In a recent interview with The Times, Jess, Co-Founder of Vizzy, shared how growing up with dyslexia shaped not only her career, but the way she builds businesses.

At school, it didn’t feel like a strength.

“I had to sit in the corner of the classroom because I was accused of not concentrating,” Jess recalls.

“I remember seeing my friends just fly through it, and I was thinking, ‘Why can’t I get it?’”

Like many dyslexic adults, Jess wasn’t diagnosed until later in life. Early on in her career, she hid it, worried about being judged, misunderstood, or underestimated.

“I hid it, for fear of repercussion. Not necessarily because of my employers, more because of my own experiences growing up.”

Today, Jess sees dyslexia very differently

She credits it with giving her a big-picture mindset, the ability to simplify complexity, and the confidence to make fast, instinctive decisions, strengths she believes her co-founders don’t naturally have in the same way.

“I can calculate the opportunity in my head and make the right decision very quickly. I can take something someone’s making overly complicated and explain it in a way everyone understands.”

It’s a way of thinking that has directly shaped Vizzy, a platform built to challenge rigid, one-dimensional hiring tools and create space for people to show how they really think, work and contribute.

Leading by Example

Running her own business has allowed Jess to do something she couldn’t earlier in her career: be open.

“I feel a responsibility to lead by example, to be open, honest and build an inclusive culture. I feel pride and confidence in my dyslexic strengths.”

She’s also clear that inclusive leadership doesn’t mean doing everything alone. Jess credits her co-founders with championing her strengths and supporting areas where she needs structure.

“My dyslexic talents come to the fore because I have two founders who champion my strengths and help with my weaknesses.”

Why this story matters

Dyslexic entrepreneurs contribute £4.6 billion to the UK economy every year, yet many still carry the weight of early experiences where difference was treated as a problem, not potential.

Jess’s story is a reminder that when we design workplaces, tools and hiring processes that value different ways of thinking, everyone benefits.

And that starts with how we see people.