Welcome to episode #91! We’re thrilled to be joined by Dr. Sharon Zivkovic today.

Dr. Sharon Zivkovic is an autistic social entrepreneur, systems thinker, and complexity scientist. As the CEO of Community Capacity Builders, she has used autistic cognition and systemizing strengths to develop and commercialize innovative solutions for wicked problems.

Sharon has been recognized with a Fresh Scientist Award and her work is featured on the Complexity Sciences Map for Applied Complexity. Most recently, she founded the Centre for Autistic Social Entrepreneurship, which aims to create a neurodiversity-affirming entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In this episode, we discuss how autistic cognition can be a superpower in systems thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to the show, Sharon!

Questions

JN: When did you first realize you were neurodivergent?

Knew she was different as a child but autism wasn’t associated with girls at the time
Struggled in school due to difficulty processing information
Was eventually signed out of school at 14 and spent 16 years on welfare

JN: What led you back to education later in life?

Wanted to be financially independent when her daughter turned 16
Went back to high school as the only mature-age student, then pursued university degrees
Developed self-learning strategies, including recording lectures and transcribing them at home

JN: What was your career path before entrepreneurship?

Worked in accounting and economic development, but struggled with traditional employment
Was successful in jobs but found she was “uncontrollable” as an employee
Eventually started Community Capacity Builders to work on her own terms

JC: What inspired you to become a social entrepreneur?

Developed social innovation programs focused on community capacity building
Won the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award for her work in social enterprise
Started seeing autistic cognition as an advantage in problem-solving and system innovation

JC: What is a "wicked problem" and how does complexity science help solve them?

Wicked problems are complex issues like climate change & poverty with no simple solutions
Complexity science helps map out the interconnected causes and effects
Uses system transitions and structured problem-solving to drive change

JN: How did receiving an autism diagnosis at 61 impact you?

Helped her understand why traditional employment never worked
Realized she had built the perfect life for an autistic person—self-employed, off-grid, full control over work
Frustrated by the deficit-based approach of disability services

JN: What challenges do autistic entrepreneurs face?

Rigid business structures don’t work for many autistic thinkers
Struggle with delegation, executive function, and bureaucracy
Need support systems tailored to their cognitive strengths

JC: What productivity strategies work best for you?

Works in long focus blocks, starting immediately after waking up
Monotropic focus—prefers to work on one major project at a time
Takes structured movement breaks throughout the day

JC: What strategies do NOT work for you?

Multitasking or switching between different projects—prefers to finish one before starting another
Traditional productivity hacks designed for neurotypicals
Rigid, unnecessary social obligations—prioritizes meaningful work over networking

JN: What does your morning routine look like?

Straight to work after waking up—no coffee, no distractions
Works for several hours before breakfast
Highly structured and optimized for deep work

JN: How do you wind down at night?

Watches movies while doing physiotherapy exercises
Batch cooks meals to minimize time spent on daily food prep
Loves her off-grid lifestyle and avoids unnecessary social interactions

JN: Where can people connect with you?

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-sharon-zivkovic-2587888
Website: https://www.communitycapacity.com.au/

JC: Final words for the audience?

“Neurodiversity is a movement. We need to take control of our own narrative.”
“Autistic cognition is an asset—let’s build systems that recognize and support it.”

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