Ardent Mills Employee Resource Group B.E.A.M. Celebrates Five Years 

Ardent Mills has long been committed to our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), believing they are vital to fostering a culture of inclusion and empowering team members to share and exchange ideas. Our ERG vision is to create a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is supported by an informed network - opening doors for connection, collaboration and innovative approaches to business and professional growth. 

This year, B.E.A.M. (Black Excellence at Ardent Mills) celebrates its fifth anniversary as one of Ardent Mills' most active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Focused on creating a sense of community and belonging for Black employees and their allies, B.E.A.M. has remained true to their founding goals of growing inclusion and contributing to an organization where everyone can be themselves, feeling safe and heard. Looking forward, they plan on expanding their impact in the future and will continue to play an important role in helping team members thrive and contribute to Ardent Mills' culture of belonging.

To celebrate their anniversary and learn first-hand about what B.E.A.M. members are doing to live our values, Ardent Mills sat down with five members to talk about B.E.A.M.'s founding, its future, and how members strive to give back. 

Committed to Living Out the Ardent Mills Promise 

“When we started five years ago, we knew how important it is to create spaces where people can show up authentically and be themselves,” said Kellen Lyons, Ardent Mills Plant Manager and founding B.E.A.M. member. “B.E.A.M. has been exactly that; a place to connect, come together and grow through common experiences,” noting that this aligns with the Ardent Mills promise, which underscores the organization's desire to ensure “everyone matters and everyone has a voice.”

Lyons added that providing resources to help every Ardent Mills team member bring the truest version of themselves to their work very much aligns with our values of trust, safety, simplicity and serving. “When you are free to be yourself and feel safe to show that authenticity, that's when you can trust each other and do the work we're committed to doing to the best of our abilities.” 

B.E.A.M member and Ardent Mills Project Manager Janet Garduno also noted that supporting individual authenticity helps the ERG to succeed in its prioritized focus areas, including recruiting, community involvement, social awareness and professional development. “We can be ourselves and let our perspectives come through in order to make positive contributions for our company and for the communities where we live and work.” Garduno is especially connected to community involvement, noting she “loves to see spaces where everyone can flourish.”

Integral to Recruiting 
While B.E.A.M. focuses on many initiatives, team members are passionate about their impact on recruiting. B.E.A.M. is active in building relationships with universities and student organizations to help introduce talent to careers at Ardent Mills. In fact, Torren Manning, Ardent Mills Quality Development Associate and former Ardent Mills intern, made the decision to join Ardent Mills in part due to B.E.A.M. and the impact the ERG made on her throughout her internship. “Being able to connect with other Black team members and know that I had a group where I could share both the good moments and challenges of my day was important as a professional just starting out,” said Manning. 

Today Manning is active in representing Ardent Mills at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other institutions to help connect with prospective hires and showcase the inclusive community Ardent Mills works to create. “I received so much support through my internship, and now I want to pour into others what B.E.A.M. poured into me.” 

Lyons added that a commitment to diversity is an important step in bringing in top talent. “We're happy to have this ERG to help promote inclusivity and to advocate for diversity throughout our industry.” 

Part of that effort also drives B.E.A.M. to connect with collegiate organizations like MANRRS to engage with students from HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and other Minority Serving Institutions to support leadership development, career exploration and community impact. Team members focus on building meaningful connections by sharing personal career journeys and offering guidance to future leaders in agriculture. 

Thanks to recruiting support from the B.E.A.M. ERG, Ardent Mills welcomed its most diverse Flourish Intern Cohort in company history during fiscal year 2024. The milestone builds on the success of last year, when Ardent Mills welcomed our most diverse intern group on record. The continued growth reflects the impact of our inclusive recruiting strategies, developed in partnership with broader Ardent Mills initiatives. 

Eyes on the Future

With nearly 180 members and allies today, B.E.A.M. has no plans for slowing down. Members AJ Knox, Ardent Mills Quality manager, and Marray Napue, Ardent Mills Cash Applications Senior Specialist, represent the future leadership of the ERG. “Our goal is to continue to extend our reach and impact,” said Knox. “We want B.E.A.M. to be able to reach upwards and backwards, meaning we lift others up into the organization and into their success while helping to propel people forward into new levels of leadership.”

He also added that focusing on creating interconnectivity is where lasting connections are built. “We want to be that place where people can meet others, grow their networks and feel an immediate belonging.”

“It’s important for people to know that they don't have to navigate the professional world alone", Napue added. 

“We also offer outreach to the entire Ardent Mills organization with sessions on financial literacy and other topics.” This outreach keeps B.E.A.M. connected to the values in a tangible way and helps to amplify their larger message. “Our hope is that people realize they can be part of something larger; something that is outside of the day-to-day work.”

ERGs at Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills' network of ERGs is committed to leading to tangible improvements in both membership and organizational impact. To learn more about B.E.A.M. and the other ERGs at Ardent Mills, you can read our Fiscal Year 2025 ESG Report Nourish: Intention and Impact.