Georgia Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce upcoming events

Community Networking: Tommy Nobis Center "From Potential to Paycheck" (Tuesday, November 03, 2026)

Tue, 03 Nov 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Tommy Nobis Center Presents The Academy Program

From Potential to Paycheck

Closing Georgia's Disability Employment Gap

November 3, 2026

8:30 am - 10:30 am

Tommy Nobis Center

240 Interstate N Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339

One in four adults in the U.S. lives with a disability, yet they face an unemployment rate nearly double that of the general population. Closing that gap is exactly what Tommy Nobis Center exists to do.

Join us to hear from Karen Dernavich, VP of Programs at Tommy Nobis Center, on how TNC is empowering people through employment across Georgia and beyond. For 50 years, TNC has helped individuals with disabilities move from potential to paycheck through a full continuum of support: guiding high schoolers through their first steps toward career readiness, building real-world skills through hands-on vocational training, and delivering job placement with job coaching for adults entering the workforce.

Employment isn't a one-way street. Karen will also share how TNC partners with employers, civic groups, and organizations across the state to turn inclusion into real business solutions, helping companies tap into a skilled, reliable, and often overlooked talent pool while building stronger, more resilient local economies.

This gathering will be hosted at Tommy Nobis Center, so attendees will get a firsthand tour of the campus and see this work in action!

If your life, community, or work touches the disability community in any way, you won't want to miss this conversation.

A light breakfast and coffee will be provided by Rise Coffee + Tea

REGISTER TODAY!

Date: November 3, 2026

Time: 8:30am - 10:30am

Address: Tommy Nobis Center, 240 Interstate N Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339

Agenda

8:30am - Doors open, attendees start to arrive. Light breakfast and coffee provided.

8:30am-9:00am - Networking Time.

9:00am - Opening remarks + Speaker begins

9:25am - Speaker Ends and opens up for Q&A.

9:30am - Q+A ends

9:30am-9:45am - Networking

9:45am-10:30am – Attendees can Tour Tommy Nobis Center or continue networking

About: Karen Dernavich

About: The Academy Program

Program Model

The Academy offers a yearlong program of accelerated vocational education and training on life skills and job readiness.

EDUCATE: Curriculum-based vocational training. Topics include life skills, social skills for employment, self-advocacy, vocational skills, confidence, communication, and more! Instruction takes place in the classroom and in the community.

TRAIN: Job discovery that includes on-site and community-based instruction. Participants will be able to explore specific career pathways and learn about targeted vocational topics.

EMPLOY: Specialized employment support to ensure success. All participants who complete the program will be guaranteed employment.

NeuroCONNECT - Bowling Night with Food and Drinks! Nov. 15 (Sunday, November 15, 2026)

Sun, 15 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Why Join?
Come experience a safe space, meet new friends, and enjoy bowling! A great way for potential members to experience the GANCC community!
RSVP required and payment is due on sign up — space is limited.

INCLUDED IN PRICE:
Shoes, Bowling .... and unlimited Pizza, Fries, and Soda. So come hungry!

GANCC Members: $35
General Public: $45

LOCATION: Bowlero, 785 Old Roswell Rd, Roswell, GA 30076

DATE: Sunday, November 15, 2026

TIME: 5:00pm - 6:30pm

RSVP + PAYMENT : RSVP and payment is required immediately as space is limited.

If you are not able to attend, please let us know as we will have a wait list. We want to afford the opportunity to everyone who is able to attend. We are sorry, there are no refunds.

Email: jacey@gancc.org

Text: 404-998-2897

Important Note: GANCC events are unsupervised and designed for independent participation. If an attendee needs support for safety or accessibility, a qualified professional support person is welcome to attend with no registration fee.

Community Networking: Relationship Based Practice - Lionheart Life Center - January 26, 2027 (Tuesday, January 26, 2027)

Tue, 26 Jan 2027 14:00:00 GMT

Relationship-Based Practice for School, Vocational, and Life Success

Date: Tuesday, January 26, 2027

Time: 9:00am - 10:30am

Meeting Held at: The Lionheart School, 225 Roswell St., Alpharetta, GA 30009

What if the most powerful intervention isn't a curriculum, a job-training module, or a behavior plan, but the relationship underneath all of them? Grounded in DIR philosophy, The Lionheart School educates children from elementary through high school (ages 5 to 21) using individualized, relationship-driven approaches that build communication, learning, and self-regulation—principles that transfer seamlessly into vocational readiness. As participants graduate, Lionheart WORKS supports adults through the same relational foundation, offering meaningful employment opportunities via teamWORKS group experiences and individualized iWORKS pathways across diverse internal worksites:

Lionheart Gardens (organic farming and sustainable practices),
Lionheart Cottage (design, production, and retail of art and home décor),
Lionheart Radio (24/7 online broadcast and media production),
Lionheart Tech Site (computer repair and refurbishment),
Lionheart Kitchen (culinary skills)
Lionheart Art (creative instruction and community classes).

Discover why relationship comes first across every stage—and what that looks like when educational practice becomes vocational success.

Everyone is welcome!

Morning Agenda

9:00 AM - Doors open, networking, and light breakfast with coffee + tea. Introductions.

9:30 AM - Welcome

9:35 AM - The Lionheart School and Lionheart Life Center - Tracy Burke, BS, MBA

9:50 AM - Presentation Ends

9:50 AM - 10:10 AM - Networking

10:10 AM - Leave for Lionheart's The Cottage Tour

Lionheart Life Center, Executive Director

Tracy Burke, MBA

About Tracy

Tracy joined the Lionheart team in 2018, but her relationship with the organization goes back to 2013, first as a Lionheart parent, then as a deeply involved volunteer, a Lionheart WORKS job coach, and later as Director of Operations. In 2025, she became Executive Director, bringing the full depth of that experience to lead the organization forward.

Her background spans nuclear medicine imaging, classroom support as an assistant teacher, and operations leadership in the software industry. Tracy holds a B.S. in Nuclear Medicine Technology from the University of Dayton and an M.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business, a combination that gives her both the analytical rigor and organizational range Lionheart's work demands.

Community Networking: Jacob's Ladder - Compass Program - Building Vocational + Life Skills - February 24, 2027 (Wednesday, February 24, 2027)

Wed, 24 Feb 2027 13:30:00 GMT

NETWORKING EVENT at THE JACOB'S LADDER GROUP

The GANCC presents our February 2027 All Community Connect Networking Event at The Jacob's Ladder Group:

The Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care in Action

The Compass Program: From Skills to Vocation to Community - A Whole New Path to Adulthood

What supports a young neurodivergent adult in building a life of genuine independence?

Our visit to Jacob's Ladder Group will introduce attendees to their framework at the center of everything they do: the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care® (IWBMC™). They will walk through how the IWBMC™ shapes evaluation, individualized goal-setting, and intervention across their full continuum of care; from early childhood through adulthood.

With that foundation in place, their Compass Program begins fostering independence through their experiential learning program for teens and young adults ages 16+ who are transitioning into adulthood. Compass helps clients build personal living skills, vocational training, community engagement, and educational planning through its focus areas — including job coaching, community-based enrichment, and overnight independence skill development — all guided by the IWBMC™'s Independence Navigator.

We'll also briefly spotlight the broader ecosystem that supports this work:

Jacob's Ladder School — a SAIS-Cognia accredited program serving clients pre-K through 12th grade, applying the IWBMC™ in daily educational practice.

Pillar Research Institute — their research arm, building the evidence base behind their clinical and educational approach.

Ascend Training Institute — how they train and certify clinicians, educators, and evaluators to deliver the IWBMC™ with fidelity.

AHAVA Software — their digital platform extending the IWBMC™ methodology to providers and families worldwide.

Attendees will leave with a clear picture of how their model, Compass program, research, training, and technology work together to support neurodivergent individuals and families, specifically those moving into adulthood.

Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2027

Time: 8:30am - 10:30am

Location: Jacob's Ladder Group, 407 Hardscrabble Rd, Roswell, GA 30075

About Speaker: Megan Finnegan, BA, LBS-I, IWBMC-CE

Director of Outreach

As Director of Outreach for The Jacob's Ladder Group and a Certified Evaluator in the Jacob's Ladder Interpersonal Whole Brain Model of Care® (IWBMC™), Megan leads professional training, strategic partnerships, and policy engagement while helping expand awareness of the organization's innovative clinical model. She regularly presents Jacob's Ladder's research, clinical outcomes, and whole-person approach to educators, healthcare professionals, community organizations, and national conference audiences, translating research into practical strategies that improve outcomes for individuals and families.

She is also a member of the GANCC Policy Committee.

More about The Jacob's Ladder Group

Compass School, click below.