Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, MA (she/they) is a global self-advocate, educator and disabled person of color in a neurodiverse, serodifferent family. A prolific writer, public speaker, and social scientist/activist, their work focuses on narrative policy, meaningful community involvement, human rights, justice, and inclusion. 

Morénike, a Black (Yoruba/Caboverdeano/American) Xennial and parent of six, is the Innovation & Digital Communication Director for the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network as well as a full-time faculty member at a state college. An avid collaborator and leader,  Morénike’s executive experience includes board membership of a number of organizations focused on addressing disparities, including consecutive terms co-chairing NIH-funded international cross-network clinical trials community advisory groups as well as co-chairing a large HRSA-funded municipal planning body. 

A recipient of numerous awards, Morénike has been an invited speaker in the White House, at the United Nations Headquarters, and a keynote speaker and/or presenter at numerous peer-reviewed advocacy, education, disability, and research conferences. In addition to co-editing the first anthology of Autistic people of color, All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism, Morénike is also a co-editor of Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What People On the Autism Spectrum Wish Their Parents Knew About Growing Up, Acceptance, and Identity from Beacon Press and a contributing author to several other books.

Morénike loves family time, reading, writing, beaches, Thai food, Steven Universe, and Dragonball Z & Super and can be followed and/or contacted at: MorenikeGO.com (website); @MorenikeGO (social media); MorenikeGO@rice.edu (email)