About

Our Story

Founded in 2022, The RILEY Project began with a simple belief: neurodivergent people deserve to feel seen—not fixed. What started as a small community with Bay Area roots has grown into a national movement for belonging, where people share their stories, build meaningful connections, and discover they were never alone.

Too often, neurodivergent people and their families are left searching for community, understanding, and a sense of where they belong. A diagnosis may answer one question, but it rarely provides connection. That’s the space we exist to fill—not with clinical services, but with storytelling, convening, partnerships, and leadership opportunities that help people see themselves in one another and imagine what’s possible. We believe belonging isn’t the outcome of our work—it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.

Founder’s Story

Riley Mulcahy

Executive Director

I’m Riley Mulcahy, Executive Director of The RILEY Project. My path to this work began early: I was diagnosed with dyslexia at age seven. Like many students with learning differences, I encountered moments of frustration and self-doubt—but I was also fortunate to experience schools and mentors who saw my strengths, not just my challenges. Those inclusive environments didn’t just help me succeed academically; they helped me understand who I was and what I could become.

That experience shaped everything that followed.

The RILEY Project exists to foster agency, empowerment, and belonging for students and families navigating learning differences. We believe that when people are given the tools, language, and spaces to tell their own stories, real change becomes possible. Confidence grows. Strengths emerge. Futures open.

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