Kāpiti Tech Week: Aaron Ward, Marcel van den Assum, Andrew Tokeley

Join our panelists for an afternoon of learning and connection.

Navigating Startup Investment and Shareholder Selection with Marcel van den Assum

Marcel van den Assum is an angel investor in over 50 startups, and growth company director of a number of those ventures. His roles include Chairman of Sprout Agritech Ltd, the Palmerston North based agrifoodtech incubator and investor, Wipster Ltd, and Mevo Ltd. He is a Director of NZ Growth Capital Partners, CropX (NZ), BlackCurrent and Flick Electric, and an Independent Advisory Board position with Te Whatu Ora. He is immediate past Chairman of the Angel Association of NZ, founding investor in Wellington’s LightningLab accelerator, a member of AngelHQ, and a member of the NZ Institute of Directors.

Marcel will give an overview of the high-level capital lifecycle, different stages and sources of investment, funding sources, and what investors are looking for in the start-up ecosystem. Additionally, he will give you an overview of what you should be looking for when it comes to seeking shareholders in your startup.

Reflections on a Global SaaS Journey with Aaron Ward, AskNicely's Co-Founder

AskNicely’s Aaron Ward and 2023 Māori Company of the Year, joins us to reflect on his SaaS journey going global from a garden shed in Ponsonby and back again. What would he tell his younger self, knowing what he knows now?

AskNicely’s award winning customer experience platform for service businesses now serves over 1,300 customers around the world, employing over 50 employees globally. It has also raised US 50m in venture funding. Now, as he moves into a board role at AskNicely, Aaron has time to reflect on his key journey milestones to date: setting course, tackling the US market, and the different demands on his leadership during change. What did he wish he’d known back then and what does he wish he’d done differently with the benefit of hindsight?

Passing the torch: Navigating the journey of delegated (product) leadership with Andrew Tokeley

Andrew Tokeley, (aka Tokes) is New Zealand's only independent Product Leadership Coach, committed to raising the awareness and practice of product leadership across the country. Since founding his business in 2017, he's worked with over 70 companies, ranging from startups to banks, and is particularly interested in how founders work with specialised product leaders as they grow their businesses.

Tokes will use his experience coaching and advising product companies across New Zealand to explore the challenges and opportunities for founders when deciding, if, when, and how to delegate aspects of their role as leaders.

Drinks are available to purchase at the club.