Grace is the newest member of Startup Dunedin, having taken over as Programme Facilitator a.k.a startup lead, this week following her move from Tauranga.
This role will see her engaging directly with our startups, providing support for founders and delivering workshops right here in Ōtepoti, Dunedin.
Despite the obvious drop in temperature, I was keen to learn more about how Grace is adjusting to her brand new (she’s 7 days in!) spot in Otago, and what excites her about the road ahead.
Kenzie: What inspired you to pursue working with startups in the first place, and what keeps you motivated in this space?
Grace: I didn't really know this was a “space” when I began applying for jobs after study. I stumbled upon an Intellectual Property & Commercialisation internship eventually - but what’s actually kept me here is how much I like to share things. I don’t believe in keeping knowledge hidden, and I love seeing the growth in people as they build things.
Kenzie: So. Tell us a little about yourself outside of work.
Grace: I feel like my Tauranga self is really different - it’s hard to describe my Dunedin self because I am so used to living in Tauranga.
Grace’s Dog, named Lou.
I love op-shopping. My main pastimes are opshopping, hiking, or walking. I also love spending time at the beach, whether it’s sunny or not - I kinda love a stormy beach. Before moving here, I made sure I got a list of all the beaches to visit.
Kenzie: You’re in the right place then. What are two jobs you had before you started working with startups?
Grace: I worked at an ice-creamery, …but I am dairy intolerant.
I was also a support worker, working with the elderly. I had friends who wondered why I was doing that job, but I just loved the banter! Older people have so much wisdom to share.
Kenzie: So you’re our new programme facilitator - meaning you’ll be the one delivering workshops to founders. What do you think makes a workshop truly memorable?
Grace: The amount of times I’ve been in such a boring workshop!! It’s really important to keep people engaged, and keep the conversation going. When you say audience participation, everyone kinda curdles - not picking on someone is key - I was never a front row person. You have to keep it light hearted.
Kenzie: What are you looking forward to the most about living in Dunedin?
Grace: I’m always excited to experience a new city - getting to make new connections, find new people, and discover new activities.
It also seems like a pretty cool, progressive city overall.
Kenzie: How do you measure success when working with startups, and have you ever been surprised by the impact you had?
Grace: It’s a bit of a double-edged sword - with a lot of entrepreneurs, their first idea won’t necessarily be the best one. But helping them by giving them the toolbox to help them look at new ideas, and seeing that growth in them, that’s where the magic is.
Watching people tick off those milestones - like raising, etc - is of course awesome to watch, but it’s the “people side” of it that is really interesting to me. I’ll see first-time entrepreneurs who have no idea where to start , then seeing them much later down the track with more tools under their belt, and a shift in mindset is always really rewarding to see. People taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture for the first time, and different sides of the cube, is really cool.
Kenzie: What's one of your biggest lessons you've learned about meeting people with ideas, and how do you incorporate it into your work?
Grace: Scientists communicate in one way, designers work in another - translating the language they use to communicate is one of those really undervalued skills. If you strip back all the jargon, it’s all really pretty simple!
Kenzie: So - last one is kind of left field. If I could market anything at all, I think I would choose marketing for overlooked superheroes who never get called to disasters because their powers kinda suck. If you could facilitate any type of programme, what would it be?
Grace: The most efficient way to navigate an op-shop.
Working on something? Got a brand new idea? Or just not sure where to go from here?
To talk to Grace, or one of the Startup Dunedin team about your next steps, visit https://www.startupdunedin.nz/free-startup-check-in and grab a free meeting with us.