Startup Theatre Podcast

In this episode, we chat with "Global growth exec" Chris Teeling. For two decades, he has held global leadership roles in high-growth technology companies, where he has built and led world-class teams, shaped strategy, scaled internationally, and delivered lasting results. 🚀 At Xero, he had the privilege as a member of the global ELT to help drive the company’s global expansion, scaling from 70,000 customers to over 1.5 million. He led and shaped strategy, growth, capital markets, corporate development, product, and operations. Breaking through the biggest barriers and cutting a path to $10s of billions in value was impressive. Still, for himself, he's most proud of the incredible people he helped grow along the way and the incredible things they are achieving on the world stage today.📈 Over the last few years, he has been applying his experience scaling three successful global tech companies to help founders and leaders accelerate growth by uniting their people and harnessing AI tailwinds to turbocharge the journey.🌏 On a broader mission, Chris committed to helping Kiwis prosper. Whether by working with great businesses to grow New Zealand's export economy or by improving people's retirement choices as an Independent Director of a major superannuation fund, his goal is to leave a lasting positive impact.💡 Chris also announces his next new CEO role with a very successful Wellington SaaS company.

In this episode of Startup Theater, host Serge Van Dam engages in a dynamic conversation with female founders Irina Miller from Daisy Lab and Mrinali Kumar from Eat Kinda. These amazing founders are pioneering the alternative protein sector in New Zealand. On this episode, you will hear them discuss their journeys, the challenges of scaling their startups, and the importance of innovation in the food industry. Irina shares insights about Daisy Lab's mission to create dairy alternatives using precision fermentation, while Milli talks about her experience launching cauliflower-based ice cream with Eat Kinda. The conversation also touches on the broader plant-based market landscape, the role of female founders in startups, and the importance of vulnerability and collaboration in entrepreneurship.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠ using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

In this episode, host Serge van Dam engages in a deep conversation with Axton Pitt from LitMaps and David Moide from Foundry Lab. They explore the intersection of science and entrepreneurship, discussing how science-based startups can drive innovation and have a positive impact. Axton shares how LitMaps accelerates scientific research by helping users navigate academic papers. David discusses Foundry Lab's mission to rebuild metal casting in the West. The conversation also touches on the challenges of leadership, the importance of creativity in science, and the geopolitical landscape affecting scientific research. The episode concludes with rapid-fire questions and highlights of other science-centric startups.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠ using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

With the amazing Electrify Aotearoa conference behind us, we wanted to share some of the amazing people who presented and attended. In this special episode of the Startup Theatre podcast, we shine a spotlight on the remarkable women who are leading the charge in entrepreneurship. Recorded live at the Electrify Aotearoa event, this episode features insightful conversations with inspiring female founders who are breaking barriers and redefining success in their respective fields.Join host Adrienne Muir as she sits down with Marian Johnson, MNZM, the founder of Electrify Aotearoa, who shares her vision for growing the women's founder pipeline and creating opportunities for high-growth startups. Alliv Samson co-founder of Kami, discusses her journey from a university competition to building a successful edtech company used by millions of students and teachers worldwide. Kristen Lunman and Natalie Ferguson from Powrsuit, talk about the importance of risk-taking and redefining success for women in leadership roles. Lucy Pink and Hannah Hardy-Jones from Contented, explore the power of capturing meaningful conversations and the role of AI in transforming business insights.Throughout the episode, these trailblazing women share their personal stories, challenges, and triumphs, offering valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs. Tune in to discover how they are not only transforming industries but also paving the way for future generations of women in business.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠ using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

Angie Judge is a prominent figure in New Zealand’s technology industry, and she currently serves as the CEO of Dexibit, a cutting-edge analytics platform for visitor attractions. Judge’s entrepreneurial journey has been characterised by innovation, leadership, and a profound understanding of data-driven decision-making.In 2015, Judge founded Dexibit, a company that has transformed analytics for visitor attractions, such as museums and galleries. Under her leadership, Dexibit offers these institutions insightful data and predictive analytics, allowing them to make informed decisions and optimise their operations while enhancing the visitor experience.Before establishing Dexibit, Angie Judge had a significant career in the technology industry. She worked for companies like HP, Finco, and Amdocs, a multinational corporation specialising in software and services for communications, media, and financial service providers, where she was the Sales Director and Head of Transformation and Innovation. These various roles shaped her expertise in technology and innovation, paving the way for her entrepreneurial ventures.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠Vanta⁠ using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

Nick Lissette is the founder and CEO of Black Pearl Group, a New Zealand-born SaaS company generating over $12.5M in ARR from the US market and he’s just getting started. With a relentless drive and a famously no-BS approach to business, Nick has been scaling startups since he was 24, when he bought his first company for $1, walked into an office with a server, a car park, and no clue what he was doing and figured it out the hard way.Since then, he’s built and sold multiple businesses, survived the brutal cycles of SaaS, and taken Black Pearl public on the NZX, with plans now underway for a dual listing on the ASX. Under his leadership, Black Pearl has launched a suite of products that use real AI, not vaporware, to help SMEs in the US find and close more customers. Nick doesn’t just talk about AI—his team builds it, deploys it, and uses it to scale faster with fewer people. And yes, he thinks Elon might’ve had a point about Twitter headcount.Nick is as authentic as they come. He tells it like it is, about fundraising, hiring tough operators, managing burnout, building billion-dollar visions, and grinding through hill runs with his teenage son to stay mentally sharp. Whether he’s cold-calling from a Taco Bell in Arizona or closing deals face-to-face in the US, Nick plays to win, and he’ll either succeed or “die trying.”This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠Vanta⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off Vanta using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

Ben Gracewood is one of those rare tech leaders who’s done the whole arc—starting in low-level code, scaling product and engineering teams at Vend through to a $400 million exit, and now leading in a world where AI is rewriting the playbook.With a deep background in software development and executive leadership, Ben has built teams, shaped product strategy, and helped grow one of New Zealand’s most successful SaaS companies. But he’s not stuck in nostalgia. Today, he’s laser-focused on what comes next—and he’s convinced that we can now do more with fewer people.Ben’s current work explores how artificial intelligence can augment product and engineering teams—not to replace humans, but to strip away busywork and let great people focus on what matters. He’s open in questioning the bloat that’s crept into many tech orgs, and he’s even willing to say what others won’t: maybe Elon wasn’t entirely wrong when he gutted Twitter’s headcount. Brutal? Maybe. But Ben thinks it opened up an uncomfortable truth—most tech teams are overstaffed and under-focused.Whether it’s scaling with soul, building leaner, smarter teams, or staying close to the craft as a leader, Ben brings a no-BS, high-empathy perspective to what modern product leadership looks like. He’s still a builder at heart—and now he’s building with AI at his side.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in Vanta 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off Vanta using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

For nearly two decades, Heather has worked across strategy, operations, product marketing, revenue, and executive go-to-market roles in 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 startups and multinational companies.On this episode, we discuss the impact of AI on business and the importance of 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 to stay competitive. Heather shares her insights on the future of work, the necessity of adapting to new technologies, and the 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗜. "𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵." ~ Heather GadonniexIn this engaging conversation, Heather shares her insights on the evolving landscape of startups, the impact of AI on productivity, and the importance of 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼-𝗧𝗼-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. "That's mind-blowing." ~ Adrienne MuirThis podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in Vanta 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off Vanta using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

​Hamish Edwards hasn't told his story in detail before. and so you get to hear it for the first time. Renowned for co-founding Xero with Rod Drury in 2006 in his accounting companies' boardroom, before they ever moved to said apartment. As a practicing accountant at the time and working with Rod, Hamish played a pivotal role in Xero's early growth, shaping the product and expanding its customer base across New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom by closely collaborating with accounting firms.In this episode, Hamish tells us how and why Xero was founded and what he is doing now with https://www.firmcheck.com/. We discuss the importance of obsession in achieving success and whether all founders have to be obsessed or not. Now worth in the vicinity of $300 million, we ask Hamish: Has success changed you? If you are a founder looking to go global, this one is not to be missed.This podcast is brought to you by our amazing sponsor in Vanta and could not be done without them.

Lowry Gladwell has been at the forefront of some of New Zealand’s most iconic companies, from law to payments, tech partnerships to sales. Playing a key role in Vend’s journey through to their successful exit in 2021 and leading Xero’s embedded finance strategy and execution, Lowry knows his domain well. Now, as Head of New Zealand at Airwallex—an Australian unicorn transforming banking and financial service, Lowry is focused on building the local team and introducing Airwallex’s game-changing product to the New Zealand market.In this episode, we discuss all things revenue and channel partner growth, and how you should build a function and hire a team. If you are a product company looking to go global, this one is not to be missed.