Aurora Climate Lab launch party – a night to remember. Introducing your 15 teams. 👏 Catch them again at the Summit on 26 June: https://lnkd.in/g-yaXJJi 🧡 Shoutout to our amazing partners who make this all possible: Motion Capital Ara Ake Callaghan Innovation Whakatupu Aotearoa FoundationFractal Climate WellingtonNZ Sprout People Prime Innovation IP Salamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions #climatech #creativehq #auroraclimatelab Holly Beals Colm Kearney Joe Slater
Creative HQ
Professional Training and Coaching
Wellington, Wellington 8,852 followers
We help startups, enterprises and government agencies solve problems using service design and innovation methodologies.
About us
Feed your ideas with world-class innovation. We help you to reimagine and invent your ideas into game-changing solutions.
- Website
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http://www.creativehq.co.nz
External link for Creative HQ
- Industry
- Professional Training and Coaching
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- Wellington, Wellington
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2003
- Specialties
- Entrepreneurship, Business Growth, Lean Startup, Global Markets, Team building, High growth business strategy, Investment, Venture Capital, Angel investment, Innovation Services, Design Sprints, Sales Sprints, and Public Sector Innovation
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
7 Dixon Street
Wellington, Wellington 6011, NZ
Employees at Creative HQ
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Sam Minnée
CTO at Frankie and Astronort • Tech advisor • Silverstripe co-founder
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Auriga Martin
CEO, Growth Innovation Adviser, Product Leader, Venture and Network Catalyzer
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Jacqui Wales
Product + Engineering Operations @ Flux
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Chris O'Neill
Startup Support | Eco-Pet Products | Impact-driven Leader
Updates
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Pssst, did you see the news? Something cool is launching – and you’re invited. Here's another sneak peek. 👀 💥 People Who Did a Thing is our brand-new series, shining the spotlight on public sector innovators who didn’t just write a strategy - they delivered the thing. Join us online over lunch next Wednesday 9 April for part 1. We’re kicking off with the inside story of GovGPT – the AI pilot from Callaghan Innovation that pushed past the red tape and shipped a solution fast. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gVuchvtJ 👀 What worked? What didn’t? 💡 How do you build tech that’s secure, useful and user-loved? 🧠 And how do you do it inside government? Hear directly from Sarah Sun and Richie Atkinson. If your team is wrestling with AI disruption, internal inertia, or the dreaded “innovation theatre” – this is the lunchtime webinar you need. 📅 Wednesday 9 April 🕛 12PM NZT 💻 Online via Microsoft Teams 🎙️ Real people. Real tools. Real results. Jonnie Haddon Callaghan Innovation
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Fantastic article by Dr Anita Perkins, speaking with Jai Goradia, Founder & CEO of Indus | India’s Markets In 3 Minutes For Kiwis & Aussies, a fintech platform breaking barriers for global investors in India's booming economy. 📈 And it all started with a game of cricket. 🏏 👇 Check it out. #creativehq #FintechLab2025 #fintechnz
Distilling complexity into clarity & meaningful change💡🌏💚Expert researcher | sounding board | wordsmith
There's no doubt that India is of growing importance to Aotearoa, as demonstrated by the PM's recent trip with a sizeable delegation, including Asia New Zealand Foundation CEO Suzannah Jessep. One of the key areas India will be looking for in trade negotiations with New Zealand is potential for foreign direct investment from New Zealand into Indian economies. Indus | India’s Markets In 3 Minutes For Kiwis & Aussies Founder Jai Goradia has developed a fintech app which enables just that. I first saw Jai presenting at Creative HQ Fintech Lab Launch in late January. Personally, I'm really inspired by people who see through walls that would stop so many others. The countless regulations and requirements for investing in India from abroad were no barrier for Jai and his team to surmount. It was a pleasure to interview Jai for my latest story for the Asia New Zealand Foundation Media Centre. I'm sure his effervescence and enthusiasm as told through his story will have you downloading Indus before you know it! https://lnkd.in/g-iJVY5A
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Creative HQ reposted this
Thanks to everyone who reached out after my last post to share your investing stories. The conversations have been extremely motivating. It’s clear: people want to invest together. Are you curious about group investing or already running an investment group? Let's chat! Join our waitlist to stay in the loop. You’ll be the first to know when we launch. (Waitlist link in first comment 👇) Grant Sweeney Creative HQ Colm Kearney Chris O'Neill Joe Slater Megan Rorich Jacky Laverty Sarah Lewis
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How can we help more Kiwi startups go global? 🌏 Daniël Heerkens is flying in from Singapore next week to tell us how. Join us Tuesday 8 April for a Startup Session on international expansion - think dos, don’ts, pitfalls and real-world stories. Why come? 🏙 Real talk, in person – Learn straight from someone who’s helped businesses thrive across Asia + Europe. 💡 No fluff – Actionable tips, honest lessons, real case studies. 🤝 Meet your people – Network with Daniël + fellow founders. 🥝 For all stages – Whether you’re exploring or expanding, this session’s for you. Who’s Daniël? A global business strategist and partner at Salamander International, with serious scale-up creds across APAC + Europe. P.S. He’s also hunting for the best coffee in Wellington. Tell us below where he needs to visit ☕️ 👇 👉 Save your spot https://lnkd.in/gMJhyy3c Salamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions WellingtonNZ Robyn McAllister Ruth McDavitt Colm Kearney
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🤔 What do David Downs, Adrian Smith, Ruth Riviere and Jovan Pavlicevic have in common? Fintech. Fintech Festival 2025 to be exact. 🕺💃 Make sure you've got your tickets for 30 April, because they're selling fast and we're bringing to you an epic line of speakers, MC'd by the iconic David Downs. 🎤 David Downs – CEO of The New Zealand Story, ex-comedian, author, and innovation champion. 💡 Adrian Smith (Ngāpuhi & Ngāti Hine) – CEO of BlinkPay, driving kaupapa Māori fintech innovation. 🌏 Ruth Riviere – Country Manager, NZ & Pacific Islands, Mastercard, leading secure & smart payments. 📱 Jovan P. – Co-founder of SquareOne & Emerge, rethinking business banking for the digital age. 🔥 Oh, did we mention 14 hot Fintechs to watch are pitching to shape the future of finance? New opportunities will be in the spotlight — investment, partnerships, even your next career move. See you at the Festival. Get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gS9-cqyM Mastercard Callaghan Innovation WellingtonNZ NZGCP Banzpay NZ Fintech FundBooster NZ FinTechNZ Payments NZ GridAKL Financial Markets Authority - New ZealandSalamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions
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💙 Events like these coming back to Pōneke Wellington are proof of the appetite for innovation. Amazing work to all event organisers, facilitators, mentors, participants and volunteers who brought back a fantastic Startup Weekend Wellington - SWWLG after 5+ years. 👏 Tereska Lepionka-Carroll Techstars Startup Weekend
Last weekend, we kicked off the next chapter of Startup Weekend Wellington - SWWLG, and the energy was electric⚡️! From pitches to powerful team collaborations, every moment brought us closer to something amazing. A huge congratulations to our WINNER: JJobs - the fast, personal, and cost-effective student hiring platform using smart algorithms to find the perfect candidate-job fit! 🚀👏. Feedback from one of our judges, Serge van Dam: "JJobs decided to attack a very simple, but universal problem: How do young people get their first jobs when they have little or no experience? And how do hiring managers get a 'sense' for a young person quickly? The team showed all the right startup attributes; they built a prototype, hustled their way to their first paying customer, and presented a simple, but compelling business plan. They showed what is possible over a weekend!" And a massive shoutout to our RUNNER-UPS: Joiful: Helping parents create stories for their children – the power of storytelling! FLX: Connecting elite athletes, trainers, and gym users with gyms around the world – talk about bringing fitness to the next level! The SWWLG comeback event brought together: 🔹 80 registered participants 🔹 42 ideas pitched 🔹 10 teams formed 🔹 23 mentors 🔹 5 facilitators 🔹 15 sponsors 🔹 5 judges 🔹 15 volunteers. But none of this would have been possible without the powerhouse behind everything we do. A special thank you to our amazing, passionate delivery team and facilitators: Tereska Lepionka-Carroll, Justin Douché, Joe Slater Jennifer Jevons, Joanne Murphy, Chloe Narain, Liam Sutton, Tamara Buckland, Taani Reihana, Ali Tobin, Penny Crisp, Thompson Hamilton Oli Treadwell - and our guest facilitator, Pauli Sosa, who truly brought everything together and made the weekend run smoothly. 🙏👏 Shoutout to our superpower human mentors who stepped in to shape, guide, and push all our teams to new heights! Your wisdom, support, and dedication were key to helping these teams realise their potential! 🌟 And, of course, a big thank you to our incredible sponsors for believing in the vision, and to our partners, judges, and volunteers who made this all possible! And we're loving the awesome feedback from participants that truly reflects the spirit of SWWLG: "This has been the most eye-opening event I’ve ever attended, and I’ve learned so much. My mate and I are committed to building our startup and turning it into a reality, and we’d be incredibly grateful for any connections or support as we continue on this journey." We’re excited to reconnect with everyone at SWWLG’s first community meetup coming up before the Easter break. Let’s keep this momentum rolling and continue supporting each other’s journeys! Victoria University of Wellington Creative HQ Callaghan Innovation Mevo Stripe The Momentum Programme Sendd Angel HQ Coffee Supreme Simply Food Catering Company Hell Pizza Numeral Studio VESA VUW Dev Academy Aotearoa The Wild Ones
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Creative HQ reposted this
Co-Founder of Hikotron ⚡ ⚡⚡ Providing smart Electric Vehicle charging solutions⚡⚡⚡ Designed and built in New Zealand
Still buzzing from the Aurora Climate Lab launch last week. ⚡️ Ron and I walked away reminded of why we do what we do. The room was full of people building ambitious climate solutions, from clean energy and transport to carbon removal and beyond. And while every founder had a different lens, the mission was shared - solve real problems, at scale, with urgency. Hikotron was born from that same drive. Electrification isn’t a future concept, it’s happening now. And events like this remind us how much faster we can move when we do it together. Massive thanks to Creative HQ, the partners backing this kaupapa, and everyone who showed up to make it such a powerful night. Let’s build a cleaner Aotearoa, one connection (and one charge) at a time.
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Creative HQ reposted this
In this picture: - Holly Beals Jennifer Jevons and Chloe Narain from Creative HQ - JUNIOR- a half-tonne doughnut-shaped magnet from OpenStar Technologies who are working on New Zealand's first #fusion energy device prototype - some of the folks from the 15 #startups who just started last week as part of our 2025 #Aurora Climate Lab Accelerator cohort You can check out a bit more on who they are and the big things they are doing here- https://lnkd.in/gFvYaYCF
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This is SUCH a great initiative. 👏 Let's get more of our Welly startups on the map. 👇 Tagging some of our friends. 🧡 Dr Nan Yang HeyPenny SeeStuff Fit Rewards Coshop NZ Supermesh SkillBooking Rebit Money Transfer PolicyCheck Otto NZ CaSil Technologies Ltd PickPath Litmaps @virtue Impact Volition
Where's Welly? We know there are more epic companies like Cogo, Sharesies, Hnry and Xero! We have started building a map to visualise the amazing startups and tech companies across Australasia and the thriving ecosystem of Wellington is looking sparse! Let's change that! How can you help? 🌏 1. Check out the current map: https://lnkd.in/g9mj5FGA 👏 2. Tag the companies that should be on there 🚀 3. Get them to share some basic info here: Tagging a couple of proud Wellingtonians to give it a nudge Chloe Narain, Creative HQ, Serge van Dam
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