THE WORLD wasn’t DESIGNED for the HUMAN BRAIN.

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SIGNATURE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

The COGNITIVE TAX: WHY YOUR OFFICE is EXHAUSTING (AND HOW TO FIX IT)

Burnout isn’t always about the workload. Sometimes, it’s about the walls. We spend 90% of our lives indoors, yet we design workplaces for a "Standard Human" that doesn’t exist. For neurodivergent employees (and anyone with a 21st-century nervous system!) filtering out a hostile environment costs energy. We call this the Cognitive Tax.

Moving beyond generic DEI buzzwords, Dr. Peditto offers a "sensory toolkit" of evidence-based strategies to stop the energy leak. She shows leaders how to create workplaces where teams can stop fighting the building and start doing their best work.

audiences:

Corporate Leaders, Human Resources Professionals, Office Designers and Architects, Diversity and Inclusion Officers, Team Managers

Key Takeaways: 

  • The Myth of the Standard Human: Why "one size fits all" fits no one.

  • The Business Case: The link between sensory stressors, cognitive fatigue, and retention.

  • The Sensory Toolkit: Practical, low-cost ways to hack focus and regulation without a major renovation.

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The HIDDEN CURRICULUM: HOW SPACES TEACH US to LEARN

You can't learn if your brain is in survival mode. Every classroom teaches a silent lesson: the layout, lighting, and acoustics tell students whether they are safe and whether they belong. For students with ADHD, autism, or trauma histories, the physical environment often acts as a barrier to the very education it’s meant to support. Dr. Peditto demonstrates how simple design shifts can reduce behavioral incidents, lower cognitive load, and signal safety. This session shifts the narrative from "fixing the student" to "fixing the space," turning your facilities into an active partner in learning.

audiences:

Teachers, Faculty, School Boards, K-12 and Higher Education Professionals, Designers and Architects

Key Takeaways: 

  • Behavior is Communication: Understanding how sensory overwhelm manifests as "misbehavior."

  • Design for Regulation: Creating spaces that support the nervous system, not just the curriculum.

  • Belonging by Design: Validating diverse learners instead of forcing them to mask.

  • The Sensory Toolkit: Practical, low-cost ways to hack belonging and regulation without a major renovation.

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Against THE GRAIN: THE FUTURE of HUMAN EXPERIENCE

You can't learn if your brain is in survival mode. Every classroom teaches a silent lesson: the layout, lighting, and acoustics tell students whether they are safe and whether they belong. For students with ADHD, autism, or trauma histories, the physical environment often acts as a barrier to the very education it’s meant to support. Dr. Peditto demonstrates how simple design shifts can reduce behavioral incidents, lower cognitive load, and signal safety. This session shifts the narrative from "fixing the student" to "fixing the space," turning your facilities into an active partner in learning.

audiences:

Design Leaders, Industry Visionaries, C-Suite and Executives, Strategists

Key Takeaways: 

  • The Neurodivergent Advantage: Why neurodivergent sensitivity is a signal, not a symptom.

  • Validation Architecture: Shifting the narrative from "fixing people" to "fixing spaces."

  • Future-Proofing: Why the most resilient buildings of the future will be the ones that prioritize the human brain.

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  • "Kati takes decades of research and explains it in a way that engages a range of audiences – business, academic or industry-specific. She’s brilliant, approachable, and I would recommend her in a heartbeat as a keynote speaker."

    Leigh Stringer | Global Director of Advisory Services, Perkins&Will

  • “The first time I heard Kati speak, I was hooked. She was a bright light of relevance, humor and intellect. It was clear the audience was captivated.”

    Erin Peavey | Health and Well-Being Design Leader, HKS

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KATI’S OFFICIAL BIO

Dr. Kati Peditto is a design psychologist who translates complex behavioral science into actionable strategies for human experience.

With a PhD in Human Behavior and Design from Cornell University, Kati moves beyond the "awareness" phase of neurodiversity to offer rigorous, evidence-based solutions. She combines academic authority with active industry practice at a leading global design firm.

But she also brings something you can’t learn in a school: lived experience. As a woman with autism and ADHD, Kati knows what it feels like to navigate a world that wasn't built for her brain. She uses that expertise to help organizations stop designing against the grain of human biology and start building for reality.

Her work has been featured in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the BBC, and Financial Review.

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