Istoria Group backs Bristol launch of neurodiversity training provider Self Agency

Startup entrepreneur Devon Lowndes has opened the doors to Self Agency, a Bristol-based provider of neurodiversity training and consultancy services.

The launch has been fuelled by Devon’s recent win in a competition run by Istoria Group – a women-founded and owned collective of creative agencies, also in Bristol – and backed by Babbasa, Black South West Network and the University of Bristol.

Istoria Group was looking to identify and support a regional, women-led micro business during its formative stages as part of its Incubator Hub initiative.

The programme sees the group providing mentorship to nascent enterprises, guiding them through the initial phase of their development journeys.

Devon said: “This experience has taken my business from being an ‘under-the-bunkbed-business’ to having a proper home.

“It’s taken what were passions and ideas into something tangible.

“As a businesswoman and this being my first venture into entrepreneurship, the journey has been invaluable.”

Devon, who has ADHD and is dyslexic, started Self Agency with her mother, Hazel, with a clear mission – to help organisations build cultures where everyone belongs and where all differences are celebrated.

As she’s found, this is still a grey area for many. So to help drive change, Self Agency offers a range of services, from running neurodiversity organisational learning and development to drafting neurodiverse and EDI policies and delivering talks to events and conferences.

Devon added: “Next on our to-do list is to take the building blocks we have in place now and further our vision, which is to make Bristol the neurodivergent capital of the UK.

“Longer term, the ambition is to take our message to the rest of the nation – that every individual brain is an asset.

“By using different environments, we can utilise these assets and make every individual feel like they truly belong.”

As winner of the Istoria Group competition, Self Agency has been offered rent-free office space for six months at the group’s Bristol Paintworks HQ, as well as a brand refresh by Phoenix Wharf and a website refresh by Tiny Spark.

Sam Rowe, CEO of Istoria Group, said: “We’ve been privileged to support Devon and Self Agency through what can be a fledgling business’s most challenging period.

“Their drive and passion are infectious, and it’s true to say that we’ve been inspired throughout the process.

“This is the greatest thing about the Incubator Hub programme – it gives us an amazing opportunity to meet and learn from extremely talented people with fresh ideas that can benefit our region.”