For regular visitors to innovation hub Kura Matahuna Unleash Space, Karthik Sivasubramanian will be a familiar sight. He is often cheerfully attending to makerspace equipment, teaching or helping people with their projects. His job as a Creative Technologist is one of many roles that Karthik has at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. As well as being a participant and staff member at the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), physics student Karthik is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the University of Auckland chapter of science enterprise organisation Chiasma.

Karthik originally viewed innovation and entrepreneurship as a means to an end for his lofty goals in life. “I wanted to explore the stars and for that I’d need to build a warp drive. That’s why I chose to study physics and developed an interest in technology and innovation.” He has however shifted the lens with which he looks at innovation and entrepreneurship to a more solution focussed perspective on solving various problems in the world. “Initially I was focussed on personal goals, but I’ve changed and now want to figure out how to use innovation to help make the world a better place.”

With a more grounded approach, Kathik now sees innovation and entrepreneurship as a personal and professional development journey and is exploring other options for what his future might look like, such as exploring research commercialisation. “My parents wanted me to go and work a regular nine to five type job and just chill. But to me that isn’t very interesting. For now, the plan is to dabble in start-ups and see how that goes.”

Karthik’s experiences with CIE have been formative. He was originally encouraged to explore Unleash Space by a friend and ended up spending a lot of time there working on personal projects. “I tend to hyper fixate on things and spend a lot of time working on projects. The makerspace supervisor at the time, Hayden, said he liked my curiosity and approach to work and hired me to work      as a Creative Technologist.”

CIE Technology and Prototyping Manager Sean Kelly says, “Karthik has been an invaluable contributor to our makerspace and has brought lots of creativity and input into technology training workshops, helping inform delivery and workshop design. I like having Karthik’s unique ‘Physics’ lens in the room when it comes to delivery. Physics is the code of the real world.”

It was while working as a Creative Technologist, stacking furniture in the innovation hub’s event space, that he came across science enterprise organisation, Chiasma. He stayed around to watch the event they were holding there and was intrigued. Months later Karthik is not only a participant in Chiasma, but an active leader in his role as COO.

Karthik says there is a gap in knowledge both in science students trying to understand their career options going forward, and in industry leaders who are dismissive of the skills and knowledge of science graduates. “There are some companies that don’t see the value in training science people, because they aren’t seen as having as much business knowledge or product development knowledge as graduates of other degrees. But I think there are some key ideas and skills that people in STEM can bring to industry. At Chiasma, we also want to showcase to students what New Zealand has to offer. People see Australia as a land of opportunity but here in New Zealand you can see so much innovation. The space industry in New Zealand for instance, employs close to 12,000 people.”

Karthik encourages students to make the most of the opportunities at the University by joining communities such as CIE and Chiasma. “We want to create a community that’s curious and connected. I see people as gems in their own right. Allowing these gems to connect to each other through networking opportunities and other events of similar likeness will allow these people to form a necklace that is both beautiful and useful.”    

For regular visitors to innovation hub Kura Matahuna Unleash Space, Karthik Sivasubramanian will be a familiar sight. He is often cheerfully attending to makerspace equipment, teaching or helping people with their projects. His job as a Creative Technologist is one of many roles that Karthik has at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. As well as being a participant and staff member at the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), physics student Karthik is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the University of Auckland chapter of science enterprise organisation Chiasma.

Karthik originally viewed innovation and entrepreneurship as a means to an end for his lofty goals in life. “I wanted to explore the stars and for that I’d need to build a warp drive. That’s why I chose to study physics and developed an interest in technology and innovation.” He has however shifted the lens with which he looks at innovation and entrepreneurship to a more solution focussed perspective on solving various problems in the world. “Initially I was focussed on personal goals, but I’ve changed and now want to figure out how to use innovation to help make the world a better place.”

With a more grounded approach, Kathik now sees innovation and entrepreneurship as a personal and professional development journey and is exploring other options for what his future might look like, such as exploring research commercialisation. “My parents wanted me to go and work a regular nine to five type job and just chill. But to me that isn’t very interesting. For now, the plan is to dabble in start-ups and see how that goes.”

Karthik’s experiences with CIE have been formative. He was originally encouraged to explore Unleash Space by a friend and ended up spending a lot of time there working on personal projects. “I tend to hyper fixate on things and spend a lot of time working on projects. The makerspace supervisor at the time, Hayden, said he liked my curiosity and approach to work and hired me to work      as a Creative Technologist.”

CIE Technology and Prototyping Manager Sean Kelly says, “Karthik has been an invaluable contributor to our makerspace and has brought lots of creativity and input into technology training workshops, helping inform delivery and workshop design. I like having Karthik’s unique ‘Physics’ lens in the room when it comes to delivery. Physics is the code of the real world.”

It was while working as a Creative Technologist, stacking furniture in the innovation hub’s event space, that he came across science enterprise organisation, Chiasma. He stayed around to watch the event they were holding there and was intrigued. Months later Karthik is not only a participant in Chiasma, but an active leader in his role as COO.

Karthik says there is a gap in knowledge both in science students trying to understand their career options going forward, and in industry leaders who are dismissive of the skills and knowledge of science graduates. “There are some companies that don’t see the value in training science people, because they aren’t seen as having as much business knowledge or product development knowledge as graduates of other degrees. But I think there are some key ideas and skills that people in STEM can bring to industry. At Chiasma, we also want to showcase to students what New Zealand has to offer. People see Australia as a land of opportunity but here in New Zealand you can see so much innovation. The space industry in New Zealand for instance, employs close to 12,000 people.”

Karthik encourages students to make the most of the opportunities at the University by joining communities such as CIE and Chiasma. “We want to create a community that’s curious and connected. I see people as gems in their own right. Allowing these gems to connect to each other through networking opportunities and other events of similar likeness will allow these people to form a necklace that is both beautiful and useful.”