Aotearoa 24

Flavia Tata Nardini’s journey as CEO & Co-Founder of Fleet Space started with a childhood space-obsession, leading her from the European Space Agency to founding Australia’s leading space exploration company. From building satellites by hand in the garage to Fleet Space becoming Australia’s fastest growing company in 2023, her path blends the highs and lows of start-up life with a sustained arc of space innovation that stretches from satellites in low Earth orbit to the Moon. Now, Flavia is pioneering the application of spacetech to build a more sustainable roadmap for humanity’s clean energy future. In this keynote, Flavia will share her story building Fleet Space - and how trust, resilience, creativity, and belief in the power of space to improve life on Earth carried her further than she ever dreamed.

Whether you’re gearing up to meet with investors or pitching to potential partners, a polished, persuasive elevator pitch is essential for every founder. In this dynamic meetup, three founders will take centre stage, delivering their elevator pitches to the community. The real magic happens next: with the help of a facilitator, the audience will dive in, offering insights, asking thought-provoking questions, and sharing recent pitching experiences. This is a hands-on, collaborative session designed to give you the tools to elevate your verbal pitch. You’ll leave with tactical advice on storytelling, structuring your pitch, handling tough questions, and keeping your audience engaged. Proudly supported by our pals at Airwallex.

Launching a startup from New Zealand is no small feat, but with the right global network and collaboration tools, it becomes possible to hire the best people, secure investors, and recruit customers from around the world. So how do Kiwi founders build and maintain those crucial connections? In this community meetup, we’ll unpack practical tactics and real-life stories of founders who’ve successfully expanded their networks across borders. Together, we’ll explore: How to build strong global relationships with talent, investors, and customers? Proven strategies for maintaining international connections through effective remote collaboration? Hacks, tips, and insights that can help you accelerate your global reach from day one? Come ready to learn from your peers, share your experiences, and walk away with actionable steps to supercharge your startup’s global network from New Zealand. Proudly supported by our pals at Dropbox.

This isn't about the tools - it's about the mindset. Join fellow early-stage founders in this interactive meetup, where the focus is on how you approach building and launching a product. Together, we'll explore the strategic decisions that matter most when you’re short on time, money, and resources. In this session, we’ll pose key questions and provoke discussion on how to prioritise, adapt, and stay scrappy while growing your product. This isn’t a one-way conversation - expect to share your own experiences, hear real-world lessons from others in the room, and leave with new ideas that challenge your approach.This is a space to exchange strategies, debate what works, and walk away with actionable insights from your peers in the startup trenches. Proudly supported by our pals at Paloma.

We talk a lot about what tech companies do: making software, building a marketplace, developing novel hardware. But we don't often talk much about how they do it: the unique team cultures they build, the way they attract new talent, the customer experience they deliver, and the intentionality behind their business model or supply chain strategy. This session is all about the HOW. Three highly opinionated builders will take us through the HOW of their companies: ⇼ Sam Stubbs is the CEO and Founder of Simplicity, a fund manager who is rewriting the script on money management, from operating as a non-profit, to building their own supply of housing investments, to having a 100-year business plan. ⇼ Shay Wright is a serial Māori entrepreneur who is building Elemental, a nutrition blend company. Shay is intentionally weaving tikanga principles into the fabric of Elemental, from seeking sustainable, local ingredients supply chains, to creating products specifically for tangata whenua. ⇼ Christine van Hoffen is Head of People at Tracksuit, a company that provides beautiful, always-on, brand tracking software to over 500 brands globally. Tracksuit is one of the fastest-growing companies in New Zealand history. Tracksuit stands out not just for its commercial success, but the strength of its employer brand. Christine will talk about the tactics behind Tracksuit's distinctive culture, from full pay transparency to championing customer brands in everything they do

Join Ken Brickley, founder of MacroActive, in a fireside chat moderated by Ben Hanna, Head of Stripe New Zealand, as they discuss the intricacies of expanding startups into international markets. This session will cover key challenges and strategies for global growth, including market selection, timing, and aligning your team for success. Gain actionable insights from real-world experiences and learn how to determine when it’s the right time to go global. Don’t miss the follow-up webinar on 5 December 2024, to further explore market expansion strategies.

AI is rapidly changing the game for startups, but how can founders harness it to drive growth, efficiency, and new revenue streams? In this fireside chat, Mike Langsford, Head of VC & Startup Ecosystem APAC at Google Cloud, and Silk Kadala, Investor at Blackbird, will explore how AI is being successfully applied by local startups and what practical lessons founders can take away. We’ll dive into real-world case studies of AI in action to explore how founders are using it to solve problems faster, optimise processes, and scale with limited resources. Silk will spotlight examples from Blackbird’s portfolio, focusing on the tangible outcomes AI is delivering right now. Mike will bring his expertise on best practices for founders and share insights on what types of AI-driven startups are grabbing the attention of investors. Expect actionable advice and an up-to-date perspective on how AI can accelerate your startup journey.

The energy sector is responsible for 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As we rush towards a net zero economy and electrify everything – from cars to homes – the demand for electricity, infrastructure, appliances, and electricity security have never been greater. But can our current system handle the transformation? Crazy wholesale electricity prices in New Zealand suggest not. In this session we have four visionary founders that will propose their vision for the future of energy. Should we focus on maximising generation, or more intelligently manage electricity demand? Do we reinforce the central grid, or embrace decentralised solutions to support it? In this session we have: Jessica Bryan, CEO & Founder of Prospero, is building cutting-edge data tools to help electricity distributors manage grid demand, ensuring the grid stays resilient in an ever-evolving world. Alex Cappy, CEO of Basis, leads the charge with smart home panels designed to optimise energy generation and consumption at the home level, making the grid smarter, not obsolete. Tama Toki, CEO & Founder of Aotea Energy, is developing a vertically integrated system that gives households and communities independence from the grid, offering a self-sustaining energy future. Ratu Mataira, CEO & Founder of OpenStar, is pushing the boundaries of energy with a novel approach to nuclear fusion, aiming to create a future where we no longer need to rely on traditional centralised grid infrastructure. Whether you're a believer in improving centralised operations or ready to embrace decentralised solutions, this debate will challenge your perspective on how we power the future. The stakes are high, and the outcome will shape how we live, work, and power the machines in our lives.

What do a world-class music producer and a founder-turned-investor have to learn from each other? More than you might think. In this keynote, Joel Little, the creative force behind songs from global icons like Lorde and Taylor Swift, sits down with Rowan Simpson, co-founder of Trade Me and a trailblazer in the New Zealand startup scene, to explore the fascinating intersection of talent, mindset, and ambition. Together, they’ll tackle key questions: ⇼ On TALENT - what are the qualities that define truly talented people, and how do you help them thrive? From artists to founders, creation is at the heart of it all, what can these creators learn from each other. ⇼ On MINDSET - how does the mindset of New Zealand’s talent differ from those in other countries? Do cultural attitudes towards success hold us back, or propel us forward? ⇼ On AMBITION - what does ambition look like in New Zealand, and how can we foster the kind of ambition that leads to global impact? By the end of this discussion, you’ll see how founders and artists are cut from the same cloth, both hacking away at creation and beauty in their own unique ways. Most importantly, you’ll leave inspired, knowing that New Zealand has all the talent it needs to create something with a global reach.

Community-building often feels like a tug-of-war between short-term hype and long-term impact. Too often, startups fall into the trap of prioritising optics over outcomes: 'How good did this event look?' instead of asking 'What did this achieve?'. But here’s the truth: community is more than just a buzzword. It’s a powerhouse growth strategy for businesses that think bigger. It’s about meaningful connections over metrics, sustained ROI over fleeting clicks, and bringing people together in ways that drive real engagement and loyalty. Can the energy of clout-driven moments coexist with the substance of genuine community-building? How do you balance the allure of immediate impact with the patience required for lasting growth? Join us at this community meetup, hosted by Airwallex, as we unpack the art and science of community as a growth strategy. Let’s explore how to go beyond the surface and build something that resonates, inspires, and grows with purpose. Proudly supported by our pals at Airwallex.

Eucalyptus is a $200M+ revenue house of healthcare brands, transforming the way people access and experience healthcare. In this keynote, Tim Doyle, co-founder and CEO, shares the real and drama-filled stories behind Eucalyptus’s journey—how they earned the right to exist in a heavily regulated industry, why most advice isn’t always useful, and the unique challenges of scaling globally from Australia. Join us for an insightful and candid look at what it takes to build a healthcare powerhouse from the ground up.

As technology rapidly transforms the landscape of education, the way we teach and learn is evolving at an unprecedented pace. This session explores how AI and other technologies are reshaping education, from the content we teach to the methods we use. Join Penelope Barton, CEO of Crimson Global Academy, Amber Joseph, Founder of NextWork and Russell Burt, Principal of Point England School, as they share insights from the frontlines. Discover how they’re leveraging technology to prepare learners for a fast-changing world while addressing the unique challenges faced by their diverse student communities.

In the early days, founders are the driving force behind everything in a startup - including the finance function. But what happens when your startup scales and it’s time to bring in a CFO? In this interactive meetup, two seasoned startup CFOs will share stories on what they wish their founders and CEOs had in place before they joined the team. This session is all about engagement. Expect a lively, hands-on discussion where the audience will have the chance to ask questions, share experiences, and brainstorm solutions alongside the CFOs. Together, we’ll tackle practical questions like: How do you create a finance function without formal training? What systems and processes should you set up now to avoid chaos later? And how can you lay the right financial groundwork so your CFO can hit the ground running post-Series A? This isn’t just theory - it’s a collaborative exchange designed to leave you with real-world, tactical steps to build a resilient financial foundation from day one. Proudly supported by our pals at Airwallex.

Making the leap from founder to people manager isn’t always straightforward - it’s a whole new game with new challenges. This community meetup is designed to tackle the real, everyday hurdles that first-time managers face as they shift from building products to leading people.Join us for an open and lively discussion where we’ll swap stories, trade strategies, and dive into practical questions like: How do you transition smoothly from founder to effective manager? What systems can you create to foster continuous development and growth? How do you empower your team to own their progress and drive performance?This isn’t a lecture - it’s a conversation. Bring your questions, your experiences, and your challenges, and leave with fresh ideas, actionable strategies, and a few new connections to help you grow as a leader. This session is supported by our good friends at Deel.