Think Global, Solve Local. Turning everyday problems into world class solutions

Discuss how to identify gaps in the market, understand how local innovation can lead to globally relevant solutions, gain insights on turning practical, everyday challenges into viable business opportunities, network with innovators, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders passionate about practical innovation.

Objectives of event – Design thinking and technology:
a. Real-world problems: innovations that solved everyday, practical by understanding user experiences.

b. Efficiency gains: create efficiencies for saving time, reducing stress, and cutting unnecessary costs to consumer and service provider, etc

c. Innovative use of technology: readily accessible technology to solve problems and demonstrate Whanganui’s capability to export innovation and knowledge.

Discover how innovators in Whanganui identify seemingly simple yet impactful gaps in the market and developed solutions for global problems. 

Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, researcher, policymaker, or someone simply curious about innovation, join us to explore how we can leverage Whanganui’s unique blend of technology, creativity, and design thinking to solve global problems and open doors for new investments.

What we want the discussion to share:
• Learn how to identify gaps in markets—big and small—that offer high-impact opportunities.
• Understand how local innovation can lead to globally relevant solutions.
• Gain insights on turning practical, everyday challenges into viable business opportunities.
• Network with innovators, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders passionate about practical innovation.

Gain insights from a panel featuring Andrew Tripe of BodyCode Nutrition, Frogparking CEO Shareena Sandbrook,
and Colleen Ervine of Whanganui & Partners