Design and Innovation Meetup June 2025: The Power and Practice of Storytelling

Why you? Why this? Why now? 

We know that storytelling is a key step in the innovation process.  You’ve got a product or innovation - it might be the best thing ever, but if you can’t communicate that to the right people it’ll never fly. You can talk about the concepts and the facts till you’re blue in the face, but stories are a proven way to engage and influence your audience, whether that’s management or investors.

For June’s D&I Meetup we are excited to have the awesome Vince Ford discussing the power of stories. He’ll also lead you through a tasty model for storytelling and introduce you to tools that the world’s best storytellers utilise.

Vince is the award-winning author of 16 novels for kids and teens. In 2024 he was a speaker at TEDx Palmerston North and won the NZ Professional Speakers Association David Nottage Award.  He’s currently writing a book for adults - Lead Through Story: Engage, Unite and Influence. He’s been presenting keynotes and workshops to corporate and educational audiences across the country. In May he won the Toastmasters International Speech Contest at District (North Island) level and remains in contention for the Toastmaster World Championship finals in Philadelphia.

This is a session you won’t want to miss! You’ll have the opportunity to deep dive into the practice of storytelling, and to develop and polish your own stories so they’re ready to support the fantastic work you’re already doing. Plus - as ever – the chance to connect and network with like-mind creators, innovators, designers and doers from around Tauranga and the Western Bay.

Entry is FREE, but please make sure you RSVP so we can make sure there’s enough refreshments. See you there!

When:  Wednesday 07 May 430PM to 630PM.

Where: Priority One 29 Grey St.