Creating spaces where different ways of thinking aren’t just accepted but celebrated is what true belonging looks like. We are proud to see this movement taking shape.
We talk a lot about inclusion, but belonging is what really matters 🧠🌶️✨ And for many neurodivergent people, that sense of belonging can take a long time to find. From our earliest school days through to professional life, many of us are taught to think in straight lines; to “find the right answer,” “follow the steps,” and “play by the rules.” This kind of linear logic has long been treated as the gold standard for intelligence. But not everyone’s brain works that way. And too often, those who think differently are made to feel like they need to fit a system that was never designed for them. That’s why I’m so proud to introduce our BrainBadge Changemakers, a passionate group of volunteers from across Fonterra who are helping change that story. Together with Neurofusion, we’ve embarked on a journey toward achieving the BrainBadge, a certification designed to strengthen workplace inclusion by supporting neurodiverse talent, sparking innovation, and building a workplace culture that values different ways of thinking. A couple of weeks ago, we kicked things off with a fast-paced, hands-on workshop that involved hundreds of tennis balls, plenty of laughter, and a room buzzing with ‘aha’ moments. Through a deceptively simple game, we were challenged to break through through familiar thinking patterns and hidden assumptions, uncovering fresh ways to solve problems and exploring what neuroinclusive working can look like in practice. Because in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, the quality of our thinking matters more than the speed of our action. And innovation happens when different minds come together, not when everyone thinks the same. That’s what belonging really looks like; a culture where every kind of mind is valued. For me, this work is also deeply personsl. It’s about helping others find the sense of belonging I once searched for, and sometimes still do. To help people feel seen, valued, and supported for who they already are. If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be this: you don’t need to do or be anything different, just being you is enough. When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. Thank you to our Changemakers and the team at Neuroinfusion for showing what’s possible when we do exactly that. Saloni Jindal, Bex Waugh, Rich Rowley, Charlotte Downes, Kate Daly, Brooke Schneideman-Su’a, Chelsea Thomson, Courtney Silverton, Katharine Holgate, Nathan Craven, Nathaniel Wilson, Samantha Kay, Sarah Ensor, Tania Gulliver, Tomaso Benyon, Michelle Forrest, Nicholas Orchard, Julijana Glavas, Sam Cranston, Melanie Washer, Benjamin Lynch
