Unconference
Uniting the Startup Ecosystem
GEN NZ Unconference and Workshops are back, and this year it’s all happening at Victoria University of Wellington.
Join us on Monday 24 August for workshops and the GEN NZ Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Awards, followed by the Unconference on Tuesday 25 August, at Victoria University of Wellington’s Rutherford House.
Let’s come together kanohi ki te kanohi / face to face to learn from one another about the art and science of entrepreneurship and how we can strengthen Aotearoa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Connect and reconnect with ecosystem colleagues from around the motu, meet new collaborators and take part in a barely controlled explosion of entrepreneurial energy.
Programme at a Glance
The 2026 programme is still being finalised. Further workshops, contributors, timings and session details will be announced as they are confirmed.
Monday 24 August
A day of practical workshops led by people working across Aotearoa’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Each workshop will explore a specific topic, provide practical learning opportunities and help spark conversations that can continue into the following day’s Unconference.
GEN NZ Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Awards
Following the workshop programme, we’ll come together for the GEN NZ Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Awards.
The awards recognise and celebrate the people, programmes and organisations demonstrating leadership and making a meaningful contribution to entrepreneurship and innovation across Aotearoa.
Award categories will recognise contributions across areas including entrepreneurship support, investment, research and education, Māori entrepreneurship, youth initiatives and public-sector innovation.
Announced Workshops
Changing Investment Patterns: What the Data Are Telling Us
James Pinner, NZGCP
Explore what current investment data are revealing about New Zealand’s early-stage capital landscape and the changing patterns shaping founders, investors and the wider ecosystem.
The Quiet Founder Pipeline: Vocational Learners, Succession, and the Next 200,000 Owner-Operators
Mark Bradford, Skills Institute
A conversation about the founder potential within vocational education, business succession and New Zealand’s next generation of owner-operators.
No Reward Without Risk: Overcoming Fear, Hesitation, and Resistance
Dan Thurston Crow, Doso
Explore how fear, hesitation and resistance can affect entrepreneurial decision-making—and how people and organisations can become more comfortable taking purposeful risks.
From Ideas to Impact: Unlocking the Role of IP in New Zealand’s Productivity Challenge
Alicia Baxter, IPONZ
A discussion about the role intellectual property can play in transforming ideas into commercial and societal impact and supporting New Zealand’s productivity.
Revitalising Wellington’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
WellyForge, Creative HQ, The Atom, Taiaha and Angel HQ
A collaborative session examining Wellington’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the challenges it currently faces and the opportunities to build greater connection, momentum and collective action.
AI Workflows for Non-Technical Entrepreneurs
Parisa Shademan, Creative Coast
A practical session exploring how entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds can use AI-supported workflows in their everyday work.
Tuesday 25 August
GEN NZ Unconference
A participant-led day of facilitated discussions, shared learning and new connections. Attendees will help create the agenda and explore the topics that matter most to our entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The Unconference brings together people from around the country and across the different parts of our entrepreneurial ecosystem to explore how we can better connect entrepreneurs with the people, knowledge and resources they need to thrive locally and globally.
Unlike a traditional conference, the agenda is shaped by the people in the room.
Attendees will be invited to propose discussion topics, create the programme together and participate in facilitated small-group conversations throughout the day. Everyone can contribute, and there will not be a single presenter or keynote speaker leading each session.
The purpose is to create space for honest conversations, shared learning and connections with people who may be able to work together on common challenges and opportunities.
Expect fresh ideas, real conversations and meaningful connections
This year our awards are back and are joined with our Unconference on Monday 24th August. Help us celebrate champions in the ecosystem and nominate someone today!
Want to help ensure this amazing event and the rest of GEN NZ's work continues in 2026?
Reach out to discuss sponsorship opportunities!
Join us on LinkedIn for all updates of upcoming events
Unconference 2026 Sponsors
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What is an Unconference?
An ‘unconference' is a conference without a set agenda.
Attendees are given the freedom to create the event they want. There is no pre-planned agenda. Instead, it is created by the attendees at the beginning of the meeting. Anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on any topic can choose a time and space.
Unconferences allow every attendee to be a worthy keynote speaker on their own. All topics of conversation are on the table.
GEN NZ has been running Unconferences in various locations around New Zealand since 2020. The event welcomes entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, ecosystem builders, and many others to meet, discuss, and learn together.
