NEWSROOM
Ten CIE alumni named in 40 under 40 list
22 November 2023
Every year the University of Auckland draws up a 40 under 40 list to highlight the exceptional personal and professional achievements of alumni. The alumni shine in one of the six categories: entrepreneurs, disruptors and innovators, business leaders, humanitarians, influencers and performers.
This year, ten of the named alumni are former participants of programmes run by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) such as the Velocity (formerly named Spark) entrepreneurship development programme. CIE Director Darsel Keane says “CIE alumni making up a quarter of the University’s 40 under 40 list shows how important an entrepreneurial mindset is for creating meaningful real-world impact in a wide range of applications. It’s wonderful to see our alumni celebrated for their achievements. They are just the type of innovators and change-makers we need to build a better future for Aotearoa.”
Congratulations to our CIE alumni
Maria Jose Alvarez – MJ, as she is known, moved from biotech entrepreneur to venture capitalist in several inspiring steps. She is currently the managing partner of WNT Ventures, which helps innovators take years of research or a freshly conceived product and turn it into a commercial success.
Benjamin Bartle has had a rich and varied career working in the climate crisis space. Currently, he is the director of climate finance at the Rocky Mountain Institute and leads a global programme mobilising finance for energy transition investments.
Jared Broad is the CEO and founder of US-based firm QuantConnect. The company is a disruptor in the growing field of quantitative finance, where technology, mathematics and engineering collide to predict financial markets and maximise returns.
James Corbett is co-founder of Auror, a company helping to reduce retail crime. Globally, Auror is relied upon by more than 75,000 retail staff and has an even greater number of users across 2,000 law enforcement agencies around the world.
Janine Grainger is the CEO of Easy Crypto, an online platform that simplifies the process of buying, selling and exchanging crypto so even complete financial novices can engage with digital currencies. It has grown to be New Zealand’s largest cryptocurrency trading site.
Simran Kaur is the founder of Girls That Invest, a podcast that has grown into an online phenomenon, helping millions of women learn how to invest and, unapologetically, make money. She is also a best-selling author, radio presenter, millionaire at age 26, and, if she ever chose to, she could pivot to a career in optometry.
Freddy Gonzalez is a mechanical engineer and co-founder of Vertus Energy, a company that builds reactors for converting waste to energy. The company has a partnership deal with Austrian-based Biogest to pilot converting waste to energy on a commercial scale in Europe.
Kaushala Ratnayake is head of strategy at Bauer Media, one of Europe’s largest publishing companies. It’s a role she landed via the stepping stones of a Biomedical Science degree, a Master of Bioscience Enterprise, the ICEHOUSE, Callaghan Innovation, Deloitte and the BBC.
Dr Manuel Seidel is the founder and CEO of ecoPortal, a Faculty of Engineering spin-out success story that today employs more than 70 staff worldwide, and has a client list that includes industry giants such as BNZ, Foodstuffs, The Warehouse and Briscoes. ecoPortal helps businesses transform compliance from a box-ticking exercise to a process that is beautifully simple, engaging and improves a company’s performance.
Jenson Varghese is managing director at one of Australasia’s leading sustainable transport consultancies, MRCagney. He is passionate about creating more inclusive cities with a focus on sustainability and climate change. Born and raised in Samoa, he advocates for more diversity and inclusion in the transport and engineering sectors.
22 November 2023
Every year the University of Auckland draws up a 40 under 40 list to highlight the exceptional personal and professional achievements of alumni. The alumni shine in one of the six categories: entrepreneurs, disruptors and innovators, business leaders, humanitarians, influencers and performers.
This year, ten of the named alumni are former participants of programmes run by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) such as the Velocity (formerly named Spark) entrepreneurship development programme. CIE Director Darsel Keane says “CIE alumni making up a quarter of the University’s 40 under 40 list shows how important an entrepreneurial mindset is for creating meaningful real-world impact in a wide range of applications. It’s wonderful to see our alumni celebrated for their achievements. They are just the type of innovators and change-makers we need to build a better future for Aotearoa.”
Congratulations to our CIE alumni
Maria Jose Alvarez – MJ, as she is known, moved from biotech entrepreneur to venture capitalist in several inspiring steps. She is currently the managing partner of WNT Ventures, which helps innovators take years of research or a freshly conceived product and turn it into a commercial success.
Benjamin Bartle has had a rich and varied career working in the climate crisis space. Currently, he is the director of climate finance at the Rocky Mountain Institute and leads a global programme mobilising finance for energy transition investments.
Jared Broad is the CEO and founder of US-based firm QuantConnect. The company is a disruptor in the growing field of quantitative finance, where technology, mathematics and engineering collide to predict financial markets and maximise returns.
James Corbett is co-founder of Auror, a company helping to reduce retail crime. Globally, Auror is relied upon by more than 75,000 retail staff and has an even greater number of users across 2,000 law enforcement agencies around the world.
Janine Grainger is the CEO of Easy Crypto, an online platform that simplifies the process of buying, selling and exchanging crypto so even complete financial novices can engage with digital currencies. It has grown to be New Zealand’s largest cryptocurrency trading site.
Simran Kaur is the founder of Girls That Invest, a podcast that has grown into an online phenomenon, helping millions of women learn how to invest and, unapologetically, make money. She is also a best-selling author, radio presenter, millionaire at age 26, and, if she ever chose to, she could pivot to a career in optometry.
Freddy Gonzalez is a mechanical engineer and co-founder of Vertus Energy, a company that builds reactors for converting waste to energy. The company has a partnership deal with Austrian-based Biogest to pilot converting waste to energy on a commercial scale in Europe.
Kaushala Ratnayake is head of strategy at Bauer Media, one of Europe’s largest publishing companies. It’s a role she landed via the stepping stones of a Biomedical Science degree, a Master of Bioscience Enterprise, the ICEHOUSE, Callaghan Innovation, Deloitte and the BBC.
Dr Manuel Seidel is the founder and CEO of ecoPortal, a Faculty of Engineering spin-out success story that today employs more than 70 staff worldwide, and has a client list that includes industry giants such as BNZ, Foodstuffs, The Warehouse and Briscoes. ecoPortal helps businesses transform compliance from a box-ticking exercise to a process that is beautifully simple, engaging and improves a company’s performance.
Jenson Varghese is managing director at one of Australasia’s leading sustainable transport consultancies, MRCagney. He is passionate about creating more inclusive cities with a focus on sustainability and climate change. Born and raised in Samoa, he advocates for more diversity and inclusion in the transport and engineering sectors.
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