NEWSROOM
Local founders’ advice for young women pursuing entrepreneurship
27 September 2023
A recent Women in Entrepreneurship evening explored the highs and lows of founding a business, as experienced by the founders of two local companies. The importance of building yourself, your confidence and your networks were some key takeaways from the event.
Speakers included Amber Taylor, co-founder and CEO of ARA Journeys and Melanie Spencer, co-founder and CEO of Thompson Spencer. Professor Chris Woods, Theresa Gattung Chair for Women in Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland, also joined the panel discussion facilitated at Unleash Space, the innovation hub run by the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).
The event was an opportunity for students to learn about entrepreneurship from the perspective of experienced women in the hopes of inspiring others and was organised by University of Auckland Women in Business (UAWB) in collaboration with CIE’s Velocity team. While New Zealand is ranked one of the leading countries in the world for women-led businesses, at about 30%, there is still a long way to go to close the gap.
Amber began the discussion by describing how her entrepreneurial journey started somewhat accidentally, “we kind of fell into our company”, she recalls. Amber had worked at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) for almost 20 years when the Pokemon-Go craze started sweeping the nation in 2017 and caught Amber’s attention. In collaboration with Dr Isaac Warbrick, Amber saw an opportunity to use the concept of GPS gaming apps to solve two issues: the sedentary nature of traditional gaming, which wasn’t conducive to encouraging children to engage in outdoor physical activities and secondly, the disconnect she observed in her own children with their cultural heritage. “We took that concept [Pokemon-Go], and were like, okay, how do we create something better? How do we create something that is educational and has some real meaning?” So, ARA Journeys was born, an award-winning games development company that weaves the digital world with te ao Māori and promotes connection, education, and exploration of the natural world.
Mel’s recollection of co-founding Thompson Spencer also involved some serendipity, but she also feels that her mum inspired her entrepreneurial spirit. “My mum was a single mum. And she was always starting new businesses.” Following an experience growing someone else’s business, Mel was shoulder-tapped to start her own venture with Wendy Thompson. After some initial resistance, she decided to take the leap and has not looked back. Thompson Spencer is a media company on a mission to become “a creative network dedicated to providing the very best community experiences, unique creative, and highly engaging campaigns across a variety of genres”.
For those starting out on their entrepreneurial journey, both Amber and Mel agreed that the main piece of advice they would give was to reach out to people and build connections. “Connect with people and just ask.” Amber insists. Mel agreed, ”just pick up the phone. It doesn’t matter if somebody says ‘no’. Sometimes we will get a no and that’s absolutely fine.” Remembering that what goes around comes around and answering the call when someone else needs help from you in the future is what creates a supportive ecosystem, believes Mel.
Surrounding yourself with good people and focusing on core values was a theme that emerged throughout the evening. “It’s just about finding the right people.” Mel insisted. “I’m very values-driven. And I love nothing more than seeing the businesses that we work with succeed and grow. And I love nothing more than seeing the people within my business succeed and grow. That’s what gets me up in the morning.” Amber also keeps culture and values at the heart of her business. “Our company culture plays a huge part in shaping our values and mission. When we’re hiring. I actually don’t look much at skills or capabilities because those are things that we can teach. And you can learn them on the job.”
The panel were asked to discuss gender bias and stereotypes and the impact they have had on their journey. Mel recounted how, for a long time, she pretended to be more “tomboyish” than she was in response to the influence of gender bias and stereotypes. It took until her early forties to accept herself, so she advises other women to “just be true to yourself but also be really kind to each other.” Amber’s advice was to back yourself and your ideas. “Nobody knows your business or your idea better than you.” She also believes you should lean into your support network. “Go back to your friends if you need to be built back up.” Chris agreed, “I think that idea of finding support is key.”
Chris emphasised the difference between embracing diversity versus inclusiveness. “If women are not included in networking and investment opportunities, then diversity loses its meaning.” Chris pointed to the evidence from the Gender Investment Gap report initiated and funded by Theresa Gattung and Jenny Rudd that shows women-led businesses are grossly under-invested, “This is something that needs to change, not just because women are missing out, but because the New Zealand economy is missing out.” According to the report, an estimated $32 billion worth of economic growth and job creation could be gained by investing in women-led ventures.
The Gender Investment Gap report
27 September 2023
A recent Women in Entrepreneurship evening explored the highs and lows of founding a business, as experienced by the founders of two local companies. The importance of building yourself, your confidence and your networks were some key takeaways from the event.
Speakers included Amber Taylor, co-founder and CEO of ARA Journeys and Melanie Spencer, co-founder and CEO of Thompson Spencer. Professor Chris Woods, Theresa Gattung Chair for Women in Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland, also joined the panel discussion facilitated at Unleash Space, the innovation hub run by the University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).
The event was an opportunity for students to learn about entrepreneurship from the perspective of experienced women in the hopes of inspiring others and was organised by University of Auckland Women in Business (UAWB) in collaboration with CIE’s Velocity team. While New Zealand is ranked one of the leading countries in the world for women-led businesses, at about 30%, there is still a long way to go to close the gap.
Amber began the discussion by describing how her entrepreneurial journey started somewhat accidentally, “we kind of fell into our company”, she recalls. Amber had worked at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) for almost 20 years when the Pokemon-Go craze started sweeping the nation in 2017 and caught Amber’s attention. In collaboration with Dr Isaac Warbrick, Amber saw an opportunity to use the concept of GPS gaming apps to solve two issues: the sedentary nature of traditional gaming, which wasn’t conducive to encouraging children to engage in outdoor physical activities and secondly, the disconnect she observed in her own children with their cultural heritage. “We took that concept [Pokemon-Go], and were like, okay, how do we create something better? How do we create something that is educational and has some real meaning?” So, ARA Journeys was born, an award-winning games development company that weaves the digital world with te ao Māori and promotes connection, education, and exploration of the natural world.
Mel’s recollection of co-founding Thompson Spencer also involved some serendipity, but she also feels that her mum inspired her entrepreneurial spirit. “My mum was a single mum. And she was always starting new businesses.” Following an experience growing someone else’s business, Mel was shoulder-tapped to start her own venture with Wendy Thompson. After some initial resistance, she decided to take the leap and has not looked back. Thompson Spencer is a media company on a mission to become “a creative network dedicated to providing the very best community experiences, unique creative, and highly engaging campaigns across a variety of genres”.
For those starting out on their entrepreneurial journey, both Amber and Mel agreed that the main piece of advice they would give was to reach out to people and build connections. “Connect with people and just ask.” Amber insists. Mel agreed, ”just pick up the phone. It doesn’t matter if somebody says ‘no’. Sometimes we will get a no and that’s absolutely fine.” Remembering that what goes around comes around and answering the call when someone else needs help from you in the future is what creates a supportive ecosystem, believes Mel.
Surrounding yourself with good people and focusing on core values was a theme that emerged throughout the evening. “It’s just about finding the right people.” Mel insisted. “I’m very values-driven. And I love nothing more than seeing the businesses that we work with succeed and grow. And I love nothing more than seeing the people within my business succeed and grow. That’s what gets me up in the morning.” Amber also keeps culture and values at the heart of her business. “Our company culture plays a huge part in shaping our values and mission. When we’re hiring. I actually don’t look much at skills or capabilities because those are things that we can teach. And you can learn them on the job.”
The panel were asked to discuss gender bias and stereotypes and the impact they have had on their journey. Mel recounted how, for a long time, she pretended to be more “tomboyish” than she was in response to the influence of gender bias and stereotypes. It took until her early forties to accept herself, so she advises other women to “just be true to yourself but also be really kind to each other.” Amber’s advice was to back yourself and your ideas. “Nobody knows your business or your idea better than you.” She also believes you should lean into your support network. “Go back to your friends if you need to be built back up.” Chris agreed, “I think that idea of finding support is key.”
Chris emphasised the difference between embracing diversity versus inclusiveness. “If women are not included in networking and investment opportunities, then diversity loses its meaning.” Chris pointed to the evidence from the Gender Investment Gap report initiated and funded by Theresa Gattung and Jenny Rudd that shows women-led businesses are grossly under-invested, “This is something that needs to change, not just because women are missing out, but because the New Zealand economy is missing out.” According to the report, an estimated $32 billion worth of economic growth and job creation could be gained by investing in women-led ventures.
The Gender Investment Gap report
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