Christchurch start-up co-founder inspired by late in life dyslexia diagnosis
Monday, 15 June 2026
When Dorenda Britten was diagnosed with dyslexia, she was 74 years old — but things suddenly fell into place.
The respected Christchurch designer, businesswoman and property developer, a long-time judge of the Hi-Tech Awards and sister of the late designer and innovator John Britten, channelled her new-found knowledge into an organisation that aims to uncover hidden capabilities and talent within companies.
Her start-up, Unlock Innovation, which was established in 2024, is now a respected consultancy that helps workplaces get the best out of dyslexic people and challenges misunderstandings about the learning difference.
It is believed about one in five people globally have dyslexia and Britten’s own diagnosis gave her a lightbulb moment.
“I didn’t realise at the time we started working on Unlock that I was dyslexic,” she said .
“I then understood [that] my dyslexia and different thinking style enabled me to connect the dots and see that there was a problem that needed solving.”
Britten, 77, believes she should have known long ago she was dyslexic, as the neurobiological learning difference is common in her family, affecting her father, two of her children and her renowned brother.
Her research and that of Unlock Innovation co-founder Chris Cole has found there may be over 1 million dyslexic minds in New Zealand, representing a substantial and unrecognised resource for innovation and productivity within organisations.
The two founders met at a dyslexia conference in 2021, both similarly frustrated with the lack of recognition of neurodiverse potential in Aotearoa’s workforce.
Cole is also a late-diagnosed dyslexic and a dyslexia expert, with a background in accounting and education which she applies to the modern workplace.
The pair started brainstorming and received a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment grant in 2022, funding their research into neurodiversity within technology companies.
The founders have zoned in on technology workers, as research shows there is a high proportion of undeclared dyslexic thinkers in that sector. Some of the firms they have worked with so far include Seequent, Enable and Trimble.
“Dorenda identified talent in the tech companies, whereas I could specifically say what skillset they bring,” Cole said.
Cole was inspired to dedicate time to the issue after attending a dyslexia support group and hearing the experiences of dyslexics trying to fit into the workplace.
She had already witnessed the often unintentional shutting down of people with dyslexia who had observations to share, but since she could both read and write and had an accounting degree, she initially didn’t consider the possibility she may herself be dyslexic.
After its launch, Unlock Innovation began by offering one-hour workshops aimed at large organisations, introducing what dyslexia is and why it is important to recognise and understand it.
Britten wants to, “normalise natural human variation that historic business models haven’t accounted for.”
After one workshop, an attendee approached Cole saying, “I just thought I was flaky, but I think I’m dyslexic.”
Britten and Cole now offer half-day and HR-specialist workshops and speaker opportunities, presenting information in a way that everyone can absorb.
They are, they say, helping individuals embark on a journey that will see their many skills demonstrated in business without further alienating them, and simultaneously providing companies with the right advice and knowledge to support this.
Unlock is currently collaborating with the University of Canterbury, researching the link between dyslexia and innovative performance in teams.
Britten and Cole will be part of a panel for Dyslexic Thinking: An Untapped Strategic Advantage for Modern Business? at the University of Canterbury on June 18.