Greg Shove is CEO at Section, the next generation education online company founded by Professor Scott Galloway. He is in NZ with Spark for Business, launching a special Mini MBA to equip business leaders for the AI age. We talk to learn what business owners would be doing now, where the world of AI is at, and what you can do to take advantage of the biggest change to business since the cloud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ethan Eismann has been a design leader at Adobe, Google, AirBNB, Uber and Slack - some of the most influential companies of our age. As part of the Spark Business Lab Future State festival he spoke to us and shared his approach to design, building great design cultures, and how he has grown and supported growth in his career. World-class advice from a world leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damon Gameau was one of the most successful actors in Australia when he made ‘That Sugar Film’, a documentary which unpacked the dangerous volume of sugar in our food system. He next turned to climate change with 2040, and joins Duncan Greive on Business is Boring to explain how to get people to pay attention to topics which require our attention, even when the topic is one we’d rather ignore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noelle Russell has had roles at - or contact with - most of the biggest names in artificial intelligence. She answered the bell when Jeff Bezos emailed to find a team to work on the first generation of Alexa, took a role at Microsoft as it became a powerhouse there, and latterly helped set up Accenture's AI consulting business. She joins guest host Duncan Greive on Business is Boring to talk through her life and experience, and give a primer on how individuals and organisations can start to...

Håkan Nordkvist was, until recently, head of sustainability innovation for IKEA, one of the world's largest retailers. In New Zealand for Spark Business Lab's Future State, he joins guest host Duncan Greive on Business is Boring to talk about why the role of really big business in sustainability is underrated, how you protect innovation within large organisations and breaks down which of their initiatives really worked – and why. This episode is part of Future State, a technology summit from...

Bernard Hickey steps in to host a special live panel featuring three leaders in circular business, bio-materials and turning trash into treasure share their experiences in building better systems for business. Hear from Jayden Klinac of Anew, who replaces plastic with bio-materials; Sara Smeath from CiRCLR, turning waste from businesses into a resource for others, and Rachel Brown at the SBN who helps to connect and advance business practice in Aotearoa. This episode is part of Future State,...

The Spinoff has just launched a brand new series called Behind the Story, where site editor editor Madeleine Chapman sits down with a staff writer or contributor to gain more insight about a big story on The Spinoff from the week. We thought you might like to check out the first episode, and if you enjoy it please follow it wherever you get your podcasts! On Friday, Bulletin editor Anna Rawhiti-Connell sent her final newsletter, and took the opportunity to share what she’s learned about the...

Blackbird VC recently netted $800m from a sale of a portion of their holding in Canva. They are, by some distance, the largest and one of the most successful VC firms in Australasia. In Aotearoa they have backed Tracksuit, Veve, Partly and Halter and their work to lift up the venture ecosystem includes Sunrise, Startmate and the Giants programme. Phoebe Harrop is the new local lead, with a background in consulting at Bain, working for Al Gore’s investment firm Generation and a few years...

Jessica Manins is a Kiwi pioneer in the Augmented and Virtual Reality space. Her studio, Beyond, makes games, experiences and virtual worlds for immersive entertainment and storytelling. They are one of the first developers to be releasing a game for the new Apple Vision Pro, and they have been leaders in shared, positive experiences in the space for years. After the pandemic stopped their business in its tracks, Jessica has totally rebuilt and (at the time of recording) has just arrived back...

David Yu’s company VeVe has sold more than 10 million digital collectables licensed from some of the world’s leading IP owners like Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Lamborghini, and James Bond. As leaders in this fast growing space they have grown so fast they won the 2023 Deloitte Fast 50, and David won EY Entrepreneur of the Year. But what is a digital collectible? How did VeVe partner with the world’s most protective brand owners? And how have they grown so fast and done so well? Get the...

Albert Cho burst onto Aotearoa’s food scene in 2017 with Eat Lit Food, an Instagram account that dishes out forthright (and often profane) food reviews to an ever-expanding audience. What started as an attempt to redefine a problematic relationship with food quickly grew into a fully fledged career as an influencer, critic and writer. Last year, with the help of David Lee’s Namu Group, he opened Tobi on Ponsonby Road to rave reviews. Albert joins us for a candid chat about the origins of Eat...

The first seeds for Wonky Box were planted when Angus Simms and Katie Jackson were fruit picking and saw how much wasted produce was caused by an unseasonal hail storm. The fruit was perfectly edible but aesthetically imperfect, so it was all left on the trees. This shock led to a now national food box service delivering wonky (but great) produce to people, and has so far saved more than 2 million kilograms of food going to waste. Co-founder Angus Simms joined us to chat the journey,...

AI is the biggest topic in business, but where do you even begin? Mark Laurence, founder of Ten Past Tomorrow, is a local expert helping businesses get at the front of the AI curve. He joins Simon Pound to chat the tools every business needs, the rewards and risks of AI and just how close we are to an AI-driven world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Run is a local design and creativity business led with a te aō Māori and treaty partnership view. Their approach to inclusion is changing up how the industry looks at diversity at both a local and international level, making waves recently with their beautiful Manaakitanga D&AD Pencil project. Raymond Otene McKay and Laura Cibilich, co-founders of Run (CCO and CEO respectively) join Simon to chat their mahi, their kaupapa and their ambitions for the future. Learn more about your ad...

Simon Robertson has had a huge career in finance. In New York, for Goldman Sachs, he led up international and pan-Asian equities, before coming back to New Zealand to lead a large project for Rank Group, the private company of Graeme Hart, aka NZ's most successful businessperson. Simon is now a columnist for BusinessDesk, sharing his views on how New Zealand can grow its wealth and what is on the horizon for the world of business with the changes coming in from AI. Learn more about your ad...

Like so much of women’s health, natural and normal issues around periods are chronically underfunded, under-discussed and under-addressed. One local brand is working to change this. Endosoothe offers products, support and awareness building to empower and educate people who have periods. Founder Monique Lau joins us to talk her own health story, the origins of the business, and what the future holds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Aotearoa only 10% of corporate CEOs and 29% of board members are women. Powrsuit co-founders Kristen Lunman and Natalie Ferguson believe this represents the largest potential to improve NZ business. Powrsuit is a self-described "leadership playbook", offering courses, podcasts and resources and a network of other leaders. This is the second time on the podcast for these two, who launched and scaled the hugely popular share platform Hatch, before completing a successful exit last...

Pangaia sell clothes in order to keep improving the methods of retail and production. Eva Kruse, Chief Global Engagement Officer at Pangaia, talked to us as part of Spark’s Future State series. Eva is a pioneer in sustainable fashion, spearheading the Copenhagen Fashion Summit and Global Fashion Agenda. Hear from a global leader on the future, challenges and hopes around better fashion practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded live at the Spark Innovation Studio in Auckland's CBD, Leela Gantman (Corporate Relations and Sustainability Director at Spark NZ) and Rachel Brown (CEO at the Sustainability Business Network) join us to discuss how companies of all sizes can bake better sustainable practices into their business. Listen in to hear how they approach strategy, drive action, and create practical toolkits to help other businesses do the same. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Icehouse Ventures invests in and supports more companies than any other in Aotearoa, so naturally CEO Robbie Paul gets a good view of what makes a great company, founder and ecosystem. He joins us to talk about the state of VC today, Icehouse's recent raise of $10m and whether a lack of money is holding great companies back (spoiler: it isn’t). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don’t underestimate the power of the pelvic floor. That’s the advice of Dr Jenny Kruger when it comes to combatting urinary incontinence, an issue affecting up to one in three women that is common but not normal. The correct exercises can - in about 80% of cases - help stop leakage, and her company Junofem has created the revolutionary Femfit in order to help users ensure their exercises are working. Listen to hear how their company is helping combat the systemic underfunding of women’s...

Nicola O’Rourke led Lewis Road Creamery into America and is now helping companies like Pals, Compostic, Comvita, Cleanery and Grater Goods as they take on the world. She discusses all aspects of her career and gives vital advice for anyone building their brand, products or businesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Business is Boring is taking a break over summer. We'll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here's one of our favourites from 2023: Xero has defined the SaaS ecosystem here. Although an accounting company, it stood out as a delightful experience and brand, and much of that spirit is thanks to Philip Fierlinger, co-founder and design leader for Xero. He's behind the reconciliation feature and the Do Beautiful Business idea. Today, he is co-CEO and founder at Upstock, a hospo...

Business is Boring is taking a break over summer. We'll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here's one of our favourites from 2023: Te Kahukura Boynton is on a mission to give more Māori financial independence. Through her Māori Millionaire media and financial literacy platform she has empowered thousands of rangatahi to take control of their finances. Hear how she shares her wealth journey, investment resources, podcasts and education, to leading a conversation about financial...

Business is Boring is taking a break over summer. We'll be back soon with new episodes but, until then, here's one of our favourites from 2023: Shane Marsh and James McEniery discovered New Zealand is well behind the rest of the world when it comes to transferring money between banks when they were living in Singapore. They decided to create Aotearoa’s first real time payment mobile wallet. They aim to bring banking in New Zealand into the 21st century, and they chat with Simon about how they...