business support & mentoring for neurodiverse thinkers in New Zealand
neurodivergent business & innovation support
Business support
Business planning, training, market research, marketing, sales, finance… we can help with it all, all from a neurodiverse point of view.
Mentoring
Sometimes just having another ND thinker to talk to is all that’s needed to get things moving in the right direction.
innovation
ND thinkers are often awesome problem solvers and very creative… if given the right environments and support to flourish.
Talks / WORKSHOPS
Entertaining talks and workshops focused on understanding ND thinking and how to create supportive, productive environments.
Neurodiverse business
Understanding and harnessing neurodivergent (ND) thinking can help improve performance and job satisfaction. For example, ND individuals often excel at pattern recognition and creative problem-solving, driving innovation in products and processes. They can demonstrate exceptional focus and accuracy, which is valuable in quality control and data analysis. ND individuals often develop deep knowledge in areas of interest, becoming subject matter experts and providing unique insights into products and services for a diverse customer base. And they often develop strong coping strategies, which can contribute to workplace resilience.
But… there are challenges!
We understand (from sometimes bitter experience) that neurodivergent individuals may face unique challenges in traditional work environments, such as:
- Difficulty with social cues or verbal communication.
- Overstimulation in busy office environments.
- Struggles with prioritisation or meeting deadlines.
- Difficulty with unexpected changes or transitions.
- Issues with planning, organising, or initiating tasks.
- Difficulty with networking or team bonding activities.
- Higher susceptibility to work-related stress.
- Simply getting things more than 80% done!
By addressing these challenges proactively, we support ND individuals and create more efficient, inclusive, and productive work environments for all employees.
Our approach combines this ND-focused perspective with practical business experience, making sure that innovation and inclusivity translate into a functional, profitable business that is enjoyable to work in.
“Thank you! You understood the team and helped us move on quickly – it’s been fun!”
CEO of a high tech start-up
WHo..?
Nigel Slaughter is a neurodivergent thinker who loves helping others to pursue their passions. He was the founding CEO of Ligar (now called aamea), a ‘deep-tech’ company developing novel molecularly imprinted polymers for use at scale. After 10 years he left to co-found Matawai Bio, a company focused on the development of capability in the production of high value bioactive extracts. Prior to Ligar, he was a a consultant for 15 years, focused on new business development, science commercialisation, innovation, international market entry strategy and business-to-business marketing. This often involved working with new businesses, people with novel ideas and company divisions full of nerds!
While spending much of his time in the world of science and engineering, he’s an artist, actor, audiobook narrator and prop maker in his spare time. He even spent a couple of years making stained glass windows.
Qualifications… He has a degree in International Business and an MBA (with excellence) which focused on innovation. Recently he completed a course at MIT / Sloan on the application of AI to Healthcare, and has been pursuing the application of a range of AI tools to diverse projects, including the evaluation of natural extracts for potential health impacts.
Experience
Nigel has collaborated (and geeked out) with awesome teams on hundreds of business plans and activities, including:
Business plan development for companies of all sizes
Development of neurodivergent-optimised workplaces
Market entry for technologies and services across the globe
Novel deep tech development, including as founding CEO
Novel recycling and enviro-remediation technology launches
IMs, capital / investment raising into complex projects
Workshop and conference organisation & facilitation
Application of AI tools in many areas
Founding of collaborative industry organisations
Development of innovation strategies for companies & government
Development of bioactive manufacturing capability
Concept communication workshops for scientists and engineers
Well over 100 collaborative technology commercialisation projects
How we work
After starting with a chat, the level of involvement can vary from tidying up existing plans to developing, coordinating and writing the whole plan or proposal. Then also supporting strategy development within projects once they are underway.
Remuneration is via a contracted day rate or a mix of day-rate and success fee.
