Divergent Thinking

What Divergent Thinking does

Divergent Thinking (legal entity: Divergent Training Ltd, UK Companies House No. 14074540) is a London-based, founder-led neurodiversity consultancy serving organisations across the UK and worldwide. The firm, established in 2022 per firmographics (with a 2024 founding event noted in company history) and operating with 1-10 employees, is led by Nathaniel (Nat) Hawley — an MSc in Applied Neuroscience holder and TEDx speaker — and delivers services through a small multidisciplinary team of neurodivergent specialist teachers and practitioners.

The company's offering is a professional-services portfolio rather than a software platform: training and workshops (Discovering Neurodiversity 60-minute all-staff module, Leading Neurodiversity 60-90 minute or half-day manager module, and Neuroinclusion Lunch & Learns 45-60 minutes); Workplace Needs Assessments; Neuroinclusion Audits (recruitment, communication, policy, and practice reviews with prioritised action plans); one-to-one Coaching for neurodivergent professionals; Consultancy covering strategy, recruitment reviews, and policy work; and Keynote Speaking. Delivery is remote-first with in-person options and underpinned by applied neuroscience and a trauma-informed, consent-first methodology. Products are co-designed with lived experience for psychological safety and measurability, with claimed KPIs across retention, fair hiring, wellbeing, and performance.

The business model is consultancy-led with a consultative, proposal-based go-to-market: clients enter via website contact or a free 30-minute scoping call, after which the firm issues bespoke quotes based on audience size, format, and scope; training tiers are sold under multi-year contracts while coaching and lunch-and-learn sessions are billed per engagement. The customer base spans enterprise and public-sector logos including HSBC, Disney, Universal Music UK, Sage, Kantar, Phoenix Group, Bakkavor, Yugo (The Dot Group), UCL, Oxfordshire County Council, and the National Saturday Club. The firm has no disclosed funding, no patents or trademarks recorded, and operates independently with supporters including Watson Institute, Belgrave Trust, the Western Union Foundation (2025 Fellowship cohort), Peace First, and UnLtd, plus a strategic co-development partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) around the Diverse Minds Conference.

Name

Divergent Thinking

Legal name

Divergent Training Ltd

Website

https://divergentthinking.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Divergent Thinking is a UK-based, founder-led neurodiversity consultancy that delivers training, workplace assessments, audits, coaching, consultancy, and keynote speaking to HR, DEI, and leadership teams in enterprises and public-sector organisations across multiple sectors and geographies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Neurodiversity & Inclusion Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Employment & Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Programs (EDAAAOAI)

Keywords

• Neurodiversity training
• Workplace assessments
• Neuroinclusion consultancy
• DEI consulting
• Executive coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Training and Workshops: Neurodiversity awareness training delivered to all staff (60 minutes), manager training (90 minutes or half-day), and Lunch & Learn sessions (45-60 minutes). Available online, in person, or hybrid. Pricing based on audience size and format, provided via custom proposal.
2. Neuroinclusion Consultancy: Strategic consultancy for organizations moving beyond awareness to build more inclusive systems, communication, leadership, and employee experiences. Includes audits, strategy development, recruitment reviews, policy reviews, and leadership enablement.
3. Coaching Services: Strengths-based, confidential, needs-led coaching for neurodivergent professionals. Available as single sessions, 3-session blocks, or 6-session coaching packages. Remote-first delivery worldwide.
4. Keynote Speaking: Thought-provoking and practical talks delivered at conferences, leadership events, awareness weeks, panels, town halls, and internal learning events. Available virtual or in person.
5. Neuroinclusion Audits: Independent, evidence-led review of recruitment, communications, policy and day-to-day practice. Includes actionable roadmap with prioritised action plan, owners, timelines, and KPIs. Optional implementation support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Divergent Thinking is a UK-based neurodiversity consultancy that partners with organisations to build neuroinclusive workplaces. It sells a portfolio of professional services including neurodiversity training and workshops, workplace needs assessments, neuroinclusion audits, strengths-based coaching for neurodivergent professionals, organisational neuroinclusion consultancy, and keynote speaking. Engagements are tailored to client goals, delivered remotely worldwide with in-person options, and priced via custom proposals following a complimentary 30-minute scoping call.

Product overview

Divergent Thinking is a UK-based neurodiversity consultancy offering a portfolio of interconnected services centred on neuroinclusion in workplaces. The core offering spans training (Discovery workshops for all staff, Leading Neurodiversity for managers, and Lunch & Learns for focused topics), assessments (Workplace Needs Assessments), audits (Neuroinclusion Audits), coaching (for neurodivergent professionals and managers of neurodivergent colleagues), consultancy (strategy, recruitment, and policy review), and keynote speaking by founder Nat Hawley. The company also delivers awareness-day workshops and hosts the annual Diverse Minds Conference for neurodivergent STEM researchers. Services are delivered remotely worldwide with in-person options, and include a free 30-minute scoping call to help organisations identify their starting point.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Neurodiversity Training & Workshops Evidence-informed neurodiversity training sessions delivered in person, online, or hybrid formats, tailored to different audience levels including all-staff, managers, and leadership teams, for organisations seeking practical neuroinclusion support.
• Workplace Needs Assessments Identification of workplace barriers faced by neurodivergent employees with co-designed practical adjustments and clear action plans, with optional manager or HR liaison, for employers and HR teams.
• Neuroinclusion Audits Evidence-led, neurodivergent-led independent reviews of recruitment, communication, policy, or day-to-day practice, producing a prioritised action plan with owners, timelines, and KPIs for organisations.
• Coaching Strengths-based, confidential 1:1 coaching for neurodivergent professionals at all career levels, covering executive function, communication, and workplace adjustments, delivered by neurodivergent coaches with optional manager liaison.
• Keynote Speaking Thought-provoking keynote talks by founder Nat Hawley combining lived experience, applied neuroscience, storytelling, and workplace expertise for conferences, leadership events, awareness weeks, panels, town halls, and internal learning events.
• Neuroinclusion Consultancy Practical organisational consultancy covering neuroinclusion strategy, recruitment reviews, communication audits, policy review, and leadership enablement for organisations moving beyond awareness to build more inclusive systems.
• Neurodiversity Awareness Days Tailored workshops aligned to awareness days and months such as ADHD Month, Dyslexia Week, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week, including ready-to-send communications and follow-up resources for organisations.
• Diverse Minds Conference A one-day online conference for neurodivergent biology students, researchers and professionals, created in partnership with UKRI, providing insights into self-advocacy, leadership, and workplace inclusivity in academia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of participants reported enhanced understanding of how to support neurodivergent colleagues and students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Western Union Foundation Fellowship ProgramminorOthers · 1 January 2025Listed as a supporter who has helped advance the mission of Divergent Thinking.
• UKRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK Research and Innovation partnered with Divergent Thinking to create and host the Diverse Minds Conference. The conference aimed to create an inclusive and empowering platform for neurodivergent students, researchers, and professionals in biological sciences and academia. This one-day online event brought together leading voices from the neurodiversity field.
• Watson InstituteminorOthersListed as a supporter who has helped advance the mission of Divergent Thinking.
• Belgrave TrustminorOthersListed as a supporter who has helped advance the mission of Divergent Thinking.
• Peace FirstminorOthersListed as a supporter who has helped advance the mission of Divergent Thinking.
• UnLtdminorOthersListed as a supporter who has helped advance the mission of Divergent Thinking.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Accenture (Inclusion & Diversity practice): Global consulting and technology firm with a dedicated inclusion practice including neurodiversity programmes. Broad incumbent offering overlapping with Divergent Thinking's enterprise training and consultancy.
• PwC (People & Organisation / DEI practice): Big-four consultancy with established DEI advisory and neurodiversity training offerings for global enterprises. Competes on enterprise RFPs but bundles neuroinclusion into wider HR transformation work.
• Deloitte (DEI & Inclusion practice): Global consulting firm with a substantial DEI and inclusion practice covering neurodiversity. Competes for enterprise neuroinclusion mandates but as part of broader transformation portfolios, not as a neurodiversity specialist.

Direct peers

• Auticon: International consultancy employing autistic adults as consultants to deliver neurodiversity advisory, training, and assessments to enterprise clients. Highly comparable neurodivergent-led delivery model and target enterprise buyer, but with broader geographic footprint.
• Genius Within: UK neurodiversity consultancy providing workplace assessments, coaching, and training. Closely comparable service mix and buyer profile to Divergent Thinking, with longer operating history but similar boutique scale.
• Lexxic: UK-based specialist in workplace neurodiversity assessments, coaching, and training. Directly comparable to Divergent Thinking on core services (assessments, training, coaching) and target buyer (HR/DEI teams), with a similar lived-experience-led delivery model.
• Exceptional Individuals: UK neurodiversity-focused recruitment and workplace support provider. Comparable in target audience (neurodivergent professionals and employers) and overlap with Divergent Thinking's coaching and workplace assessment services.
• EmployAbility: UK organisation supporting neurodivergent graduates and professionals into employment, with employer-facing training and consultancy. Overlaps with Divergent Thinking on workplace neuroinclusion training and coaching.

Others

• UCLA Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (neurodiversity at work programmes): Academic and clinical institutions producing research, training, and toolkits on neurodiversity in workplaces. Functions as an ecosystem influencer and content source for the neuroinclusion market in which Divergent Thinking operates.

Emerging players

• Include Me: Smaller UK neurodiversity consultancy offering training and inclusion programmes. Comparable service type and buyer, but smaller scale and narrower delivery footprint than Divergent Thinking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DivergentUK_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPWSh3uSdfVBzqraiLIBLTQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/DivergentThinkingUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/divergentthinkinguk
• Instagraminstagram.com/divergentthinkinguk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Divergent Thinking