As long as Kiwi students don’t see entrepreneurship as a viable career path, we’ll continue to export great ideas from our best only to see them commercialised elsewhere.

Cullen Tran is this year’s CEO of the Velocity entrepreneurship development programme. Cullen is responsible for leading a committee of student volunteers who organise a year-long programme of competitions, inspirational seminars and workshops for the benefit of hundreds of University of Auckland students and staff.

New Zealand’s science system is undergoing its biggest transformation in over 30 years.

Founder Shaun Seaman is on a mission to eliminate non-recyclable plastics from the environment – and redefine sustainability.

How does New Zealand’s leading innovation and entrepreneurship centre stay truly innovative? By ensuring that its talented staff are constantly benchmarking internationally and developing new knowledge and capability.

In hospitals, where every second counts, ensuring optimal staffing is critical. Enter RosterLab, a start-up that is redefining workforce management through AI-driven rostering solutions that balance complex variables—union rules, employee preferences, and operational needs—to improve healthcare efficiency and staff well-being.

The 2023 Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey (GUESSS) has provided a snapshot of entrepreneurial ambitions among students at the University of Auckland. While the results show incremental progress since the University’s first participation in 2018, they also underscore persistent gaps compared to global trends.

Dylan Chand’s social enterprise Youth Climate Collective empowers rangatahi to lead climate action in their communities and beyond.

Trevor McGurk is a passionate innovator dedicated to empowering young minds through hands-on learning in cutting-edge technologies. Currently serving as the Technology and Prototyping Advisor for the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland, Trevor is shaping the future of the next generation of creators.

The founder of social enterprise Pacific Med Tech has always been driven by a determination to do good. She now manages her social enterprise as well as a day job addressing climate change risk for New South Wales's social infrastructure, including the Sydney Opera House.