Step into the world of innovation and excellence with “Industry Champions”! Join us as we celebrate the trailblazers who are redefining success across diverse industries, sharing their journeys, strategies, and secrets to thriving in competitive landscapes. Today our host, Chris Budihas, spoke with Alicia Trautwein.
Alicia Trautwein
Founder & Autism Advocate at The Mom Kind
Website Address: https://themomkind.com
Short company description:
The Mom Kind Autism Advocacy is a nonprofit organization connected to TheMomKind.com that provides education, advocacy, and practical resources to help families, schools, and communities better understand and support autistic and neurodivergent children.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment has been reaching millions of people across my social media, website, and speaking, and hearing from families and educators who feel less alone, more understood, and better equipped to support their autistic and neurodivergent kids because of my work.
What’s The Biggest Challenge you are facing in your business or industry?
One of the biggest challenges is shifting public understanding of autism away from stereotypes and fear and toward a neurodiversity‑affirming view, while also making sure families actually get practical, real‑life tools instead of just abstract advice.
How do you see your field evolving in the next 3-5 years
Over the next 3–5 years, I see autism advocacy moving more toward centering autistic voices, expanding support for autistic adults, and recognizing the mental health needs of entire families, not just the autistic person.
Who in your industry do you see as a trend setter and why
I see autistic self‑advocates and neurodivergent‑led organizations as the real trendsetters, because they are changing the conversation from “how do we fix autistic people?” to “how do we build a world that actually works for autistic and neurodivergent people and their families?”
