Kala Allen Omeiza is a prolific author at the intersection of culture and autism. Her latest book, Autistic and Black: Our Experience of Growth, Progress, and Empowerment, has received widespread acclaim for its in-depth exploration of the unique challenges and triumphs faced by autistic individuals from minority backgrounds.

Kala is the founder and leader of I’m Heard, a nonprofit dedicated to destigmatizing mental illness in minority communities. She has contributed to various research projects on neurodiversity and mental health at Harvard, Duke, Harvard Medical School, and served as a US Fulbright Scholar with a World Health Organization Collaborating Center.

She coined the Hedonic Flywheel Effect, a concept derived from established principles in psychology and business to help individuals of all neurotypes discover their passions and thrive professionally.

Kala holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University and a master’s degree in

Psychological Research from the University of Oxford. She resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and son.