Impact Snapshot
May 2025
In this Impact Snapshot, read about EHF Fellows in action creating economic, environmental and social impact, plus recent recognitions and awards they’ve received.
Fellows in action 🎬
Randy Reddig has been appointed to the founding board of Endeavor New Zealand, the latest chapter of a global organisation supporting local high-impact entrepreneurs.
With strong product expertise, founder experience, and a global perspective, Randy will help to identify NZ’s promising entrepreneurs and connect them with the mentorship, networks, and capital needed to build world-changing companies.
He joins a board of NZ innovation ecosystem leaders, including Sam Blackman and Suse Reynolds, helping to strengthen the bridge between global expertise and local opportunity in support of Aotearoa NZ’s innovation ecosystem
Endeavor New Zealand is the organisation’s 46th global office and represents a new platform to help advance innovation-led impact across the country.
David Booth is supporting early-stage innovation in Aotearoa NZ through his new initiative, Something New - a growing community and series of in-person dinners and gatherings designed for people on the cusp of starting or joining their next company.
With a focus on connection, candid conversation, and peer support, Something New offers a space for founders navigating the vulnerable early moments of building something from scratch.
Recognising that this phase is often marked by uncertainty - around ideas, direction, and support - David has created an environment for making the right connections at the right time.
This is an example of how EHF Fellows are supporting NZ’s innovation ecosystem - helping founders find their footing, share ideas, and move forward with the support of a trusted peer network.
Dino Vendetti has been appointed as a trustee of Technology Queenstown, a nonprofit focused on accelerating the Queenstown Lakes District’s technology sector to contribute $1 billion to the local economy over the next two decades.
As trustee, Dino contributes international investment expertise, access to a global network, and a strong understanding of regional tech development. His appointment highlights the value that EHF Fellows can bring to global-local collaboration in building a resilient and future-focused economy for both the Queenstown Lakes District and NZ.
Based between the US and Portugal, Dino has long supported NZ founders to scale globally, with early investments in Tauranga-based electric motorcycle company UBCO and cryptocurrency exchange Easy Crypto.
Read more (paywalled)
Sara Sutton has joined the advisory team at ACTVO, a NZ-founded company developing AI-driven solutions for workforce learning and development.
Drawing on her extensive experience in technology and the future of work, Sara is providing guidance on ACTVO’s expansion into the US market and mentoring the team as they grow a purposeful, global-first enterprise.
In doing so, Sara continues to support the global scaling of NZ startups.
Nathalie Whitaker and Mike Taitoko are helping to reimagine local economies through the East Coast Exchange (ECX), a community-led trading system that has been recognised recently as a ‘Bright Spot’ by Forum for the Future for its potential to support regenerative futures.
Described by the Forum as a “more equitable model for value exchange and local economic autonomy,” ECX combines indigenous knowledge with digital innovation to enable whānau (families), marae (Māori communal meeting grounds), and communities to self-organise, trade sustainably and reclaim economic agency.
ECX is powered by Toha, the digital public infrastructure co-founded by Nathalie and Mike to support place-based ventures that deliver regenerative outcomes. So far, ECX has enabled direct disbursement of funds to communities after Cyclone Gabrielle, supported Māori land-based projects through co-investment pilots, and launched a world-first nature stewardship token purchased by Air New Zealand. It is a powerful example of how digital systems, grounded in local values, can help communities lead the transition to a more resilient and equitable future.
Jason Mortimer spoke at NZ’s H2 2 ZERO Summit 2025, delivering a talk titled ‘Decreasing costs, increasing efficiency and growing scale with Electric Hydrogen’.
As Senior Vice President at Electric Hydrogen, Jason brings global expertise in scaling renewable hydrogen infrastructure. By sharing his insights on innovation, collaboration, and practical pathways to decarbonisation, Jason is helping to support Aotearoa NZ’s transition to a low-emissions future.
Rangimarie Parata Takurua and Joanne McEachen contributed their voices to a global roundtable on indigenous wisdom, learning, and sustainability.
As part of a SEL Global Leadership Series, the conversation centred indigenous knowledge as a catalyst for reimagining education, wellbeing, and environmental stewardship.
Rangimarie shared insights from Te Pā o Rākaihautū, the internationally recognised 21st-century pā wānanga (learning village) that integrates mātauranga Māori with sustainability innovation - demonstrating how place-based, culturally grounded approaches can transform education systems.
Joanne drew on her global experience in large-scale education transformation, showing how her Contributive Learning framework infuses indigenous values into mainstream systems to create learning that is meaningful, purposeful, and globally relevant.
Together, their contributions and leadership are helping to advance a global shift toward learning ecosystems that are grounded in identity, community, and care for people and planet.
Dipanwita Das and Richard Graves’ company Sorcero has been awarded the 2025 Google Cloud Partner of the Year for Business Applications in Healthcare & Life Sciences.
Sorcero’s platform uses medically-tuned AI to help life sciences organisations navigate complex scientific and clinical information, enabling faster, more accurate insights that support critical healthcare decisions for better patient outcomes across the industry.
In a statement, Dipanwita said: "Being recognised as Google Cloud's Partner of the Year for Business Applications in Healthcare & Life Sciences validates our mission to transform how life sciences’ teams leverage AI to improve patient outcomes.”
The recognition reflects the growing impact of Sorcero’s technology in helping to reshape healthcare systems to manage information, monitor safety, and bring innovation to market responsibly.
Thabiso Mashaba’s initiative Slash for Cash, in collaboration with The Good Carbon Farm, has been selected as one of five Tairāwhiti-based projects to receive support from Air New Zealand’s Every Corner Project.
This backing will help convert cyclone-displaced forestry slash into biochar, which will be gifted to school and community gardens across the region. The project promotes soil regeneration, food sovereignty, and upskilling within East Coast communities.
Thabiso is helping to strengthen local resilience in Aotearoa by supporting sustainable, community-led solutions that nurture both the land and the wellbeing of people.
Kirsty Reynolds was a guest lecturer to second-year entrepreneurship students at the University of Auckland, sharing insights into angel investment as a potential funding pathway for early-stage startups.
By demystifying the investment process and offering practical guidance, Kirsty is equipping the next generation of NZ founders with the tools to navigate early-stage entrepreneurship, and contributing to a more informed and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem in Aotearoa NZ.
Steven Moe interviewed influential economist Shamubeel Eaqub, discussing the recently released ‘Social Cohesion in New Zealand’ report, co-authored by Shamubeel for the Helen Clark Foundation.
Hosted as part of Steven’s Seeds podcast, the conversation explored practical pathways to foster social cohesion in Aotearoa NZ - touching on poverty, intergenerational equity through superannuation, and whether essential services like education, housing, and health should be shielded from political cycles.
The conversation also emphasised the crucial role of arts, sport, spirituality, and community groups in building belonging and resilience.
By spotlighting these systemic issues and possibilities for change, Steven is helping to amplify important conversations on creating a more connected and equitable future for Aotearoa NZ.
Mark Bregman is helping NZ businesses sharpen their scaling strategy by providing practical tools and advice.
In a recent episode of the Vistage LIVE podcast, Mark shared key insights, outlining a scientific approach to growth - combining operational discipline with long-term strategic vision. He encouraged founders to challenge assumptions, embrace disruption as a driver of innovation, and view AI and automation as tools to enhance, rather than replace, human decision-making.
He highlighted that sustainable growth isn’t just about execution - it’s about creating the conditions for continuous learning, resilience, and adaptability. By creating a culture that supports experimentation and strategic thinking, founders can future-proof their organisations and scale with confidence.
Through thought leadership and peer coaching, Mark is supporting entrepreneurs to lead with clarity and long-term perspective.
Y-Vonne Hutchinson participated in a live conversation exploring the evolving landscape of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in the era of tech and AI.
The discussion covered Y-Vonne’s entrepreneurial journey, current ventures, and the complex intersections between emerging technologies and equity in the workplace.
Drawing on her experience as a founder, investor, and long-time advocate for systemic change, Y-Vonne is helping to shape dialogue on how innovation can centre equity and inclusion.
Jade Tang-Taylor joined a panel of AI thought leaders at the ‘AI for Impact Brunch’, hosted by Tukua Whānau and Ngahere Communities, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping impact-led work.
The discussion offered practical insights into how AI can be harnessed to amplify impact across education, community, and cultural initiatives.
By sharing her perspective, Jade is helping impact-led organisations navigate emerging technologies in ways that are values-aligned, innovative, and inclusive.
Dr Reza Jarral, Clinical Director at CareHQ & ProCare, was interviewed for the eHealth Talk NZ podcast.
He discussed his upcoming research as a 2025-2026 Harkness Fellow, where his work will explore how digital health tools and behavioural science can be leveraged to improve health outcomes, particularly by using consumer technologies like wearables and digital health apps to support behaviour change.
Reza’s focus on translating international insights into clinical practice and national policy reflects a systems-level approach to health equity and digital transformation, helping shape a more person-centred and responsive healthcare future for Aotearoa NZ.
Bron Thomson, founder and co-CEO of Springload Te Pipītanga, spoke at the NZ Tech Rally 2025 - a national event focused on strengthening NZ’s tech community through shared learning and local stories.
In her talk, ‘And then the robots came’, Bron reflected on how Springload navigated the uncertainty brought by COVID-19 and the rapid evolution of work. She shared practical lessons on leading a digital business through disruption, including how the team embraced automation and emerging technologies while staying focused on purpose and people.
By sharing Springload’s journey openly, Bron is encouraging a values-led, human-centred approach to innovation, helping build a more resilient tech industry in Aotearoa NZ.
David Bent has joined Absurd Intelligence, a creative studio that is creating a positive, citizen-led transformation of how we live in the face of climate breakdown. David will be supporting transformative, values-driven change through creative collaboration, focusing on strategy, fundraising, project management, and capacity-building.
*Images have been provided by Fellows or sourced from the Internet. EHF does not claim to own the images.