After working hard to get into her first home, Amy Stevens felt there had to be an easier way. So she founded Slice, a platform that makes it easier for first home buyers and co-owners to get on the property ladder. By providing support to navigate the complex financial and legal arrangements involved in buying a home, Slice aims to reduce barriers to ownership and create a world where everyone has the opportunity to own a home. Amy joins Simon Pound to talk about the first home owner journey and how to get in sooner.

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What a guest! Head of innovation for Vice Media Mark Adams has been part of some of the world’s most successful campaigns, and built the profiles of Hollywood A-list stars. He was in town for the SparkLab Future State: New Realities event, and we caught up to chat brand building, media tribes, finding your community and innovation today.

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Ben Lenart, CEO and founder at Almighty Drinks joins Simon Pound to chat innovation in beverages, caffeinated sparkling waters, and their current capital raise to expand internationally. Plus, Ben stages a coup and asks Simon some questions of his own.

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After helping scale Uber in the UK, Frankie founder George Fenwicke decided to tackle a bigger challenge, streamlining the process to manage commercial property. We talked her journey, systems thinking and turning property management into something fresh!

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Descending from the Dharug speaking Nations of Sydney, Mikaela Jade is the founder and CEO at Indigital – Australia’s first Indigenous edutech company. In town for Future State, a Spark Lab and Semi Permanent event, she joined Simon Pound to talk accessing ancient knowledge to guide tomorrow’s AI thinking and her mission to close the digital divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

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OnBoard is on a mission to improve diversity of thought for startup and growth company boards. Founder Cassie McAdams and Program Director Sophie McLernon join Simon Pound to talk about the work they do to get more perspectives onto boards and to help more companies engage with a wider pool of directors. With day jobs at Movac and Snowball Effect, they share their experience in the growth ecosystem and how they believe things can improve.

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For Kate Sylvester, 2023 marks 30 years of design, helping make New Zealand’s reputation in the fashion industry across the globe. Kate joins Simon Pound to talk creating the brand, growing the sector, and her work as a founder of Mindful Fashion, the industry collective helping support ethical practices in local fashion production.

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Woolchemy is a local wool technology company with a patented approach to creating a woven, absorbent fabric layer for use in nappies and other hygiene products. Founder and CEO Derelee Potroz-Smith has pioneered the science, industry partnerships, and closed a $1.5m funding round with a plan to have her wool replace widely used petro-chemical fabrics, putting New Zealand's sheep industry back on top of the world.

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Pac Studio are one of NZ’s top architecture studios, who work to bring fun, colour and a personal feel to every project. Last year their beautiful project, Waimataruru, won Here magazine House of the Year and National housing gong at the New Zealand Architecture Awards. Co-founders Aaron Paterson and Sarosh Mulla join us to talk what it takes to be an architect, how is it to be the steward for the biggest purchase most people will ever make, and how to maintain your own voice within your practice.

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The pace at which generative AI is advancing is rapidly accelerating, giving rise to a sense of uncertainty among many individuals regarding its impact on society. Dr Jonnie Penn, a scholar from the University of Cambridge and Harvard, is an expert on the history of AI and an influential thought-leader, shaping the development of AI towards a positive future. During his visit to town for the SparkLab Future State: New Realities event, Dr. Penn engaged in a conversation with Simon Pound, delving into the past, present, and future of AI development.

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