🕊️   Honoring Dr. Joanne Lara

The Future Is Autistic.

A skills-matched employment and micro-business initiative.
Inspired by the legacy of Dr. Joanne Lara. Los Angeles, CA.

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Dr. Joanne Lara presenting Glorious Pies
The Foundation

Honoring
Dr. Joanne Lara

In 2018, Dr. Joanne Lara — a pioneer in the Los Angeles autism community — had a vision: a jobs program food truck called Glorious Pies, designed to give autistic young adults aging out of the system a real job, a real skill, and a real sense of what they were capable of.

Mark McFillen helped build it from across the country. When it was done, Joanne offered him $400.

"How about sending me a plane ticket instead? I need to be there."

Four days later he was in Los Angeles. Glorious Pies arrived cross-country a couple of days after he did.

She stole the show.

Joanne passed from cancer a few years later. The question became unavoidable: who takes this further?

AUTJOBS is the answer.

Los Angeles, 2018

Glorious Pies
at the Writers Guild

A colorful food truck parked in front of the Writers Guild Theater. It didn't belong there. And yet it belonged there completely. That's what Joanne did — she put things where they weren't supposed to be, and made them feel inevitable.

Mark McFillen and Dr. Joanne Lara in front of Glorious Pies
The Founding Moment

2,400 Miles
for a Plane Ticket

Mark McFillen and Dr. Joanne Lara in front of Gloria — the Glorious Pies food truck that started everything. Joanne had a vision. Mark had skills she needed. She offered him $400 for everything he’d done to help bring Gloria to life. He asked for a plane ticket instead.

Four days later he touched down in Los Angeles. Gloria arrived cross-country a few days after. A few weeks later, she headlined the AutFest red carpet at the Writers Guild of America Theater — and stole the show.

AUTJOBS is the continuation of what they started together. Gloria was the proof of concept. This is the next chapter — bigger, more permanent, built to last.

The Problem We're Solving

The Numbers
Are Not Abstract.
They Represent People.

85%

of autistic college graduates are unemployed or underemployed — despite their qualifications

1 in 36

Americans are born autistic — a population larger than the city of Los Angeles

$175B

estimated annual economic cost of autistic unemployment

75%

of autistic adults want to work but cannot find appropriate placement

Traditional employment systems were not designed for autistic minds. AUTJOBS is.

A closed door — the problem
AutScreens — screen printing
Flagship Replication Model

AutScreens

Under $1,500 startup cost. Replicable in any city. Equipment already owned. The cause is the marketing — every city needs a great print shop, and supporting autism empowerment is a story that sells itself. Nonprofits buying in bulk have a built-in reason to choose AUTJOBS over anyone else.

Each station — squeegee, curing, QA, packaging — is a standalone learnable skill. Someone can master one thing and contribute meaningfully from day one.

Custom event and org shirts — nonprofits, schools, businesses
AUTJOBS branded gear — every shirt a walking billboard
Autistic artist designs on wearables
Skills Training Anchor

AutRestore

Donated and free furniture — refinished, restored, and resold. Free raw material. $20–40 in supplies. $150–600 resale. Los Angeles has an endless supply and a serious market for hand-restored pieces. Film industry and prop house partnerships. Every piece tagged: Restored by AUTJOBS — The Future Is Autistic.

Restored furniture — AUTJOBS.store, Marketplace, Etsy, flea markets
Custom refinishing — clients bring their own pieces
Film industry and prop house partnerships
AutRestore — furniture transformation
AutPaints — perfect edge
Trade Skills

AutPaints

Structured, predictable, repeatable trade work. Precision and consistency are the product. Pairs naturally with AutRestore — same skills, same tools, different application. Real wages for real work from day one.

Residential and commercial painting
Specialty finishes and decorative work
Film set and prop painting
Top Tier — Los Angeles

AutArts
Performance & Creative Arts

In Los Angeles, this tier is uniquely powerful. The red carpet community, the entertainment industry, the autism advocacy network — they're already connected. AutArts opens the right doors for autistic performers, podcasters, actors, musicians, and creators who are ready to be seen.

Acting coaching and audition prep — LA-based, industry-connected
Podcast production — studio access, hosting, distribution
Red carpet and event opportunities — community access
Film and TV consulting — autistic voices in the room
AutDigital — the bedroom economy
No Geographic Limit

AutDigital
The Bedroom Economy

Every other AUTJOBS business requires a physical location. AutDigital requires a laptop and an internet connection. This is the tier that reaches autistics who can't leave home, autistics in cities with no AUTJOBS chapter yet, and autistics anywhere in the world who are ready to build something.

Joanne's Boardroom — a self-teaching platform, multilingual, free, global. Training films produced in-house, distributed everywhere.

AI-assisted content creation — stories, scripts, training films
Remote QA, data work, digital design
Global reach — no chapter required
In Her Memory — In Her Name

Joanne's Boardroom

Dr. Joanne Lara didn't run a classroom. She ran a boardroom — a large table, fifteen autistic young adults seated around it, being treated as the professionals they were becoming. Interview technique. Workplace communication. How to navigate HR. How to advocate for yourself without losing yourself. She taught what the system never bothered to teach. Now that boardroom goes digital — free, multilingual, and available to every autistic adult on earth who needs it.

Joanne's Boardroom — the original sessions
The Legacy
Los Angeles, 2018
The Digital Boardroom

Her Work Lives On.
Her Reach Goes Global.

Joanne believed that preparation was dignity. That knowing how to walk into a room, how to answer a question, how to ask for what you need — these weren't soft skills. They were survival skills. And she gave them freely to everyone who sat at her table.

AUTJOBS is taking that table digital. Joanne's Boardroom will be free, multilingual, and self-paced — designed for autistic adults wherever they are, whatever their situation.

Free
Always.
No exceptions.
Global
Every language.
Every timezone.
∞
No limit on
who it reaches.
Interview technique — how to walk in and own the room
Workplace communication — scripts, strategies, self-advocacy
HR navigation — rights, accommodations, what to say
Donor-supported — your gift funds a lesson that reaches thousands
Joanne's Boardroom — global digital reach
The Future
Joanne's Boardroom — reaching the world
The AUTJOBS World

Six Tiers.
One Continuous World.

From furniture restoration to digital content creation — every station a learnable skill, every zone a pathway to ownership and dignity.

01AutGallery
02AutScreens
03AutRestore
04AutPaints
05AutArts
06AutDigital
AutGallery
★ Launch First — LA Art World
AutGallery

Where autistic artists become professional artists. Curated gallery, framing studio, and personal storefronts — every sale goes to the artist.

AutScreens
Flagship Replication Model
AutScreens

Under ,500 to launch. Replicable in any city. The cause is the marketing — every city needs a great print shop, and this one has a story that sells itself.

AutRestore
Skills Training Anchor
AutRestore

Free donated furniture, refinished and resold. 0–40 in materials, 50–600 resale. Every piece tagged: Restored by AUTJOBS — The Future Is Autistic.

AutPaints
Trade Skills
AutPaints

Structured, predictable, repeatable trade work. Precision and consistency are the product. Real wages for real craft from day one.

AutArts
Top Tier — Los Angeles
AutArts

Red carpet. Studio. Stage. The LA autism community is already connected to the entertainment world — AutArts opens those doors for autistic performers and creators.

AutDigital
No Geographic Limit
AutDigital

A laptop. A connection. Joanne’s Boardroom — free, multilingual, global. The tier that reaches autistics anywhere in the world, no chapter required.

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The Physical Infrastructure

AutHouse
Where It All Happens

Every AUTJOBS business needs a home. AutHouse is how we get that home — not by paying market rent, but by earning it. We partner with cities, private landowners, and corporate sponsors to restore vacant and blighted properties, training autistic adults in real trade skills in the process. When the building is done, it becomes the AUTJOBS chapter facility. The act of building it IS the first cohort's training program. We live among you. We always have. AutHouse is simply where you finally get to see what we can do.

AutHouse Micro — bungalow restoration
AutHouse Micro
The Work Begins
AutHouse Studio — Craftsman exterior
★ AutHouse Studio
The Community Hub
AutHouse Campus — warehouse exterior
AutHouse Campus
The Full Vision
All six tiers under one roof. 50+ participants. The LA flagship model.
AutHouse interior — gallery workshop studio
Inside Every AutHouse
Where It All Happens
Gallery. Workshop. Studio. Recording. Digital lab. Community.
AutHouse Micro
Single Home or Small Space

One workshop, one gallery wall, one studio. 5–10 participants. The minimum viable AutHouse — perfect for smaller cities or first chapters.

★ AutHouse Studio
Larger Home or Commercial

Full workshop, gallery, recording studio, digital lab. 15–25 participants. The standard chapter model — replicable in any city.

AutHouse Campus
Warehouse or Multi-Building

Full ecosystem — all six tiers under one roof. 50+ participants. The LA flagship model and major city chapters.

The Partnership Pitch
“Give us a building you can't use — whether you're a city, a corporation, or a private owner. We'll restore it with autistic adults learning real trade skills in the process. When we're done, it becomes a permanent employment and training center. You get a revitalized asset. We get a home. The community gets jobs. Everyone wins.”

Cities are desperate for solutions to blighted properties. Private landowners have underutilized assets. Corporate partners want community impact that is real, visible, and measurable. AUTJOBS is where all three needs meet — and every side wins. Coming to a city near you.

01
City identifies blighted property

Vacant homes, unused commercial buildings, properties cities can't maintain.

02
AUTJOBS cohort restores it

Painting, carpentry, restoration — real skills, real project, real stakes. The training IS the work.

03
Building becomes the chapter

Gallery, workshop, studio, training center. The cohort that built it now works in it.

04
Repeat in the next city

The playbook is documented. The model is proven. The next city is ready.

The Model

Identify the Strength.
Build the Role Around It.

01

Skills Assessment

A thorough, individual evaluation of strengths, interests, and working style. Not a checklist of limitations — a map of capabilities.

02

Role Matching

We identify the specific work where each person's strengths are a genuine competitive advantage — then build the role around that.

03

Structured Onboarding

Predictable workflows. Sensory-friendly environments. Clear written expectations. Craftsmanship standards. No ambiguity.

04

Real Income from Day One

Real wages for real work. Not a stipend. Not a training allowance. Income that reflects the value of the contribution.

05

Ongoing Support

Regular check-ins, peer mentorship, and a community that stays with you. You are never dropped from the AUTJOBS network.

Skilled hands — the state of mastery
The Progression

Earn More. Own More. Lead More.

01
Earn More

As skills grow, compensation grows. Real wages for real work — not a token stipend. Income that reflects the value of the contribution, from day one.

02
Own More

As contributions increase, ownership increases. Autistic adults who build the business earn a stake in it. This is co-ownership with real equity.

03
Lead More

Autistic adults who master their craft mentor others through it — and are rewarded for it. The community teaches itself. The ecosystem sustains itself.

A Gentle Invitation

A Prototype.
A Beginning.
A Spark.

AUTJOBS is an early-stage initiative built on a straightforward premise: that intentional design — applied to employment, entrepreneurship, and community — can solve what decades of well-meaning programs have not.

We are sharing this work because we believe the people who understand this problem most deeply should help shape the solution.

Autistic Adults Parents & Families Community Leaders Donors & Investors Employers & Partners Advocates & Champions

"With the right partners, this can become a paradigm shift in how autistic adults earn, create, lead, and thrive."

Get Involved → autjobs.org
Los Angeles, California
AutJobs
The Future Is Autistic

For too long, the world asked autistic adults to fit into systems that were never designed for them.​ AUTJOBS is the beginning of a different question.

What if we designed the systems around autistic people instead?

autjobs.com · autjobs.org · autjobs.store
Get Involved → Learn More
In memory of Dr. Joanne Lara — whose vision made this possible.