A Wokingham businesswoman has been named as a regional finalist in UK Startup Awards.
Author and coach Jenny Lucas has been named a southeast regional finalist in the UK Startup Awards, one of the most recognised startup programmes in the country, in a result that carries particular significance as April marks Autism Acceptance Month.
Jenny, founder of Audhdistically Me, has been shortlisted in recognition of her work supporting late-diagnosed AuDHD adults, a term used to describe people who are both autistic and have ADHD.
Rates of late diagnosis are rising sharply across the UK, with women and girls disproportionately affected due to decades of under-recognition and masking, yet dedicated support for adults navigating life after diagnosis remains scarce.
Jenny founded Audhdistically Me after her own late diagnosis prompted a period of unlearning everything she had been told about herself.
Her business now spans one-to-one coaching, a 12-week group programme, a podcast, and a newly launched membership community, Reclaim Your SELF: The AuDHD Self Discovery Hub, all built on the principle that late-diagnosed adults deserve honest, grounded support without toxic positivity or watered-down language.
Her book, Autism, ADHD and Me: Your No Bullsh*t Guide to Life After Late Diagnosis, became an Amazon bestseller following its publication in October 2025, and her work has now reached hundreds of people across the UK.
The impact of that work is perhaps best captured in the words of those experiencing it. Members of her community describe the space as immediately transformative.
For Jenny, the timing of the finalist announcement feels meaningful.
“We are heading into Autism Acceptance Month, and the conversation is still dominated by children,” she said.
“Late-diagnosed adults, particularly women, have spent their entire lives being told they’re too much, not enough, or just a bit odd.
“They finally get a diagnosis and then there’s almost nothing tailored to them. That’s the gap I’m trying to fill, and being recognised for it matters.”
Jenny founded Audhdistically Me alongside a full-time role in organisational development, building the business in the hours around her day job.
