Thomas D'Eri

Thomas D'Eri

Keynote Speaker: Non-Traditional Workforce & Neurodiversity Inclusion Advocate; Co-Founder of Rising Tide Car Wash; Forbes 30 Under 30

Thomas D'Eri Biography

Tom D’Eri has dedicated his career to unleashing human potential by creating organizational systems and culture that empower people to grow. D’Eri is the Co-Founder and COO of Rising Tide Car Wash, an organization that employs over 90 individuals with autism in a successful car wash business.

D’Eri is also the Co-Founder of Rising Tide U an organization dedicated to teaching others how to harness the autism advantage. In partnership with University of Miami and the Taft Foundation, D’Eri created The Autism Advantage, the first step-by-step online course that’s designed to help parents learn how to build sustainable social enterprises that employ their loved ones with autism. As of September 2022, D’Eri’s students have created over 195 jobs for people with autism in 24 businesses.

D’Eri is a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur and the forthcoming author of The Power of Potential: How a Non-Traditional Workforce Can Lead You to Run Your Business Better.

D’Eri deeply believes that all people have the potential to contribute to society and that businesses can improve their market position by committing themselves to unleashing this potential.

D’Eri currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, reading, martial arts and scuba diving.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Thomas D'Eri and other top speakers and celebrities.

Thomas D'Eri Speaking Topics

The Power of Potential

Tom and his family built Rising Tide Car Wash with the mission of employing his brother, Andrew, and others with autism for 80% of their staff. The business has become a successful chain that washes over 500,000 vehicles per year. You might think that Rising Tide has been so successful because people have celebrated its social mission. That’s true, but the mission alone doesn’t explain the excellence that permeates every aspect of the business: service quality, customer experience, teamwork, management, and organizational design. Put any aspect of Rising Tide’s operation against other businesses, and you’ll find they have the edge.

In this session, Tom tells the inspiring, surprising reason why: The wash’s excellence isn’t in spite of their unusual workforce, but because of it.

Tom will walk the audience through how Rising Tide built a thriving business by:

  • Developing highly accurate hiring practices
  • Designing the work environment to empower all of its team members
  • Developing managers who care enough to coach
  • Building a culture of accountability and psychological safety

Pivot for Your People

Have you ever encountered a system at work that clearly wasn’t designed by someone who actually had to use it? For most of us this is a frustrating part of our day that we simply learn to deal with. But for some, this is the difference between successful employment and being seen as incompetent in their role. In this talk Tom will show you how designing systems, tools and processes for their users, and particularly those who struggle the most, can radically improve your business. Tom will explain how this underutilized approach can have outsized impacts on organizational resilience, scalability, psychological safety, and accountability.

The A Team

Are you struggling to find, afford or keep talent? Most companies misidentify this as a labor market problem but very frequently it is much more of a hiring process problem. When you’re recruiting from the same sources as everyone else it’s easy to see why talent might seem scarce. In this talk Tom unpacks how his company has a waitlist of eager to work talent for challenging frontline jobs at a car wash and how your company can discover and work with the underutilized pool of neurodivergent talent. Learn about the many strengths people with autism bring to the workplace, how to develop a robust pipeline of barriered talent, and how to de-risk the process of hiring barriered employees.

Thomas D'Eri Videos

Author, Thomas D'Eri: How Autism Can Benefit Your Business
Author, Thomas D'Eri: People With Autism
Thomas D'Eri at the United Nations

How do I book Thomas D'Eri to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Thomas D'Eri for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Thomas D'Eri, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Thomas D'Eri or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Thomas D'Eri for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Thomas D'Eri, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Thomas D'Eri are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Thomas D'Eri, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Thomas D'Eri speak about?

Thomas D'Eri is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Entrepreneurship, Diversity & Inclusion, Disability, Inspirational, Motivational, DEI, Business, Culture, Neurodiversity, Health and Belonging.

Where does Thomas D'Eri travel from?

Thomas D'Eri generally travels from Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Thomas D'Eri?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Thomas D'Eri for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Thomas D'Eri for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Thomas D'Eri or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Thomas D'Eri is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Entrepreneurship, Diversity & Inclusion and Disability. The estimated speaking fee range to book Thomas D'Eri for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Thomas D'Eri generally travels from Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Lydia X. Z. Brown, John and Mark Cronin and Temple Grandin. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Thomas D'Eri for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 30/10/2024.

Thomas D'Eri Speaking Topics

  • The Power of Potential

    Tom and his family built Rising Tide Car Wash with the mission of employing his brother, Andrew, and others with autism for 80% of their staff. The business has become a successful chain that washes over 500,000 vehicles per year. You might think that Rising Tide has been so successful because people have celebrated its social mission. That’s true, but the mission alone doesn’t explain the excellence that permeates every aspect of the business: service quality, customer experience, teamwork, management, and organizational design. Put any aspect of Rising Tide’s operation against other businesses, and you’ll find they have the edge.

    In this session, Tom tells the inspiring, surprising reason why: The wash’s excellence isn’t in spite of their unusual workforce, but because of it.

    Tom will walk the audience through how Rising Tide built a thriving business by:

    • Developing highly accurate hiring practices
    • Designing the work environment to empower all of its team members
    • Developing managers who care enough to coach
    • Building a culture of accountability and psychological safety

  • Pivot for Your People

    Have you ever encountered a system at work that clearly wasn’t designed by someone who actually had to use it? For most of us this is a frustrating part of our day that we simply learn to deal with. But for some, this is the difference between successful employment and being seen as incompetent in their role. In this talk Tom will show you how designing systems, tools and processes for their users, and particularly those who struggle the most, can radically improve your business. Tom will explain how this underutilized approach can have outsized impacts on organizational resilience, scalability, psychological safety, and accountability.

  • The A Team

    Are you struggling to find, afford or keep talent? Most companies misidentify this as a labor market problem but very frequently it is much more of a hiring process problem. When you’re recruiting from the same sources as everyone else it’s easy to see why talent might seem scarce. In this talk Tom unpacks how his company has a waitlist of eager to work talent for challenging frontline jobs at a car wash and how your company can discover and work with the underutilized pool of neurodivergent talent. Learn about the many strengths people with autism bring to the workplace, how to develop a robust pipeline of barriered talent, and how to de-risk the process of hiring barriered employees.

Thomas D'Eri Videos

Author, Thomas D'Eri: How Autism Can Benefit Your Business
Author, Thomas D'Eri: People With Autism
Thomas D'Eri at the United Nations
Rising pride: Tom D'Eri and John D'Eri at TEDxCoconutGrove

Thomas D'Eri Reviews

  • Spring Manufacturers Institute - Apr 28 2023

  • How do I book Thomas D'Eri to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Thomas D'Eri for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Thomas D'Eri, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Thomas D'Eri or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Thomas D'Eri for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Thomas D'Eri, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Thomas D'Eri are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Thomas D'Eri, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Thomas D'Eri speak about?

    Thomas D'Eri is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Entrepreneurship, Diversity & Inclusion, Disability, Inspirational, Motivational, DEI, Business, Culture, Neurodiversity, Health and Belonging.
  • Where does Thomas D'Eri travel from?

    Thomas D'Eri generally travels from Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Thomas D'Eri?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Thomas D'Eri for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Thomas D'Eri for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Thomas D'Eri or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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