NeuroSpark: A Creative Collaboration Space – May 2026

Join us for our May NeuroSpark, a friendly and supportive environment for neurodivergent entrepreneurs to share ideas and projects. Facilitated by Rob Edwards (CEO of the NEA) and Claire Butcher (NEA Head of Coaching & Training), the sessions are free to NEA members (on a paid membership programme), ThriveND participants, and cost £40 to non-members.

Our aim is to alleviate some of the stress and pressure associated with networking among fellow business owners. In developing NeuroSpark, we have utilized our extensive experience working alongside neurodivergent entrepreneurs like ourselves. We aspire for NeuroSpark to offer a relaxed, engaging, and enjoyable approach to conducting business.

We are limiting the number of participants to 12 to guarantee a quality experience for everyone.

Session Objectives:

• A safe, inclusive environment for neurodivergent entrepreneurs to share ideas and projects. 
• Foster opportunities for collaboration and networking. 
• Encourage creativity and problem-solving tailored to neurodivergent strengths.

Structure and Flow:

1. Welcome and Grounding (10 minutes)

• Facilitator Introduction & Community Norms: Rob & Claire will give a brief overview of the session’s purpose. 
• We’ll have a quick, optional Icebreaker Activity: A question or creative prompt in the chat or verbally (e.g., “What inspires you most about your current project?”).

2. Guest speaker: Matthew Bellringer (20 minutes, including discussion)

Starting your own business is thrilling and rewarding, but what happens when it exhausts you to the point that you can’t move forward or lack time for other important things, or both? Not fully burnt out, but lacking any spare energy, so everything feels like a struggle.

It’s easy to understand how we get this way. The advice always seems to be “try harder” when we’re already working flat out. Add that to the fact that, for neurodivergent people, paying attention to something uninteresting is exhausting in itself, and it’s no surprise we’re often running on fumes.

What we can do about it is start building an approach to our business lives that really works for us.

Matthew Bellringer MBCS MBPsS is a neurodiversity and innovation specialist. They work with neurodivergent professionals, executives and business owners to develop working practices tailored to their strengths. They also provide consultancy and training to organisations that want to better support neurodiverse innovation and to organisations delivering innovative services to a neurodiverse audience. Alongside their private practice, Matthew is Chair and Co-founder of NeurodiverseIT, a group for neurodivergent IT professionals within BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT, and the organiser and founder of the Curious Being community.

3. Project Spotlights (20 minutes)

• Participants can take turns sharing anything about what they’re working on. 
• Format: 2-3 minutes per person. 
• Prompt: “What is your project? What do you need help with or feedback on?” 

4. Break (10 minutes)

• Two 10-Minute Rounds: Participants will then rotate through two different breakout rooms to maximize networking and idea-sharing opportunities. 
• Process:
•   First Round (10 minutes): Groups discuss a specific topic or challenge (e.g., “What strategies work best for neurodivergent-friendly marketing?”). 
•   Second Round (10 minutes): Participants are assigned to new rooms for fresh input and new discussions. Each new group can explore a different topic or build on insights from the first round. 

6. Feedback and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Each breakout group shares highlights from their discussion. 
• Participants reflect on key takeaways or insights (via chat or speaking). 

7. Closing and Networking (5 minutes)

• You can share contact details if you wish.
• We will share a follow-up plan (e.g., shared notes, next session date). 
• Participants can stay in the room for casual post-session networking if they wish.

Neuroinclusive Enhancements:

• We will share instructions in advance, including the carousel plan at the start of the session so participants know what to expect. 
• Participants are welcome to stay in one breakout room if the rotation feels overwhelming.
• We will display a countdown timer when breakout rooms are closing to allow for smooth transitions. 
• If there’s anything that would make your experience easier and more enjoyable, you can let us know when you register.

Ideas for Breakout Room Topics and Prompts.

During registration, you will be asked to show your interest in topics to help prioritise the discussions. We will then group everyone effectively and let you know in advance which group we think will be most helpful to you. We will share the questions/prompts that we will be asking, along with a suggested creative twist activity that we can run in each group in the unlikely event that we run out of conversation!

Past topics have included:

1. Marketing and Branding for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs
2. Time Management and Productivity Hacks
3. Funding and Financial Strategies
4. Overcoming Challenges and Building Resilience
5. Finding and Working with Collaborators
6. Scaling and Growing Your Business
7. Creative Problem Solving

All conversations are covered by the Chatham House Rule: when a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed. 

At NEA, we believe that there is a different way of doing business that works alongside neurodivergent brains. We look forward to welcoming you to NeuroSpark!