NEWSROOM

Unleash your stories – Gustavo Guillemin

Here’s a glimpse of the entrepreneurial mindset as it is manifested in Master of Engineering Management student Gustavo Guillemin, recently arrived from Mexico to study at the University of Auckland. With him he brought a great start-up idea to develop here in New Zealand.

Gustavo’s story

With a focus on sustainability, Gus had the idea of reusing old car tyres to manufacture environmentally friendly shoes. Gus believes that changing current consumer behaviour is imperative to sustainability. He also wanted to focus on reusing materials rather than recycling them, as recycling can use up a lot of energy without much impact on the life cycle of rubbish.

Gus explained his concept via the analogy of a fruit gelatin – the material for his shoes would have pieces of tyre rubber (the “fruit”) suspended in a “jelly” of foam-like material. While others have used tyres in shoes before, their approaches have been mainly focussed on cutting the tire into the shape of the outer sole. By integrating the old rubber with other shoe materials, Gus hopes to develop a more environmentally friendly way to make shoes without sacrificing the overall quality of the materials.

Currently, Gus’ idea is still in development, as he explores the technologies and materials he wants to use in the product. This involves prototyping to make sure the materials and methods will work. 

When he discovered Unleash Space, Gus realised that the programmes and facilities it offered would be perfect for the development of  his project idea. The 3D scanner, CNC router, sewing machines and 3D printers, he believes, will be a great help in developing the concept moulds for both sole production and the upper part of the shoe. Gus is currently completing the equipment training for each of these machines.

Developing a new solution takes a lot of courage and determination, often having to deal with the unknown and learning to overcome repeated failures. But Gus has determination and belief in his idea, and with help and support from others like Unleash Space, he is sure to do well in the future.