Unconference 2025 

On August 7 & 8  more than 90 ecosystem builders from across Aotearoa gathered for the GEN NZ Unconference and Workshops. The event was a significant moment for the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Zealand—an opportunity to reflect, connect, and co-create solutions to the challenges we collectively face.

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The Unconference brought together a wide spectrum of participants: idea-stage founders and exited entrepreneurs, deep tech pioneers and creative arts innovators, SaaS developers and physical product creators. Alongside them were representatives from government agencies, support organisations, institutional investors, researchers, tertiary ventures, and students. The richness of perspectives, spanning diverse backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, experiences, and professions, created an inclusive and dynamic environment for genuine collaboration.

Over the course of the event, participants engaged in workshops, co-design activities, and policy discussions, while also experimenting with new tools and methods of collaboration. The atmosphere was both practical and forward-looking, anchored in a shared commitment to strengthening Aotearoa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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The Unconference surfaced a number of pressing challenges, including:

• Developing robust ways to measure the impact of Entrepreneurship Support Organisations.

• Expanding access to entrepreneurship education for young people.

• Scaling founder-to-founder peer support networks.

• Understanding and adapting to the implications of AI on entrepreneurship.

• Addressing cultural barriers to participation and inclusion.

• Identifying how GEN NZ can best serve the wider ecosystem.

• Creating a unified and continuously updated support directory.

• Strengthening connections between funders such as Callaghan Innovation and NZGCP.

• Building collaborative approaches to government engagement.

• Exploring growth strategies beyond heavy reliance on social media.

• Supporting non-tech SMEs while mitigating risks of value destruction.

These challenges are not abstract, they are the real issues facing founders, organisations, and supporters today. To carry this work forward, several working groups have been established to address specific areas of need.

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An Invitation to Participate

The Unconference reaffirmed the importance of collective action. Strengthening our entrepreneurial ecosystem will require input and commitment from all corners of Aotearoa. Whether or not you were able to join us in Tāmaki Makaurau, we invite you to be part of this ongoing mahi.