Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs Renews Certified Neurodiverse Workplace™ Designation

By renewing its CNW designation, Caravanserai continues to contribute to the region’s Certified Autism Destination™ designation.

PALM SPRINGS, CA, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) recognizes Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs, a Palm Springs-based nonprofit providing business training, consulting, and capital access support to entrepreneurs and small businesses, for renewing its Certified Neurodiverse Workplace™ (CNW) designation. Originally earning the designation in 2024, Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs continues to demonstrate its commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace. As part of the renewal, at least 80% of Caravanserai’s staff have completed specialized training and certification to better recruit and support neurodivergent employees, including those who are autistic, have ADHD, or are dyslexic.

Efficiency maximizes output with minimal input. An accessible, neurodiverse workplace reduces friction and unlocks hidden potential. The CNW program helps organizations increase operational efficiency by reducing turnover, enhancing problem-solving and innovation, and optimizing the utilization of their existing talent.

“Renewing our Certified Neurodiversity Workplace™ certification reaffirms something core to how we operate at Caravanserai: every entrepreneur and every team member deserves an environment built for how they actually think and learn, not a one-size-fits-all model,” says Franzene Minott, Co-CEO of Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs. “This certification pushes us to keep that commitment visible in our hiring, our training, and the way we support the small business owners we serve across the Coachella Valley, Inland Empire, and broader region.”

“Working directly with our cohorts, I’ve seen how much of a difference it makes when we build in more than one way to receive information,” says Brian Munoz, director of programs at Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs. “Since going through the CNW training, I pay closer attention to how my messages land, not just what I say but how I say it. That shift has made our programming more accessible for everyone, not just the entrepreneurs we identify as neurodivergent.”

Since first earning its CNW designation in 2024, Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs continues to expand its work supporting neurodivergent individuals, entrepreneurs, and families through programming, research, and community partnerships. Current initiatives include:

• Entrepreneurship & Empowerment Summit for Neurodivergent Individuals & Families: On Wednesday, August 26, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the IEHP Foundation Center in Rancho Cucamonga, Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs co-hosted a summit in collaboration with the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD), Defeating Epilepsy Foundation, and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Foundation. The summit shared resources focused on sustainability and growth for neurodivergent entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises across the Inland Empire. Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs also presented findings from its CalOSBA-funded research project, conducted in partnership with the Ives Torres Foundation, examining best practices for supporting neurodiverse entrepreneurs and their families.
• Empowering Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs and Their Families Research Project: This research initiative examines how neurodivergent young adults engage with entrepreneurship training. Funded by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate and conducted in partnership with the Ives Torres Foundation, the project’s findings are helping inform how Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs and other technical assistance providers structure training, materials, and outreach to better support neurodivergent individuals and their families as they pursue independence, self-empowerment, and self-direction.

“Caravanserai’s renewal as a Certified Neurodiverse Workplace™ demonstrates that creating a more inclusive workplace is an ongoing effort that requires continued learning and commitment,” says Myron Pincomb, CEO and board chairman of IBCCES. “By strengthening its workplace practices while also contributing to broader accessibility efforts across Greater Palm Springs, Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs is helping demonstrate how organizations can create more welcoming environments for employees and the communities they serve.”

By renewing its CNW designation, Caravanserai continues to contribute to the initiative led by Visit Greater Palm Springs, which helped the region achieve the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) designation. The CAD designation means visitors have access to multiple trained and certified options throughout the destination, including dining, entertainment, recreation, and lodging.

For 25 years, IBCCES has been a leader in providing autism, sensory, and neurodiversity training and certification for professionals worldwide, including those in healthcare, education, public safety, travel, and corporate sectors. As the only credentialing board offering these programs, IBCCES provides training from subject matter experts and autistic self-advocates, along with long-term support, continuous learning, onsite reviews, and renewal requirements to ensure continued growth and lasting impact.

IBCCES also provides access to resources such as AccessibilityCertified.com and AutismTravel.com, which are free online tools for families that list certified locations and professionals. Each organization listed on the sites has met IBCCES certification requirements.

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About Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs
Caravanserai – Alliance for Entrepreneurs is a Palm Springs-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization provides free bilingual business training, one-on-one consulting, and capital access programming to for-profit and nonprofit businesses to help generate financial security, economic mobility, and systemic change across communities. Since 2021, Caravanserai has trained more than 4,000 entrepreneurs and has secured more than $4 million in microgrant funding.

About IBCCES
Delivering the global standard for training and certification in the fields of autism, neurodiversity, and accessibility – IBCCES provides a series of certification programs that empower professionals to be industry leaders and improve the outcomes for the individuals they serve. For 25 years, IBCCES has been a global leader, setting the industry standard in autism and cognitive differences training. IBCCES works in over 125 countries and provides training in 8 languages, and its programs have been recognized around the world as the leading benchmark in training and certification.

In addition to individual certification programs, IBCCES partners with cities, destinations, and organizations on initiatives like the Certified Autism Destination™ (CAD) and Autism Certified City™ (ACC), ensuring autistic and sensory-sensitive residents and visitors feel welcomed and safe. Destinations that achieve the CAD designation have completed a specialized program that ensures a multitude of recreation, hospitality, and entertainment organizations have completed an autism and sensory-sensitivity training, certification, and IBCCES facilities review process. The ACC designation expands on that program and includes IBCCES training and certification for the public safety, education, healthcare, and workplace sectors.

IBCCES also created the Accessibility App, AutismTravel.com, and AccessibilityCertified.com – free resources for individuals with a variety of neurodiversities and disabilities, listing certified locations and connecting individuals to other resources and each other.

Meredith Tekin
IBCCES
+1 904-508-0135
marketing@ibcces.org
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