Diaspora.nz

Listen/subscribe on:* Apple Podcasts* SpotifyClint Van Marrewijk (pronounced Marra-vick) is director and co-founder of Zelandez, a leading lithium brine technology company building cutting edge sensors and production plants for lithium brine mining operations in the ‘Lithium Triangle’ of Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, as well as the USA and Canada. It’s a long way from the Waihi dairy farm on which he grew up before undertaking a mechanical engineering degree then moving to Colorado and setting up a Kiwisaver scheme. If you don’t know why people get so excited about lithium, it’s because lithium ion rechargeable batteries are cleaner, greener, more powerful and longer-lasting than most other battery options. This is why lithium ion is the battery of choice for many of the world’s top ten biggest companies, including Apple, Google and Tesla- and why the lithium battery market it worth USD 54.4 billion. Clint has been running Zelandez from Austin, Texas since his Kiwi-founded safety software company, SaferMe, entered the American market in 2019, having gone from strength to strength - including huge growth with its workplace sign-in and tracking tools, which were massively in demand during the recent COVID pandemic, spurring huge growth.Today Clint talks about SaferMe’s journey, explains how the services Zelandez offers leave less of a toll on the environment and better lithium yield, and Clint gives advice for young people who want their career to take them from Christchurch to Colorado to the Lithium Triangle and beyond.In today's episode, we discuss:* Using oil and gas extraction techniques to get lithium brine out of the ground to help create the lithium-based batteries so many of our electric cars and digital devices rely on* The history of lithium use in batteries - who pioneered it, who has under-valued it, and how lithium is ready to be hugely valued as a commodity.* Advice on the right age to transition into an energy/minerals career.* How a degree in engineering led to working in investment analysis for Kiwi Wealth before Clint moved into SaaS startups.* How Clint’s bank managers reacted when they saw how much he was investing in lithium extraction technology.* How SaferMe pivoted during the pandemic to sell contact tracing tools - backed by the NZ government - which could have resulted in up to 20x company growth.* Getting a business deal with a Fortune 500 CEO through a LinkedIn “spam note”* Fallacies in New Zealand’s thinking about the best way to provide the cleanest electricity for the national grid.Referenced:* Zealandez: https://www.zelandez.com/* SaferMe: https://www.safer.me/* The Lithium Triangle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_Triangle* Best practices for reinjecting brine during lithium extraction: https://www.zelandez.com/news/the-lithium-brine-industry-must-share-reinjection-best-practices/Where to find Clint van Marrewijk:* LinkedIn* Twitter This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Listen/subscribe on:* Apple Podcasts* SpotifyWhen Zachary Tan - actually, Doctor Zachary Tan - became president of Optain Health, the role combined three lifelong passions: treating patients, running future-focused tech businesses, and taking exciting risks with venture capital in one of the world’s most important areas: the health of human beings.Zach’s career has gone from strength to strength. He was in 2022 recognized by Forbes as 30 Under 30 for Healthcare & Science, before going on to be elected as a director of The Fred Hollows Foundation in the US.In today's episode, we chat through how one gap year away from medical school to run a future-focused healthcare business became a ‘gap decade,’ what he learned from the differences between treating one patient in Sydney and working with a healthcare provider treating millions of patients in upstate New York, and how there is potential to massively disrupt the economics around insurance costs and the cost of treatment simply by examining a patient’s retina.Zachary also tells us about two deeply significant businesses he’s worked with on his journey: Osara Health, as well as New York’s VC studio Aegis Ventures - of which he is a partner - and how he has currently settled on Optain to apply his passion.In today's episode, we discuss:* Leaving Auckland at age 17 for Queensland- then hearing the call of the United States, a healthcare industry worth four trillion dollars* Using the eye as a window to the body to detect and diagnose disease and save billions - as well as save lives* Tech solutions for New York’ state’s biggest hospitals* Using AI in healthcare to minimise admin for healthcare staff, speed up diagnoses, diagnose disease early and reduce costs on patients, insurers and everyone in-between* Investing in tech to tackle disparities between healthcare access for babies, adults, ethnic groups and other patient segments* How healthcare practitioners were forced to embrace telemedicine technology across the last five years as the Covid pandemic put pressure on staff to work remotely* What Zachary thinks could be improved in the intersection between patients, insurance and healthcare ‘payviders’* Steps to take when you’re looking at doing business in America’s healthcare sector and you need FDA approval.Referenced:* Optain Health: https://optainhealth.com/about/* Aegis Ventures: https://aegisventures.com/* Northwell Health: https://www.northwell.edu/* Osara Health: https://osarahealth.com/* The Fred Hollows Foundation: https://www.hollows.org/Where to find Zachary Tan:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharytan/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Cameron Priest, co-founder and former CEO of TradeGecko, shares his remarkable journey from a kiwifruit orchard to the tech world. He discusses scaling TradeGecko, leading to a $100M acquisition by Intuit. Cameron reveals strategies for acquiring and scaling Shopify apps with AMP, emphasizing the assessment and execution of acquisitions. He also explores the future of AI in vertical SaaS and the importance of a supportive ecosystem for fostering innovation in New Zealand. Get ready for insights on ambition and customized software solutions!

Ryan Everton is the founder and CEO at TURN, a San Francisco headquartered company pioneering reusable cup solutions for major events and fast-food chains. From growing up on a farm and selling meat pies at boarding school during the tuck shop prohibition — to tackling global plastic waste, building infrastructure to wash a million cups at a time (literally) … Ryan's journey embodies Kiwi ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.In this episode, we explore:* TURN's origins as “Globelet” .. and ideation journey through the Otago University “Audacious” business competition. * The journey from landing his first festival customers, through to partnering with Live Nation and rolling out across 36 festivals on the same contract… now on to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A. * How TURN achieves >90% cup return rates at events - building loyalty programs, rolling out powerful incentive mechanics.* Navigating the pandemic - seeing it as an opportunity to take stock, invest in R&D and rebranding, automating washing infrastructure, come out swinging on the other side. * Riding regulatory tailwinds — coming California restrictions on single-use plastics, and how they’re positioning themselves to ride them.* Unlearning classic Kiwi habits to lead a global team. * Why grit is an important founder trait, and where he thinks it comes from (hint: back on the farm).* Philosophical reflections on purpose, success, and leaving a legacyWhere to find Ryan online:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryaneverton/* Twitter/X: https://x.com/Valueroad Make sure you subscribe for more epic expat stories every Friday! Enjoying Diaspora.nz? Share this episode with a friend or family member: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Min-Kyu Jung, the Co-founder and CEO of Ivo, started his journey as a corporate lawyer in New Zealand before diving into the world of AI-driven legal assistants. He discusses how he identified inefficiencies in legal processes that sparked his entrepreneurial spirit. The importance of networking in Silicon Valley is highlighted, emphasizing how it helped secure crucial investments. Jung reflects on the role of AI in reshaping legal practices and the future of junior lawyers, advocating for kiwi founders to embrace bold moves to thrive in the tech landscape.

Rachel Carrell is the founder & CEO of KoruKids, Europe’s largest childcare platform— training, matching, and providing ongoing support to over 10,000 nannies across London.Rachel is one of the special ones. Driven to found the company by what she describes as a righteous anger over how childcare has been disrespected as infrastructure in society… Today, Koru Kids takes care of taxes, payroll, pension, holiday, nanny communications, activity ideas and a dozen other things that can come up when you’re dealing with nannies… bringing down the cost for families, and helping kids have more engaging, enriching experiences. Joined by co-host Phoebe Harrop, we had a lot of fun with this episode: tracing Rachel’s story from hustling chocolates and home-grown lottery schemes on the streets of Invercargill … to strategising her way into a Rhodes scholarship that helped her land a place— and finally “find her people” at the University of Oxford in the UK; and on to London, where she’s been ever since… 22 years and counting, consulting with McKinsey, raising a family, building, investing in, and advising startupsWe explore how, counterintuitively, Rachel feels driven to consistently choose the path of most resistance … seeking the right kind of crazy … this shows up in stories from the founding of Koru Kids, to the time she had a baby in the middle of her Series A fundraise and was back out pitching the next day .. to how she thinks about talent development, scaling demand and supply in marketplaces, and more.Make sure you subscribe for more stories from the diaspora every Friday! 🌎In today's episode, we discuss:* Rachel's journey from New Zealand to the UK, spanning exactly half her life in each country.. * The transition from consulting to entrepreneurship and the challenges of the healthcare and childcare sectors, what learnings from consulting transfer over to startups, vs. areas she had to develop/offset. * The founding and growth of Koru Kids, addressing the critical need for quality childcare solutions - specifically how the lack of accessible and affordable childcare has profound consequences for individuals and society.* Scaling marketplaces: solving the “cold start problem” … building the supply side of a marketplace when the service provided is unique and requires specific qualifications, how to think about (and avoid) “de-platforming” risk. * Insights into fundraising in Europe, particularly for companies in traditionally difficult sectors. Approaching fundraising with a mindset of learning and strategy development.* Raising venture capital while pregnant, advice for other female (and- pregnant) founders!* Being a non-technical founder building a technical business has its challenges, but both approaches (tech-first or ops-first) can work with trade-offs.* Rachel’s upcoming book! micro interventions with children to shape how they grow. If there’s one thing you can do to help us — it would be send this episode to a friend .. an expat in your family, a founder or aspiring founder who could benefit from the lessons here .. appreciate your support !Listen & Subscribe on:* Apple Podcasts* SpotifyLearn more about Diaspora.nz:* Around 20% of New Zealanders live outside of New Zealand. This is our “Diaspora” — and it’s one of the world’s largest, per capita.* And not only is it large, it’s insanely talented: Early in their lives and careers, many of New Zealand’s most ambitious individuals realise— if they want to make a dent in the universe, they need to get out there… to study abroad, gain experience, build relationships.* Unfortunately— as they go, many drop off the “domestic NZ” radar…* We’re here to surface and share their stories, create opportunities to meet and support each other along the way, on and offline.* Read the full announcement post here - and hit subscribe for more episodes every Friday!Make sure you subscribe before you go :-) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Campbell Brown is Founder & CEO at PredictHQ, based in San Francisco. PredictHQ help customers understand the catalysts behind any form of consumer demand, with a particular emphasis on real-world events. Today, they provide this “Demand Intelligence” to a who’s who of global brands, airlines, and marketplaces like Uber and Airbnb, helping them optimise supply and pricing whether they’re facing an anomalous weather event or Taylor Swift concert. Before founding PredictHQ, Campbell was part of the early team at GrabOne, where he saw first hand how sudden volatility in demand could affect business operations (for better or worse). He went on to join Online Republic as CMO, where he encountered the challenges of predicting traveller demand based on global events and weather conditions. This is the first repeat guest we’ve had on the pod… having recorded an episode for the very first season of diaspora.nz back in 2017. Since then, Cam raised another $33.5M USD, has substantially grown the team and product suite — it’s been awesome to see this growth over the years. In today's episode, we discuss:* The journey from GrabOne to PredictHQ, and how past experiences shaped Campbell's understanding of data-driven business decisions.* PredictHQ's evolution from focusing on the travel industry to diversifying across various sectors including parking, transportation, and accommodation.* Building models on top of event data to provide unique intelligence and enable businesses to become context-aware.* The importance of selling value over features, and focusing on the impact a product can bring to a customer's business.* Exploring different pricing models, including category-based and consumption-based approaches.* Challenges and strategies for managing a multi-location team and fostering company culture across New Zealand and the US.* The pros and cons of having a New Zealand-based versus US-based top company, and navigating international tax implications.* Campbell's fundraising journey and advice for approaching investors, including the importance of warm introductions and treating fundraising like a sales process.* Balancing work and family life in the US, and tips for building community when moving abroad.Where to find Campbell:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/campbellbrown/* Twitter/X: https://x.com/campbellbListen & Subscribe on:* Apple Podcasts* SpotifyLearn more about Diaspora.nz: * Around 20% of New Zealanders live outside of New Zealand. This is our “Diaspora” — and it’s one of the world’s largest, per capita.* And not only is it large, it’s insanely talented: Early in their lives and careers, many of New Zealand’s most ambitious individuals realise— if they want to make a dent in the universe, they need to get out there… to study abroad, gain experience, build relationships.* Unfortunately— as they go, many drop off the “domestic NZ” radar…* We’re here to surface and share their stories, create opportunities to meet and support each other along the way, on and offline.* Read the full announcement post here - and hit subscribe for more episodes every Friday! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Privahini Bradoo is the co-founder and CEO at Plank — helping companies build and scale AI-enabled engineering teams + training the next generation of computer scientists. Born in India, Privahini immigrated to NZ in her school years. Her time with us down-under was impactful… while pursuing a degree in Biomedical Science, then PhD in Neurogenetics and Drug Discovery at the University of Auckland, she also led the establishment of the Spark business competition (now Velocity); and co-founded Chiasma, an organisation dedicated to linking the biotech academic community with industry.Drawn back off-shore in 2006, Privahini landed a Fulbright scholarship to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School, and then settled back in the San Francisco Bay Area, joining Lanzatech as one of the first commercial hires in the U.S.In 2011, Privahini co-founded BlueOak Resources to revolutionise how we treat and recycle end-of-life electronics - raising ~$50M from Kliener Perkins and others along the way.In today's episode, we discuss:* From brain science to business: Privahini's unexpected career leap.* the early days of Auckland's startup scene and Velocity business competition. * Lessons from LanzaTech and BlueOak… navigating the complexities of deep tech startups, systems thinking across the supply chain of inputs/outputs, recycling industrial waste. * The future of AI - engineering, revolutionizing remote work, COVID as an accelerating force at Plank.* Optimism in the face of global realities.* How to foster 'force of nature' talent in NZWhere to find Privahini Bradoo:* LinkedIn * Twitter/X * University of Auckland Graduate Stories* KEA - World Class New ZealanderTimestamps:(00:00) Intro(01:43) Privahini's origin story(04:30) Inside the Velocity programme(09:34) Journey at LanzaTech(13:30) The birth of BlueOak(14:51) The reality of e-waste recycling(19:43) Lessons in deep tech(23:11) Founding Plant to help businesses build remote e(25:45) Plank's intelligent engineering strategy(28:10) How to keep up with rapid changes in AI(29:27) Nurturing NZ's entrepreneurial forces of nature(32:07) The second-time founder mindset(35:08) Advice for Kiwi entrepreneurs(36:13) How to help Privahini This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.diaspora.nz

Paul Copplestone, co-founder and CEO of Supabase, shares his entrepreneurial journey from New Zealand to Southeast Asia. He discusses the power of open source as a substantial advantage in recruiting and product growth. The conversation also explores the transformative impact of AI on indie development, making it easier for developers to build applications. Paul highlights the importance of community engagement while navigating the challenges of a globally distributed team and reflects on his vision for the future of technology and innovation.

Victoria Ransom, co-founder of Prisma and Wildfire, shares her incredible journey from rural New Zealand to tech entrepreneur success. She discusses the $450M acquisition of Wildfire by Google and the cultural challenges faced post-acquisition. Ransom highlights the flaws in today's education system, leading her to create Prisma, an innovative school promoting project-based learning. She also offers insights on fostering resilience in children and imagines the future of education, emphasizing community-based learning and adaptability.