Google, LinkedIn and The Independent, helping them rethink how society and workplaces support neurodivergent minds. As a keynote speaker, she travels across the UK delivering talks that combine lived experience, humour and actionable takeaways. Her sessions cover neurodiversity at work, reasonable adjustments, burnout, identity and self-acceptance, offering audiences practical tools they can apply immediately. Ellie’s work matters because it moves the conversation beyond awareness into action, showing that when people are supported as they are, they perform, thrive and belong.

Ellie Middleton’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Ellie Middleton’s inspirational career in diversity and inclusion:

• 2025 – Publication of ‘How to Be You’
• 2024 – Winner, Book bCreator of the Year at the NTA’s.
• 2023 – Author of ‘UNMASKED: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence’
• 2023 – Delivered TEDxShoreditch talk “Why an autism diagnosis is an invitation to finally be yourself”
• 2021 – Founder of (un)masked community for neurodivergent adults