NEWSROOM
“Life changing” study tour of Silicon Valley
29 September 2023
To truly comprehend a culture, nothing can replace experiencing the place where it thrives. Silicon Valley is world-famous for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and relentless pursuit of cutting-edge technology, where risk-taking and disruption are celebrated. The Vanguard Programme is about exposing a cohort of highly engaged, high-achieving student leaders to the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Empowering them to learn and grow as innovators and entrepreneurs, but more importantly, infuse their knowledge and experience back into Aotearoa’s own entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Vanguard Programme is facilitated by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and is made possible by the generous support of philanthropist and entrepreneur Tony Falkenstein, who accompanied the University of Auckland cohort this year on the study tour. Selection for the Programme is via invitation only and a rigorous application process. Successful candidates must have demonstrated a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, whether through being founders of startups, working in startups or other parts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, or through participation in CIE’s programmes such as Venture Lab and the Doctoral Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme.
This year, 16 students were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in the seven-day study tour to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, enabled thanks to the extensive University of Auckland network. The itinerary included visits with founders and representatives from startups such as Allbirds, Class Dojo, Drop Station, and Stealth Start-ups, site visits to iconic tech giant Amazon, biotech company Synthego and the innovation hub Plug and Play. The study tour participants also attended workshops delivered by Propel Performance Group and learnt how New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is supporting New Zealand companies entering and obtaining investment in the US market as well as bringing international investment to New Zealand. Insights into the differences, benefits and downsides of both the Silicon Valley and New Zealand entrepreneurial ecosystem were provided by Randy Komisar, Silicon Valley icon and Anthony Mosse, Honorary Consul, San Francisco. Many alumni, including Bowen and Maya Pan, Bethanie Maples, Divya Dhar, Emma Dawson, Luke Baxter and Priyanka Shekhar, shared their career journeys in the Bay area working at startups, technology giants and investment firms.
On their return, the Vanguard cohort enthusiastically shared their insights and experiences with family and friends at a showcase evening. They talked about the ecosystem enablers they met, the differences they observed between New Zealand and Silicon Valley’s ecosystem, and the key messages and themes that stood out.
A mindset that accepted the possibility of failure, with an attitude of failing fast and moving on, was one example of a difference they encountered throughout their tour. Along with a direct-ness to ask for what they want, “In the US they just asked for what they want and they take no and move on. Quickly. Maybe that’s something we could learn from?” Vanguard participant Luke explained.
The value of having a close hive of entrepreneurship was also felt by the Vanguard cohort, who witnessed and heard how “proximity matters” for fast-paced collaboration and momentum. “Knowledge gets shared around simply by being in the Silicon Valley ecosystem.” Proactively surrounding yourself with the right network of people was also stressed as a priority. “Founders spoke to us about having a supportive professional network made up of a diversity of people and ideas. They also talked about how the people in this network should be self-believers because self-believers will believe in you, too.”
As the saying goes, “seeing is believing”, and the sights of the Silicon Valley start-up scene were transformative for the Vanguard participants. “It was an unforgettable journey that transformed our perspective on entrepreneurship through meeting visionaries and experiencing first-hand the incredible ecosystem,” says Kelly Ye
Tony Falkenstein, Onehunga-raised chief executive of Just Life Group, is a firm believer in paying it forward and the power of business and business education to positively impact people’s lives. This is a huge motivation for his sponsorship of the Vanguard Programme, along with his ambition that a participant from one of the study tours becomes the founder of “a unicorn company”. While only a small number of students can take part in the experience each year, Tony sets a challenge to all the participants, which he hopes will have a positive ripple effect that extends beyond Vanguard. Tony’s challenge is for every participant to pay it forward, whether it be inspiring a class of school kids about innovative career pathways or providing a more supportive entrepreneurial network; everyone must formulate their own unique way to nourish the New Zealand entrepreneurial ecosystem so that ripples may one day become waves.
“The value of the Vanguard programme is life-changing for participants as new networks and new ways of thinking are opened up as a result of the experience. There is so much to learn from Silicon Valley about ambition and audacity. It allows a deeper insight into entrepreneurship from a distinctly New Zealand perspective.” Darsel Keane, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director, explains.
Watch the vlog created by the Vanguard participants that captured their experience
Vanguard Cohort 2023
Vanguard (noun): ‘A group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas’
Above: Dinner hosted by Alumni: Bowen Pan, Common Room (previously Dropbox, Meta and Stripe) and Maya Pan, Grammarly (previously Meta)
Above: Workshop hosted at Allbirds
Above and below: A visit to Stanford University d.school and Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Above: Tony Falkenstein regularly challenged students to a planking competition and always won!
Vanguard Cohort 2023
Vanguard (noun): ‘A group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas’
29 September 2023
To truly comprehend a culture, nothing can replace experiencing the place where it thrives. Silicon Valley is world-famous for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and relentless pursuit of cutting-edge technology, where risk-taking and disruption are celebrated. The Vanguard Programme is about exposing a cohort of highly engaged, high-achieving student leaders to the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Empowering them to learn and grow as innovators and entrepreneurs, but more importantly, infuse their knowledge and experience back into Aotearoa’s own entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Vanguard Programme is facilitated by the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and is made possible by the generous support of philanthropist and entrepreneur Tony Falkenstein, who accompanied the University of Auckland cohort this year on the study tour. Selection for the Programme is via invitation only and a rigorous application process. Successful candidates must have demonstrated a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, whether through being founders of startups, working in startups or other parts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, or through participation in CIE’s programmes such as Venture Lab and the Doctoral Entrepreneurial Leadership Programme.
This year, 16 students were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse themselves in the seven-day study tour to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, enabled thanks to the extensive University of Auckland network. The itinerary included visits with founders and representatives from startups such as Allbirds, Class Dojo, Drop Station, and Stealth Start-ups, site visits to iconic tech giant Amazon, biotech company Synthego and the innovation hub Plug and Play. The study tour participants also attended workshops delivered by Propel Performance Group and learnt how New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is supporting New Zealand companies entering and obtaining investment in the US market as well as bringing international investment to New Zealand. Insights into the differences, benefits and downsides of both the Silicon Valley and New Zealand entrepreneurial ecosystem were provided by Randy Komisar, Silicon Valley icon and Anthony Mosse, Honorary Consul, San Francisco. Many alumni, including Bowen and Maya Pan, Bethanie Maples, Divya Dhar, Emma Dawson, Luke Baxter and Priyanka Shekhar, shared their career journeys in the Bay area working at startups, technology giants and investment firms.
On their return, the Vanguard cohort enthusiastically shared their insights and experiences with family and friends at a showcase evening. They talked about the ecosystem enablers they met, the differences they observed between New Zealand and Silicon Valley’s ecosystem, and the key messages and themes that stood out.
A mindset that accepted the possibility of failure, with an attitude of failing fast and moving on, was one example of a difference they encountered throughout their tour. Along with a direct-ness to ask for what they want, “In the US they just asked for what they want and they take no and move on. Quickly. Maybe that’s something we could learn from?” Vanguard participant Luke explained.
The value of having a close hive of entrepreneurship was also felt by the Vanguard cohort, who witnessed and heard how “proximity matters” for fast-paced collaboration and momentum. “Knowledge gets shared around simply by being in the Silicon Valley ecosystem.” Proactively surrounding yourself with the right network of people was also stressed as a priority. “Founders spoke to us about having a supportive professional network made up of a diversity of people and ideas. They also talked about how the people in this network should be self-believers because self-believers will believe in you, too.”
As the saying goes, “seeing is believing”, and the sights of the Silicon Valley start-up scene were transformative for the Vanguard participants. “It was an unforgettable journey that transformed our perspective on entrepreneurship through meeting visionaries and experiencing first-hand the incredible ecosystem,” says Kelly Ye
Tony Falkenstein, Onehunga-raised chief executive of Just Life Group, is a firm believer in paying it forward and the power of business and business education to positively impact people’s lives. This is a huge motivation for his sponsorship of the Vanguard Programme, along with his ambition that a participant from one of the study tours becomes the founder of “a unicorn company”. While only a small number of students can take part in the experience each year, Tony sets a challenge to all the participants, which he hopes will have a positive ripple effect that extends beyond Vanguard. Tony’s challenge is for every participant to pay it forward, whether it be inspiring a class of school kids about innovative career pathways or providing a more supportive entrepreneurial network; everyone must formulate their own unique way to nourish the New Zealand entrepreneurial ecosystem so that ripples may one day become waves.
“The value of the Vanguard programme is life-changing for participants as new networks and new ways of thinking are opened up as a result of the experience. There is so much to learn from Silicon Valley about ambition and audacity. It allows a deeper insight into entrepreneurship from a distinctly New Zealand perspective.” Darsel Keane, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director, explains.
Watch the vlog created by the Vanguard participants that captured their experience
Above: Dinner hosted by Alumni: Bowen Pan, Common Room (previously Dropbox, Meta and Stripe) and Maya Pan, Grammarly (previously Meta)
Above: Workshop hosted at Allbirds
Above and below: A visit to Stanford University d.school and Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Above: Tony Falkenstein regularly challenged students to a planking competition and always won!
EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND
