The University of Auckland’s 40 under 40 list is created anew each year to inspire New Zealand with the stories of the University’s young alumni who are shining in their personal and professional lives. This year 22 of the 40 people featured in the list are alumni who have taken part in the Velocity entrepreneurship development programme.

Kara Technologies co-founder and CEO Arash Tayebi has just been recognised in the 2020 Meaningful Business 100, an award celebrating business leaders around the world combining profit and purpose to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; (4) Quality Education and (10) Reducing Inequality.

Staff at the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) have been overwhelmed by the positive response they have had to a series of free Christmas ornament workshops they ran at the University of Auckland’s innovation hub and maker space, Unleash Space, as a staff engagement activity.

Marine scientists from the University of Auckland’s Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre are finding innovative ways to inspire a new generation of marine biologists and conservationists. With the support of the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), they have created a New Zealand Underwater Soundscapes website that teaches users to create an underwater microphone (hydrophone).

A device created by biotech company Junofem is providing a solution to help women address a common health problem with dignity and precision.

First hand experience inspired Commerce student Toby Thomas-Smith to start a venture that provides academic-year rental options for university students, while optimising rental returns for landlords. He has launched EasyRent, thought to be the first and only platform on the New Zealand market connecting students and landlords.

Covid-19 provided the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship cause for pause in determining how to continue service during lockdowns. As a result, the team at Unleash Space developed online spaces with a brand new set of pre-recorded workshops designed and recorded then hosted on Canvas, the learning management system used by the University of Auckland.

Perzen Patel is the creator of a tantalising range of Indian spice pastes designed to give New Zealanders a taste of the real India while still being versatile enough for a soup or Sunday roast. She is bringing her business Dolly Mumma (named in honour of her grandmother) to life while continuing her day job at the University of Auckland as Digital Engagement and Communications Advisor for Libraries and Learning Services.

For a second year ON: Pitch, a Gen Z start-up ventures competition, has provided student start-ups with the ultimate tools to take their businesses to the next level. This year’s winner was Skillsme, one of the student ventures participating in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Start-up Studio programme.

The emotional and mental rollercoaster of life as an entrepreneur was on full display at the finals of the Velocity $100k Challenge. Anticipatory silences were broken with thunderous applause and heart-felt disappointments were softened with encouragement of future prospects.