In this episode of The Mindcast Show, we sit down with David Ruttenberg—a father, visionary scientist, Fulbright Specialist, and innovator at the intersection of neuroscience, education, and adaptive technology.

With a career that spans award-winning research, patented inventions, and groundbreaking work across institutions like University College London and the University of Cambridge, David’s journey is as personal as it is pioneering. Inspired daily by his 22-year-old daughter, Phoebe,—who is autistic, has ADHD, and lives with epilepsy—David channels both his expertise and his love as a father into creating technologies that meet people where they are, especially those with sensory, attention, and mental health challenges.

From developing digital accommodations that support neurodivergent individuals to leading socially engaged research across the globe, David shares what it means to design with empathy, innovate with intention, and advocate with unwavering commitment. We explore the power of interdisciplinary science, the urgent need for inclusive design, and how fatherhood fuels his mission to build a more comfortable, accessible world for all of us.

David also reflects on the role of storytelling in science, his unique path from GRAMMY™ producer to best-selling author, and why we must center lived experience in every solution we create.

Whether you're passionate about technology, neurodiversity, or the science of human potential, this conversation is a moving reminder that innovation is most powerful when it’s personal.