GEN NZ Unconference and Workshops for Entrepreneurs, Auckland 7-8 August 2025
Unconference and Workshops at AUT in Auckland on 7 and 8 August 2025. The event brings together entrepreneurs and supporters from all over New Zealand in a two day festival of networking, collaborative education, and getting sh!t done.
At the Unconference on 8 August, the attendees set the agenda, and discuss items of importance on the day, sharing experiences, and building coalitions to solve critical problems in real time.
There will also be workshop streams on Thursday 7 August covering topics like realising an exit for your startup, storytelling for growth, using AI to help build your startup, rethinking government support for startups, inclusive entrepreneurship, creative problem solving, Kaupapa MΔori entrepreneurship, recognising ideas worth pursuing, and more.
Also present at the event will be investors, support organisations, government representatives, and academics.
The event will be opened by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, and is sponsored by AUT and Callaghan Innovation.
βYou wonβt want to miss this event if you want to tackle issues facing NZ entrepreneurs together. With our local and global networks, thereβs nothing we canβt accomplish,β said Dave Moskovitz, GEN NZ Chair. βThereβs no better place to meet that person who is going to connect you to success.β
GEN NZ comprises over 300 members representing over 150 companies and other organisations. The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) is active in over 190 countries and strives to create one global entrepreneurial ecosystem, where entrepreneurs can connect with each other and access the people and resources they need to thrive locally and globally.
The GEN NZ chapter was recognised as Country of the Year at the 2023 Global Entrepreneurship Congress, hosted annually by GEN.
Tickets are available at:
https://events.humanitix.com/gen-nz-2025-unconference-and-workshops
Workshop List (as at 22 July)
Colin Magee: Realising a Return on Your Startup β For Founders and Investors.Β Explores exit strategies through shared stories and group discussion, highlighting what founders and investors can do now to unlock future value.
Niamh Given: The Innovation Lens – Recognising Ideas Worth Pursuing. Looks to Help founders and early-stage innovators assess startup potential through the eyes of venture capital, with tools to identify innovation types and evaluate viability.
Jenny DouchΓ©: How Can Government Agencies Provide Better Support to Startups? Explore how the government can better serve founders beyond just funding and help redesign the startup support system alongside Jenny DouchΓ©.
Chris OβNeill: Accelerating Startup Progress with AI. Bringing practical insights from Creative HQβs Fintech Ignite programme on using AI across startup stages, while inviting an open dialogue on tools, gaps, and unexpected learnings from the ecosystem.
Dr. Marissa Kaloga: Founders of the Future: A Creative Lab for Inclusive Entrepreneurship. Be guided through a speculative design workshop to envision inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems, with tools for mapping change and opportunities to contribute to her active research project, Entrepreneurial Belonging.
Tamara Buckland: The Goblin Market: A playful experiment in entrepreneurial leadership. Role-play through chaos with Tamara to uncover your leadership style in fast-moving, uncertain scenarios.
Richard Liew: From Idea to IPO: How Startups Harness Strategic Storytelling for Growth. Introduces the SSCALE framework and guides founders in using storytelling as a powerful driver for startup traction, funding, and momentum.
Dan Thurston Crow: Motivation – What Lies Beneath. A hands-on workshop that delves into the subtle psychology driving team behaviour, exploring how fear, hope, and trust shape motivation, engagement, and leadership impact.
Professor Ella Henry: Kaupapa MΔori Entrepreneurship: An open wΔnanga exploring MΔori enterprise, its cultural and economic impact, and strategies to empower Indigenous entrepreneurship.
Michael Fielding: Turning Researchers into Entrepreneurs. A panel discussion unpacking the mindset, barriers, and ecosystem shifts needed to help researcher innovators become founders.
Debi Roder: What Is Economic Development? A practical workshop demystifying economic development and how ESOs can better connect with local efforts to spark collaboration and innovation.
Nathaniel Holmes: Think Like a Human – Creative Problem Solving. An active design thinking session where participants build creative confidence and human-centred solutions to real-world challenges.
