Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 8 | Page 16

fortable and supported so that
they can reach their highest
potential and, like me, maybe
make a few friends along the
way.

wonder, what if I could combine my newly-gained knowledge and personal experience
of Autism with my technical
expertise to create a successful workplace for technically
capable autistic adults?
I set out to create and launch a
first-of-its-kind workplace that
removes the barriers to sustainable employment for autistic
individuals. My dream was to
create a company that offers
software engineering career
opportunities with competitive
salaries and benefits, not a disability wage. Platinum Bay, the
company I created, is designed
to provide a level of accommodation most employers are
unable to match today.
For sensory and social challenges, our entire company
works remotely so that our
people can choose the environment that works best for
them. Additionally, all of our

16

project managers have extensive Autism training to understand the unique challenges
of our employees and how to
maximize the potential of those
employees at the individual
level. Everything from how we
interview to how we manage
projects and teams to how we
communicate has been custom
designed from the ground up
for autistic success, including
non-speaking individuals.
Our guiding philosophy is
what I call compassionate
optimism – being compassionate to the sometimes nuanced
challenges that our employees
face and being optimistic about
their potential and supportive
of them in realizing it. Ultimately, within the software
development community, I was
able to find friends and discover my own individual success.
My vision for Platinum Bay is
to create a space where autistic
software engineers feel com-

ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses

Steve is a seventeen-year
software veteran with
significant experience
designing, developing, and
integrating business software, data, and
processes for international software companies and mid-sized businesses. Steve
is a four-time Microsoft MVP Award
recipient for Visual Studio ALM and has
served on the board of several industry
groups. Steve regularly gives his time
as a technology mentor in the greater
Los Angeles area and beyond. Steve is a
frequent technology conference speaker
across North America on both technology
and Autism.
About Platinum Bay
Technologies, SPC
Platinum Bay delivers mission critical
custom software so that our customers
can maintain less and innovate more.
We have a strong focus on the human
experience and high quality code to
reduce long-term code cost. We deliver
personalized solutions that are simple to
use, highly maintainable, and integrate
seamlessly with an intense focus on detail
and creative out-out-the-box problem
solving. To learn more about Platinum
Bay, please visit our website:
http://www.platinumbay.com.

Your most
important goals
aren’t just
financial ones
If you want to provide a lifetime of support for your child, we can help.
We’ll work with you to address a number of the concerns — financial,
social and legal — that come with caring for a loved one with special
needs. Call to learn more today.
Mark Friese, CRPC®
Senior Vice President – Wealth Management
Wealth Management Advisor
Portfolio Manager, PIA Program
Chase Phillips
Financial Advisor
Portfolio Advisor, PIA Program

Merrill Lynch
1152 15th Street, N.W.
Suite 6000
Washington, DC 20005
202.659.6138

Life’s better when we’re connected®
CRPC® is a registered service mark of the College for Financial Planning.
Neither Merrill Lynch nor its Financial Advisors provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Clients should review
any planned financial transactions or arrangements that may have tax, accounting or legal implications with
their personal professional advisors.
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S”), a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC, and other
subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA”).
Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value
The Bull Symbol, Merrill Lynch Personal Investment Advisory, Merrill Lynch and Life’s better when we’re
connected are trademarks of Bank of America Corporation.
© 2014 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.
ARHTGBNH | AD-08-14-0832 | 470966PM-0714 | 09/2014
ZOOM Autism through Many Lenses

17