Ardent Mills Launches New Employee Resource Group THRIVE
Creating New Conversations and Deepening Connections Around Neurodiversity and Mental Health
Our Newest ERG is Hitting the Ground Running with More than 75 Members Since its Launch in November 2025
In keeping with Ardent Mills Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) vision, our teams are always working to create a work environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is supported by an informed network. That’s why, when the idea of an ERG focused on educating and connecting team members around neurodiversity and mental health was suggested by the founding members, the organization came together to make THRIVE a reality. THRIVE is our newest ERG committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels empowered, including those living with mental health conditions and who are neurodivergent.
“Managing mental health and neurodivergence can feel isolating,” said Jessey Hershberger-Kirk, Ardent Mills PMO Project Manager and founding THRIVE member. “Our goal is to elevate these shared experiences and find connection points to help eliminate some of those feelings of isolation.”
The idea for THRIVE came out of that purpose and is committed to creating community, fostering advocacy and sharing education.
“By helping each other understand the best ways we can work together and function in our professional spaces, we are creating a lasting sense of belonging,” said Miriam Dubin, THRIVE founding member and Ardent Mills Senior RQT Technician. They added that this could look like discussing strategies for how to best collaborate with and support neurodivergent team members. “For instance, someone might need a five-minute break between meetings; having a forum for talking about these types of strategies helps all of us understand how to give our best and organize our days for success.”
THRIVE is welcoming new members and is open to anyone who wants to help make the Ardent Mills workplace and community more inclusive and supportive, including neurodivergent team members, those managing mental health conditions, caregivers and allies. Whether someone is navigating their own experience or is interested in learning how to support others, THRIVE is a space to connect, learn and grow together.
“THRIVE is an example of how our organization takes feedback and puts it into action to better our community,” said Greg Garrett, Ardent Mills Director, Inclusion & Belonging. “We are continually using internal feedback and external benchmarks to understand our opportunities for growth and expansion, and formalizing our support for neurodiversity was the ideal next step for our team and our organization.”
What are the goals for THRIVE? The group is tackling practical goals like growing membership and educating the organization about who they are and their mission. This includes objectives like bringing in guest speakers and addressing topics like SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and managing family dynamics. Longer term, THRIVE wants to serve as a safe space for intersectionality, where team members can embrace all aspects of who they are in addition to mental health like gender, race, sexual orientation and more. “We see this as an opportunity to be a true connection point for understanding, allyship and support,” added Dubin.
ERGs at Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills has long been committed to 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 work environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is supported by an informed network. Through ERGs, we expand opportunities for team members to engage, collaborate and develop innovative approaches to business challenges, leading to tangible improvements in both membership and organizational impact. To learn more about THRIVE and how to become a member, reach out to them at thrive@ardentmills.com. To learn more about the other ERGs at Ardent Mills, you can read our Fiscal Year 2025 ESG Report Nourish: Intention and Impact.