21st January, 2022
New Zealand’s inaugural women founders summit, Electrify Aotearoa is arriving this year to share stories of grit and ingenuity from some of NZ’s most magnetic startup founders.
It’s just a few more months before the anticipated launch of a one-day event that aims to ‘power up Aotearoa’s next generation of women-led startups’.
That’s right; Electrify Aotearoa will be arriving Thursday 26 May at the iconic Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch and all signs point to it being a new fixture in the Kiwi startup scene.
Developed in partnership by Ministry of Awesome and Blackbird Ventures, the day’s schedule is packed with presentations and masterclasses from some of NZ’s most renowned and entrepreneurial women in business speaking on topics including fundraising, product, and personal growth.
Phoebe Harrop, principal at Blackbird Ventures said she’s particularly looking forward to getting together with other speakers and attendees to hear about all the good work that’s been occurring over the past 18-24 months.
“In my day job as principal at Blackbird, I get to meet and invest in Aotearoa’s most ambitious startup founders.
“I learn so much from meeting each person and I intend on bringing a collection of these experiences to share and hopefully inspire the next wave of outstanding founders at the event.”
*Update: Due to the worsening Omicron outbreak in New Zealand, Electrify Aotearoa was recently rescheduled from February to May.
Both the speakers and guestlist for the event offers a wide range of diversity of thought, personality and business backgrounds, and the speakers concur that this is what makes the local startup culture so special.
For Lauren Peate, founder and chief executive of Multitudes, NZ provides a very different environment for startups when compared to any other place in the world.
“After having worked in Silicon Valley and the Middle East, I can say that the startup space in Aotearoa/NewZealand has a lot to offer the world.
“There’s a strong focus on community and people in the startup scene here, and I think that’s something a lot of other startup communities around the world could benefit from.”
Peate is scheduled to speak at Electrify Aotearoa on the importance of people and culture when building a world-class team.
“I would recommend this event to anyone who cares about creating an equitable, representative tech community in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Come to learn, to get inspired, and to build new connections – with people who could be your future co-founders, co-workers, investors, supporters, or friends,” she said.
While the speaker line up is dedicated to inspiring women in the startup space, Electrify Aotearoa’s doors are open to all as a truly inclusive business event.
And for Amber Marie Naveira, co-founder of The Granary, that’s exactly the sort of environment so many startup founders or aspiring founders need right now.
“My experience as a Wahine Māori moving from the creative sector into the startup space has taught me how easy it is to feel that you’re walking a path alone.
“It’s important to surround yourself with others trying to attempt the same thing – our destinations may differ but the initial path and its challenges are all very similar.”
Elise Hilliam, co-founder and nutritionist at MenuAid, agrees with this sentiment, stating that it’s both the insight and the confidence that comes from hearing others’ experiences that encouraged her to buy a ticket to this year’s event.
“As a young female starting out my own business, this provides the perfect opportunity for me to learn from those who have forged this path already.”
So with just a few months until Electrify Aotearoa goes live, and with only 350 attendee tickets available, now’s the time to get involved.
For full details on the Electrify Aotearoa schedule, and to buy tickets, head over to the event website today.