Volunteer

All of our programmes blend leading academic thought and real-life experiences from people who have been there and done it. To bring our programmes to life, we rely on volunteers from the entrepreneurial and business communities to share their experiences and enable the next generation of change makers.

Opportunities available:

Velocity Ideas Challenge Judge (May)
This Challenge is also known as the “1,000 words for $1,000 competition”. Around 300 entries are assessed by 100 judges from the ecosystem. In judging teams of around three judges, you would evaluate about 10-15 entries, selecting the best ones to be nominated for a prize. There’s a total of 20 prizes of $1,000. This year the competition introduces new prizes, a new competition platform and different judging engagements. The time commitment is about 10 hours over three weeks.

Velocity $100k Challenge (August)
Approximately 50 judges read around 80 entries to the Velocity $100k Challenge. Each judging team assesses about 8 to 10 entries. The submissions for this Challenge are more in-depth and frequently more technical. The judges select 15 teams to go through to the final round of the competition. The time commitment is about 10 hours over three weeks.

Velocity $100k Challenge Mentorship (August – September)
Support one of the finalists’ teams as a mentor during the final stage of the $100k Challenge. For seven weeks, each finalist team is matched with two mentors to help them to develop a business plan and presentation. The five winning teams win a share of the $100k prize money and a coveted place in the University incubator. Time commitment is about 14 hours over seven weeks (though many mentors invest additional time).

Mentors in Residence (April – October)
Start-up teams sign up to talk for 25 minutes, one-on-one, to an expert/mentor about specific questions they have. All updates are captured in a Miro board. The commitment from the expert is around 1 to 2 hours per month, via Zoom.

Summer Lab (Jan/Feb)
A four-week ideation and validation programme. Frequently this is the first step for participants into entrepreneurship. The programme finishes with a team presentation to a panel of judges. The time commitment is about 2 hours per week over four weeks.

“Supporting smart, enthusiastic people learn and grow in their understanding is perhaps the most rewarding thing you can do – and in this case, we’re working with the brightest talent in New Zealand.  So many of the teams are looking to truly change the world with their innovations – and they know it’s possible because of those who have gone before them in earlier years.  It is immensely rewarding for the mentors to see real life outcomes, sometimes many years later, from a team that benefitted in its early days from just a few hours of your time.”

Debra Hall – entrepreneur, investor, director.

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Become a sponsor

Many of our most successful programmes have only been possible due to the vision and generosity of our sponsors who share our values of instilling an entrepreneurial ethos into the next generation of New Zealanders.

Sponsors benefit greatly from their involvement in our programmes through opportunities to identify and establish relationships with top talent, to network with others in New Zealand’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and through brand association with a cutting-edge centre at New Zealand’s leading university.

Sponsor testimonials

“We had such a great experience and I had a number of our people thanking us for the opportunity to participate and engage with the students and their fresh new ideas.”

Darryl-Lee Wenderlborn, Managing Director of Beca

“We know we need to explore the impact of disruptive technologies so we can build a sustainable port that enhances social, environmental and commercial outcomes. By partnering with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we can learn so much from the talented young people who are the future leaders of New Zealand.”

Tony Gibson, CEO of Ports of Auckland

“Yealands has enjoyed being a part of the Solve It program for two years now. We recognise that what is being done through the Solve It programme lines up perfectly with our philosophies around Innovation, and see the programme as a way to continue to drive innovation in our business, by using the great minds of future leaders within our community. With Yealands core focus on Sustainability, the program allows us to explore a multitude of sustainable business solutions in a very short, but meaningful amount of time. Our intention is to move the ideas forward in our business, to not only show our continued dedication to sustainability and innovation, but to illustrate that the Solve It programme is not only working, but is important to the success of New Zealand businesses today.”

Avram Deitch – Global Marketing Manager, Yealands

If you are interested in partnering with us as a sponsor, we are keen to find the right opportunity for you. To start the conversation, please contact Darsel Keane, Director, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at: d.keane@auckland.ac.nz

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Become a donor

If you are inspired by our mission to unleash the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Auckland and are interested in donating, we would love to hear from you.

Connect with us by contacting Darsel Keane, Director, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at: d.keane@auckland.ac.nz.

Thanks to our generous donors who enable all to unleash their potential
Sir Owen G Glenn KNZM, ONZM, HonLLD
Beca
Chau Hoi Shuen Foundation
Hynds Foundation
Li Ka-Shing (Canada) Foundation
PwC

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CIE Code of Conduct

We are committed to fostering an open exchange of ideas; encouraging freedom of thought, expression and debate; and creating an inspiring and supportive environment for all our students and staff. We are equally dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free experience for everyone engaging with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Harassment includes but is not limited to; gender, sexual orientation, ability, appearance, race, age and religion.

If you experience any form of harassment or feel unsafe during any interactions with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and its members, representatives or industry partners, please report this as soon as possible to either:

1. A Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship staff member, either in person, or see cie.auckland.ac.nz/contact-us for contact details.
2. The Proctor’s office: Email proctor@auckland.ac.nz or phone 027 839 3832.

All allegations will be investigated, and principles of natural justice applied (“the right to be heard” and “no person may judge their own case”).

If you feel we fall short of our values or our commitment, please speak up. We want and need to hear from you.

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