Impact Snapshot
October 2024
In this Impact Snapshot, read about EHF Fellows in action creating economic, environmental and social impact, plus recent recognitions and awards they’ve received during October 2024.
Fellows in action 🎬
Y-Vonne Hutchinson and Evan ‘Rabble’ Henshaw-Plath shared their entrepreneurial expertise with founders and investors at the Angel Association NZ's Runway event in Wellington, contributing valuable international insights with NZ’s innovation ecosystem.
In his session, ‘Navigating Investment for Frontier Products’, Rabble shared his experiences as an early employee at Twitter, offering guidance on product development, building a global company, and strategies for successful exits.
Y-Vonne led discussions on ‘Crossing the Pacific’, sharing lessons learned from companies that successfully entered the US market. Her insights emphasised the importance of strategic planning and understanding market dynamics to optimise chances of success in the US market.
By sharing their experiences and expertise, Y-Vonne and Rabble are helping build innovation skills and capacity among local startups, so they can tackle market entry challenges more effectively and refine their strategies for international expansion.
Joanne McEachen and Rangimarie Parata Takurua have been selected to present at the Decolonising Education Conference in Washington State, where they’ll share insights from their decade-long journey of transforming Te Pā o Rākaihautū in Aotearoa NZ into a 21st century Learning Village.
The transformation has reimagined traditional schooling through the lens of mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), overcoming policy challenges and reshaping educational practices to centre on community involvement and indigenous knowledge systems.
Their work highlights how this approach can create systematic change and sustainable learning environments - work that has gained global recognition, as Te Pā o Rākaihautū was recently named a finalist for the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Award in the Global High Schools category.
This opportunity will allow Joanne and Rangimarie to showcase on the global stage how Te Pā is demonstrating innovative, community-driven approaches to education to inspire new possibilities for transformative education worldwide - from Aotearoa NZ.
The Toha Network, founded by Mike Taitoko and Nathalie Whitaker, has launched a pilot project in partnership with Air New Zealand, Te Puni Kōkiri, and the East Coast Exchange to fund nature-based jobs in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne through MAHI, a digital token that represents work for ecological restoration.
This first sale of MAHI to Air New Zealand co-funds regenerative land use on Te Kautuku, a 936-hectare block of Māori land, aligning with recent government recommendations to support sustainable land transitions for enhanced biodiversity and climate resilience.
By enabling direct funding for local, frontline communities, this project exemplifies how digital public infrastructure can mobilise resources for environmental and community wellbeing, and is laying the groundwork for similar projects across New Zealand and globally.
Petr Lom and Corinne van Egeraat’s documentary ‘Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au – I Am the River, the River Is Me’, about the Whanganui River's legal recognition as a living entity, has won Best Documentary Feature at the Dili International Film Festival (DIFF) in East Timor, and Best Sound & Music at the Bosphorus International Film Festival (BIFED) in Turkey.
These awards help to elevate Aotearoa NZ’s profile in the international conversation about environmental stewardship and indigenous rights, inspiring further dialogue and action to protect our natural world for future generations.
Aaron McDonald, co-founder and CEO of NZ-founded Futureverse and Readyverse Studios, announced a partnership with Kiwi icon Wētā Workshop, along with Neo Tokyo, to advance the development of OPEN - a multi-genre battle royale game.
Wētā Workshop is known globally for its visual effects; the collaboration will enhance Readyverse Studios’ visual storytelling and immerse players in richly detailed worlds, showcasing New Zealand’s innovative edge in gaming and tech on a global stage, and demonstrate NZ as leading the way in future-forward tech.
Aaron also appeared on Asia Tech Podcast, sharing his broader vision for a user-empowered digital future. He described Futureverse’s mission to enable true data ownership and privacy through self-sovereign identity technology, giving users autonomy over their digital identities.
Maya Soetoro and Zelda Keller, co-founders of Institute for Climate and Peace (ICP), have collaborated with the Community of Practice on Environment, Climate, Conflict, and Peace (ECCP), ahead of COP29, to develop recommendations relating to environmental degradation, climate change and peace. They have published actionable recommendations for decision-makers involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.
The recommendations focus on ensuring diverse youth participation in climate and peace policy discussions, promoting inclusive decision-making processes, and integrating cross-cutting principles to address the interconnected challenges of climate change and conflict.
Thabiso Mashaba and Lily Stender co-led the inaugural International Development Design Summit (IDDS) in Aotearoa NZ, bringing together Māori communities and indigenous innovators from around the world in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne.
Focused on ‘Resilient Indigenous Communities’, the summit participants co-designed sustainable solutions to local climate and economic challenges. By blending indigenous knowledge with design thinking, the summit created prototypes and small-scale solutions in areas like food production, energy, and water management, helping to strengthen community resilience and empower local leadership - establishing a model for how indigenous communities globally can collaborate on creating climate-resilient futures.
The IDDS concludes this weekend (9 Nov) with a final projects exhibition and community showcase.
Thabiso’s Botswana-based venture These Hands GSSE was also awarded the 2024 Entrepreneur Support Organisation of the Year at the Africa Startup Ecosystem Builders Summit & Awards in Ghana. The recognition highlights Thabiso’s ongoing global impact in supporting innovators and fostering grassroots solutions.
Brukty Tigabu participated at the World Economic Forum in Geneva as one of 39 global social innovators. While there, Brukty (left) had the opportunity to connect with 2013 Hillary Laureate Atossa Soltani (second from right), sharing perspectives on driving impactful change through collaboration.
Highlighting her commitment to fostering collective action, Brukty engaged with leaders worldwide, advocating for partnerships grounded in trust, respect, and shared purpose to tackle global challenges.
Her insights on the importance of transparent, values-driven collaboration are helping pave the way for resilient ecosystems and amplifying the impact of social innovation on a global scale.
Erin Jackson, co-founder of Project Gender, appeared on Breakfast TVNZ to discuss the Australian Code of Conduct for dating apps and advocate for similar protections in Aotearoa NZ.
Highlighting research from Project Gender that mirrors Australia's statistics on online harm, Erin emphasised the urgent need for New Zealand’s policies to catch up. Erin was advocating for proactive policies to protect users and promote transparency across digital platforms, highlighting that dating apps are mainstream and safety should be too.
Sasha Lockley, CEO and founder of Money Sweetspot, spoke on the Keep The Change podcast about her mission to disrupt traditional lending and helping New Zealanders to break free from the cycle of debt.
Money Sweetspot takes a unique approach by actively supporting customers in reducing debt, combining lower-interest ‘debt resets’ with free financial education to build lasting financial literacy. Sasha’s aim is to shine a light on the need for a financial system that genuinely serves individuals.
Listen to the full conversation for an insight into how Sasha is striving to make debt freedom achievable.
Rasha Abu Safieh presented at a Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) event, sharing insights from the University of Otago's journey in implementing its skills framework. Her session highlighted the behind-the-scenes processes, the challenges faced, and the best practices developed throughout this transformative initiative.
Emphasising the importance of aligning digital skills with the university's long-term strategic goals, Rasha encouraged collaboration across sectors, illustrating how strategic partnerships can drive innovation and ensure that technology benefits all community members equitably.
Steven Moe’s Seeds Podcast featured a conversation with Hannah Duder, who shared her personal journey of reconnecting with her Māori heritage.
In the episode, Hannah reflected on the disconnection many people with Māori grandparents experience, regarding their culture and language. She shared her experiences learning te reo Māori and exploring her whakapapa (genealogy), shedding light on the historical context where, for generations in Aotearoa NZ, Māori culture was suppressed, and speaking te reo Māori was discouraged.
By sharing personal stories like Hannah's, Steven is helping to create a deeper understanding of Māori culture, contributing to cultural revitalisation and the celebration of diversity in Aotearoa NZ.
Jag Lamba, founder of Certa AI, spoke with Tom Fox on the Compliance Podcast Network to share insights on integrating AI into compliance frameworks.
Highlighting the transformative potential of AI in streamlining compliance processes, Jag emphasised the importance of adaptable, scalable software to support teams effectively.
His insights on implementing critical guardrails - especially in third-party compliance - are helping to shape the future of responsible AI adoption, fostering greater efficiency while maintaining necessary oversight.
SpaceBase, founded by Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom and Eric Dahlstrom, announced the launch of the Global Space Enablers Network, co-founded with representatives from 16 other NGOs across six continents.
The initiative aims to support space ecosystem builders, particularly in developing and emerging non-space-faring nations. The network will focus on fostering collaboration and development within the global space community.
*Images have been provided by Fellows or sourced from the Internet. EHF does not claim to own the images.