Autistic Activist, Leader & Speaker
Educating and advocating for environments and workplaces that work for and welcome ALL people.
Murphy Monroe, MSNPM
Murphy has hired and led many large, high-caliber teams that have broken sales records, driven profits, and pioneered emerging technologies. He possesses subject matter expertise in enrollment management, board relations, nonprofit management, and disability justice. Murphy is a Commissioner for the City of Evanston, leading the city's ADA compliance and disability access work. He is currently the executive director of an award-winning professional circus school and theater company that teaches over a thousand students yearly and produces circus theater nationwide.
Murphy led a large multi-state sales team as General Manager and Vice President of Operations for Helix Education, an ed-tech company that developed cutting-edge enrollment software and managed the enrollment and brand positioning for many major colleges and universities before its successful sale.
“That self-knowledge has changed how he approaches his current job as the executive director of the Actors Gymnasium. ‘I had this real desire to just be open at work. I just dove in. I bought a gold autism pin from Etsy and started wearing it all the time. For me to be completely my authentic self while I am running a joyful enterprise makes me feel like I’m the luckiest guy ever.’”
Speaking Topics
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High-impact talks that inspire, educate, and energize.
Autism 101: The Basics and Beyond
A clear, compassionate introduction to autism from the inside out. Ideal for audiences looking to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity, sensory processing, masking, and practical support.
Unmasking Autism
Murphy’s personal story of late diagnosis, resilience, and leadership in spaces not built for neurodivergent minds. Insightful and deeply human.
Float to Focus
What 2,000+ hours in sensory deprivation taught Murphy about overstimulation, regulation, and the nervous system. A one-of-a-kind talk on stillness as power.
Autism at Work
A strategic keynote on empowering neurodivergent employees, building inclusive systems, and creating workplaces that allow everyone to thrive.
The ROI of Neurodivergence – Understand how hiring and supporting neurodivergent employees can drive innovation, reduce turnover, and strengthen your organizational culture and bottom line.
The Neurodivergent Hustle: Sales, Strategy & Success
A fast-paced, story-rich keynote on Murphy’s experience leading enrollment, sales, and operations teams, and closing deals while unmasking. Perfect for sales conferences and leadership summits that want humor, insight, and real business takeaways from a neurodivergent lens.
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Interactive sessions with real tools for building inclusive, accessible, and effective teams.
Building a Neuroinclusive Workplace
Supporting Sensory Needs in Workspaces & Teams
Leading with Empathy: Managing Neurodivergent Employees
Disability Inclusion for DEI Professionals
Workplace Communication that Works for All Brains
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Supportive, practical sessions for educators, school staff, and families.
Autism 101: the basics and beyond for Educators
Understanding Masking and Burnout
What Sensory Overload Feels Like
Supporting Late-Diagnosed Students with Compassion
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Murphy conducts on-site sensory audits to help businesses create calmer, more accessible environments.
Includes:
Physical and digital environment walkthrough
Staff interviews and feedback collection
Review of culture, policy, and communication
Written report with prioritized, actionable recommendations
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Murphy is an insightful, authentic voice on topics including:
Autism & leadership
Workplace inclusion & accessibility
Sensory wellness and trauma recovery
Neurodivergence and entrepreneurship
Parenting, diagnosis, and lived experience.
Ideal for podcasts, expert panels, livestreams, and documentary features.
Murphy Monroe is an autistic activist, successful executive leader, and gifted inclusion speaker who brings lived experience and eye-opening professional insight to every room he enters.
Diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, and Tourette Syndrome, Murphy spent much of his early life masking and resisting these identities—while also managing a daily, lifelong battle with photophobia, a painful hypersensitivity to light that shaped every aspect of how he moved through the world. Over time, he’s not only come to embrace these facets of himself but transformed them into powerful sources of strength, clarity, and connection.
Murphy speaks from a place of deep personal understanding, offering audiences a vivid glimpse into what it means to live in a world not built for your brain—or your body—and how organizations, educators, and leaders can change that.
He is the Executive Director of The Actors Gymnasium, a nationally treasured circus school and theater company, where he has led a transformative turnaround—automating operations, increasing access, and steering the organization through the pandemic into financial strength. Murphy also owns the True REST Float Spa in Skokie, Illinois. Having spent more time in sensory deprivation than nearly anyone on record, he brings a rare depth of insight into nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and sensory accessibility. He has curated a popular community healing space that supports not only neurodivergent individuals but anyone seeking relief, restoration, and calm.
In addition to his organizational leadership, Murphy serves as a City Commissioner in Evanston, Illinois, where he advocates for inclusive public policy, disability access, and full ADA compliance. His civic work deepens his mission to build environments—public and private—where all people can thrive.
From boardrooms to classrooms, Murphy delivers powerful keynotes, workshops, and audits that shift mindsets and build skills. His offerings blend storytelling, strategy, and systems thinking—helping audiences move from awareness to action on inclusion, access, and disability justice.
Recent Podcast Appearances
I’m passionate about discussing inclusion and autism because these conversations are essential to building stronger, more effective human connections. By sharing practical insights and lived experience, I help leaders better understand the value of neurodiversity and the tangible benefits of inclusive practices. These topics aren’t just personal—they’re strategic. Inclusion drives innovation, improves team dynamics, and reflects the values of today’s workforce.
A compelling autistic storyteller and disabilities justice advocate, Murphy Monroe engages audiences of all types in powerfully authentic conversations. He draws on a wealth of executive experience in management, sales, and mission-driven leadership and inspires "aha" moments by communicating through his uniquely neurodivergent lens.
Murphy weaves his powerful personal story with real-life anecdotes and metaphors to equip audiences with practical strategies to create environments where all talents can flourish and feel welcome.
Learn how to motivate and leverage your workforce by communicating crisp goals and refocusing individuals to build on past successes by understanding how their roles are critical to the bigger picture.
Testimonials
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An Autistic Lived Experience
The combination of Murphy's lived experience and disability expertise is transformative; he opened our eyes and made us all want to work for a more inclusive society.
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A Passionate Advocate
Murphy is very passionate about autism, disability and advocacy!! His passion comes through when he is sharing with the audience. He shared many tips and pieces of information that my audience will find helpful.
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An Enormous Impact
Murphy's openness and passion in sharing his own experiences is so incredibly beneficial in helping listeners to understand how everyone belongs. His advocacy for all members of the disability community has made an enormous impact not only on Evanston's City staff and leaders, but on the City as a whole, helping to hold each member of our community accountable for fulfilling the true meanings of accessibility and inclusion.
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An Amazing Podcast Guest
Murphy was an amazing guest. He was open and authentic about life with autism, and was more than willing to discuss his circus school. We can't wait to have Murphy back on the show in the future.
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A Compelling Speaker
I found myself hanging onto Murphy’s every word. It's like he has a superpower!