Her Story
About WIllow
Willow Sluga is a nonprofit leader working at the intersection of social systems and neurodiversity, serving as the founder and CEO of Phoenix Family Supports & Services. Her career began in early childhood education, where she taught kindergarten and pre-K in low-income communities. Before entering the classroom, she owned businesses as a hair and makeup artist for celebrity and wedding clients, then returned to Chicago to earn her degree in early childhood education. Her time as a teacher revealed how often children's behaviors are misunderstood and how limited the special education system can be, which led her to become a behavior specialist working directly with children with autism.
Building on that clinical experience, Willow earned her ADHD and Autism Certified Educator Certificate so she could teach schools and individuals about neurodivergent brains and the accommodations that help them thrive. Her own neurodivergence and her experience raising children with autism and ADHD gave her a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face. Through Phoenix Family Supports & Services, she provides behavior coaching, provider navigation, and advocacy that ease the cognitive load on individuals and families, along with professional development that helps schools and organizations build inclusive environments.
Willow is particularly passionate about the gaps in recognition and support for women and for adults diagnosed later in life. She is currently completing her MBA at William Jewell College while continuing to grow her organization. Guided by grit, tenacity, truth, and perseverance, she is committed to changing the environments around neurodivergent people so they can succeed as themselves.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with WIllow
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I have received is that just because something is hard does not mean it is wrong. Along the way, we often find ourselves working toward a certain level or status, and the path can be difficult. People may tell us no, reject us, or simply fail to understand what we are doing. I believe those obstacles are often there to teach us something and help us grow. I follow my intuition, trust that I know what I am meant to do, and keep going, knowing that the right people and opportunities will find me.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I am excited to be part of this movement because so much is changing. A growing number of people, especially women, are being diagnosed recently or later in life. Women were overlooked and were not even included in the research studies behind the DSM until the early 2000s. Many women in their 40s and 50s, approaching menopause, are realizing they have been neurodivergent all their lives. There is also a great deal of misinformation and miseducation about what ADHD is and how it affects people, and helping others understand that it is far more than commonly believed is something that needs to happen.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me are grit, tenacity, truth, and perseverance. Although they are closely related, I believe each is distinct in its own way, and when I lead with truth, I truly cannot fail at anything.
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