Last week, 200 neurodivergent influencers, entrepreneurs, actors, musicians, authors, and other public figures were “sliving”—or slaying at living—their best life at Paris Hilton’s Beverly Hills mansion in celebration of ADHD Awareness Month.
The first annual Unstoppable ADHD Creator Summit featured alpacas, a ball pit, a giant slide, a bouncy castle, and endless free merch—including Paris Hilton-branded scented candles, water bottles, T-shirts, and hats with slogans like “ADHD Princess” and “I’m Iconic.”
The carnival for hyperactive creators took place in and around the socialite’s home, a cross between a Beverly Hills mansion, a French chateau, and Barbie’s Dreamhouse. Included on the guest list were musician Lizzo, influencer Haley Baylee, YouTuber Rebecca Zamolo, actress and comedian Whitney Cummings, actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove, Love on the Spectrum star Tanner Smith, and many more. Event sponsors like JBL and Loop provided wireless earbuds, eye masks, and other swag.
Each attendee was handpicked by the host, who sent out online invitations directly. (Many later admitted they thought the unexpected DM from Paris Hilton inviting them to her home was fake.)
But for ADHDer and neurodivergence advocate Hilton, the get-together was much more than a party.
“I know so many people who have ADHD—from artists to creators and some of the most brilliant, creative people I know—and I just felt like there was nothing really representing everyone,” Hilton tells Fast Company. She says she’d been thinking about hosting an event like this for several years.
“I thought it would be so cool to bring together all of these people, have talks, have amazing sensory areas, and just make it feel like you’re at Sliving Land—because I’m such a kid at heart.”
Paris Hilton was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in her late 20s, but only opened up about her condition and the impact it’s had on her in 2024. Since then, she’s worked with her nonprofit, 11:11 Impact Media, to spread ADHD awareness and advocacy.
Last year, she debuted 11:11’s new neurodivergent friendly workspace, developed in partnership with the neurodiversity nonprofit Understood.org, complete with sensory-friendly lighting, natural materials, and play areas that encourage free movement.
It’s a timely endeavor from Hilton: While half of Gen Zers identify as neurodivergent, according to a 2023 study by Deloitte, most employers are failing to accommodate their unique needs. And according to a study by résumé builder and career platform Zety, 93% of neurodivergent Gen Zers say traditional hiring practices work against them, 88% feel like they need to work harder just to be seen as equally competent, and nearly half admit to hiding or “masking” their symptoms in the workplace.
A Mansion Party With a Mission
Paris’s bubble-gum pink tennis court was fashioned into an outdoor conference venue for the occasion. Experts, speakers, and influencers traveled from as far away as Germany, Poland, and Australia to share personal stories and information about the neurological condition, which affects an estimated 12% of Americans.
Supported by experts from Understood.org, Cornell University’s medical school, and the mental health nonprofit Jed Foundation, the group’s mission was to help counter the rising tide of misinformation related to their neurological differences. According to a study by The Guardian, 52% of the most popular videos addressing neurodiversity and mental health on TikTok contain inaccurate information.
Expert speakers took to the stage to help bust common myths about the condition, such as the belief that ADHD mostly affects boys and men, that ADHD can be outgrown, or that symptoms are caused by too much screen time rather than genetics.
Early in the afternoon, guests were invited to share their own experiences with neurodiversity. Most began in tears as they described the challenges they’ve faced with ADHD in their personal and professional lives due to symptoms like impulse control, task avoidance, restlessness, and rejection sensitive dysphoria.
“That was one of my favorite parts of the day,” Hilton says. “It made me cry hearing those stories.”
Those with ADHD are 30% more likely to face chronic unemployment issues (as they are 60% more likely to be let go) and three times more likely to quit impulsively. Instead, many choose to pursue self-employment: An estimated 30% of entrepreneurs are neurodiverse, and so are about half of those in creative industries. Neurodivergent people are also nearly twice as likely to identify as creators, according to research from Understood.org.
Workplaces that accommodate the needs of neurodiverse workers experience up to a 30% increase in team productivity alongside dramatic declines in turnover, according to research by Deloitte.
A History of Advocacy Following a Traumatic Past
As a survivor of an allegedly abusive boarding school in Utah, Hilton has worked with lawmakers to have the institution and others like it shut down. Through 11:11 Media, she’s helped pass 20 state laws and the national bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which became law in 2024.
During this month’s event, Hilton shared with the crowd why girls are routinely sent to these institutions. Having previously stated she faced physical assault, forced medication, and solitary confinement herself, she noted that many of them—like her—were simply struggling with undiagnosed ADHD.
“They would get bad grades, or maybe they would ditch school, sneak out, or just do things because we’re dopamine seekers. But no one deserved to be in an environment like that,” Hilton says. “These kids should not be punished for the way their minds work, just because it’s hard for them to sit in a chair all day.”
She adds that parents, like her own, were deceived into believing their children would be safe and well taken care of, but she says staff members were not equipped to provide the kinds of support children with ADHD need. According to a 2018 study, 1 in 3 American students diagnosed with ADHD receive no special accommodations or academic support.
“It is just heartbreaking the amount of people in these places that have ADHD or are neurodivergent, and then they go there and get even more traumatized,” she says. “That’s why I really want to change the stigma around it, and move from a culture of punishment to a culture of being more understanding.”
Hiding behind a character
Coming of age in the spotlight in the early 2000s, Hilton says she shielded herself behind the “blonde party-girl airhead” character she concocted for TV.
“I wanted to invent this perfect Barbie doll life,” she says. She and best friend Nicole Richie became stars on the reality show The Simple Life, in which the pair swapped their lavish urban lifestyles for a stint on a rural farm. But there was more happening behind the scenes.
“I was very shy and had already been through so much trauma, so I wasn’t ready to be real or vulnerable. I kind of just hid behind this character for so long. And then the world thought that was really me.”
So, after spending her early life feeling alone in the spotlight, Hilton admits there’s something healing about connecting with others at this stage of her life.
“I look back on so much of my life and just think how different it could have been if someone had been understanding with me and if I knew more about ADHD,” she says. “I want the next generation—kids growing up today, and my babies, as a mom—to live in a world where people can feel safe to be themselves and be celebrated for their differences.”
This event was the first time Hilton has brought a community together in person to share their experiences and learn from the experts and each other.
“Coming to something like this with the person that made me feel seen, where I can make other people feel seen in our ADHD—I think that’s dope,” says Haley Bea Kalil, aka Haley Baylee, the model and influencer with nearly 30 million TikTok and Instagram followers, speaking about Hilton. “I just hope one day I can be that person for other people because I’m so grateful that she’s done that for me.”
After six hours of panels, speakers, cocktails, activities, and hors d’oeuvres, the attendees were invited to float in Hilton’s pool on inflatable mattresses while a musician created calming soundscapes with flutes, chimes, and singing bowls.
“I cannot wait for next year,” Hilton says. “I want to go even bigger.”