Blackbird

Building community has been a reoccurring theme throughout Season 5 of Wild Hearts, with our most recent episode being no exception. In this weeks chat with Amber Joseph from NextWork, Mason Yates uncovered what the definition of a 'super fan' is and how important they are in telling a brands story. To listen to the full episode, head over to the links below 👇 📣 Subscribe on Apple: https://lnkd.in/gn2HNu7U 📣 Subscribe on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g7zur8wy #WildHearts

Amber Joseph is rewriting the rules of learning. After scaling a solo business to $700,000/year without cofounders or funding, she pivoted to tackle online education’s biggest flaws. Now the founder of NextWork, Amber is building a platform that teaches real-world skills, validated by real companies. In our latest episode of Wild Hearts, we sit down with Amber and dive deep into:   🚀 How Amber Joseph scaled a solo services business to $700,000/year with no cofounders or funding 🤔 Amber’s pivot from a solo business to a startup solving online education’s biggest challenges 🌍 The “learning loop” framework that redefines knowledge acquisition, application, and validation 🎯 Why launching imperfect products accelerates progress and drives better user outcomes 💡 How Amber built a 40,000-strong fan community in three months, and why fans turned into co-creators 🔑 How seamless onboarding and cultural insights are critical to NextWork’s growth   This episode isn’t just about Amber Joseph’s achievements—it’s a masterclass in turning failure into fuel and building communities that power transformational learning. 📣 Listen now on Apple: https://lnkd.in/gn2HNu7U 📣 Listen now on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g7zur8wy #WildHearts

Amber Joseph is not only re-writing the rules for learning through NextWork, but is changing what it means to work in a team through a concept that she explains to us as 'invisible scripts' 🗣️ Tomorrow, tune in to our latest episode of Wild Hearts hosted by Mason Yates as we uncover a management tool with huge impact 💭 📣 Subscribe on Apple: https://lnkd.in/gn2HNu7U 📣 Subscribe on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g7zur8wy #WildHearts #Podcast #Founder #NextWork

🌅 See you tomorrow, Travellers! 🌅 The wait is almost over - Sunrise Aotearoa kicks off tomorrow at Shed 6 in Wellington, and we’re bursting with excitement to see you there. Registration opens at 8 AM, with programming starting at 9 AM, sharp. Get ready for a day packed with inspiration, connection, and big ideas. Big ideas need big support, and we’re so grateful to the incredible sponsors fueling creativity, innovation, and ambition at Sunrise Aotearoa. You’ll find them on stage, hosting community meetups, and supercharging your Sunrise experience every step of the way. A HUGE thank you to our sponsors for making Sunrise Aotearoa 2024 possible: Airwallex, WellingtonNZ, Google Cloud, Stripe, Atlas Digital, Caffeine Daily , Deel, Dropbox, HSBC Commercial Banking, LegalVision, Paloma, Previously Unavailable, Remote, Vanta, Wrestler, Creative HQ, Global Entrepreneurship Network #SunriseNZ24

🚨🌅 New #SunriseNZ24 session alert! 🌅🚨 Dr. Ratu Mataira from OpenStar Technologies will dive into the incredible journey of building a prototype nuclear fusion reactor right here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington - a reactor that’s achieved first plasma (for a fraction of the cost and time of any global competitor) and could one day power the grid with zero emissions. Joined on stage, by our very own Phoebe Harrop, General Partner at Blackbird, for a Q+A to dig even deeper into the highs, lows, and future of this groundbreaking project. Don’t miss his story of leaving academia, tackling deep tech challenges, and what it takes to go global from Aotearoa. Please note: This keynote will be replacing Tim Doyle's session at Sunrise Aotearoa 2024. ✨ See you tomorrow? ✨

🌅 ⏰ The countdown is on - Sunrise Aotearoa 2024 is just a few days away! When we said this lineup is HUGE, we weren’t kidding. Next Tuesday at Shed 6 in Wellington, you'll hear from some of the most inspiring minds across tech, business, and creativity. Here's the all-star cast: ✨ Flavia Tata Nardini - CEO & Co-Founder at Fleet Space Technologies ✨ Ratu Mataira - Founder & CEO at OpenStar Technologies ✨ Peter Beck - CEO & Founder at Rocket Lab ✨ Joel Little - Songwriter & Producer / Founder at Big Fan ✨ Phoebe Harrop - General Partner at Blackbird ✨ Rowan Simpson - Chair at Hoku Group ✨ Penelope Barton - CEO at Crimson Global Academy ✨ Shay Wright - Co-creator at Elemental Food ✨ Mike Langford - Head of VC & Startup Ecosystem at Google Cloud ✨ Ben Hanna - Head of New Zealand at Stripe ✨ Christine van Hoffen - People Lead at Tracksuit ✨ Sebastian Cox- Partner & Chief Venture Officer at Paloma Group ✨ Simon Plant - Chief Technology Officer at Paloma Group ✨ Taylor Fox-Smith - Head of Community Partnerships (ANZ) at Airwallex ✨ Luke Simmons - Sales Lead ANZ at Dropbox ✨ Silk Kadala - Investor at Blackbird ✨ Amber Joseph - Founder & CEO at NextWork ✨ Josh Hawkey, CA 🦅 - Financial Controller at Tracksuit ✨ Kimberley Gilmour - Co-founder & CEO at Sprinklr ✨ Wiremu Matthews - Founder & CEO at Kānuka Wellbeing and Leadership ✨ Lauren Peate- CEO at Multitudes ✨ Mike Mandis - Co-CEO at Oxygen Advisors ✨ David Booth - Entrepreneur in Residence & Investor at Blackbird ✨ Alex Cappy - CEO at Basis ✨ Ken Brickley - CEO at MacroActive ✨ Sam Stubbs - MD & Co-founder at Simplicity ✨ Jessica Venning-Bryan - Founder & CEO at Prospero ✨ Tama Toki- Founder & CEO at Aotea ✨ Prageeth Jayathissa - GM Sustainability at Vector Limited ✨ Russell Burt - Principal at Pt England School Travellers, we can't wait to see you there. #SunriseNZ24

A pivotal piece of advice—"You need to get some revenue"—transformed a product-obsessed company into a revenue-driven success story. This mindset shift propelled Instant from $0 to $1M ARR in just six months, proving the power of focus and clear priorities. Tune into this week's episode of Wild Hearts with Mason Yates to hear the insights of Liam Millward, Co-founder and CEO of Instant and his journey from rejection to new heights in breakneck speed. #WildHearts Niki Scevak Max Meyer Michael Tolo

Yes, at #SunriseNZ24 you can go to all three community meetup sessions – we won’t make you choose. Presented by our pals Airwallex, these sessions are packed with insights on everything from nailing your pitch to setting up a solid finance foundation. Join us, swap stories, and get ready to take your startup to the next level! There’s plenty more happening at #SunriseNZ24 – check out the full guide to our meetup sessions (as well as the jam-packed speaker lineup!) here 👉https://lnkd.in/gP6CFKRD See you on 26 November in Wellington? 🌅🥝

Hong Kong, we’ve arrived – but don’t think we came empty-handed! Say hello to our newest product Forged Gras, a foie gras made from cultured Japanese quail, coming to your streets in a deliberately different way. In an eccentric izakaya hidden in the heart of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Forged has launched into Hong Kong with The Aubrey. At one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars (# 10!), delight and indulge in Forged Parfait as it arrives in a shroud of sencha smoke and under a veil of chives. And for a limited time, pair Forged Parfait with Senses — a fresh take on an old fashioned, fat-washed with Forged Gras to deliver a deep, rich flavour complemented by layers of herbal notes and a touch of nuttiness from the Amontillado sherry. TLDR; So there we have it. We are in our second market, Hong Kong. Our second product, Forged Gras, pays homage to the classic — a richly satisfying fatty liver experience — but surprises with the deliberately different and subtle, clean, refined flavours of Japanese quail. And where else could we launch such a decadence, if not for The Aubrey's gilded halls at the Mandarin Oriental. Ready for you to enjoy in the clouds of Hong Kong, right now https://lnkd.in/gn-j3TAr George Peppou Dalia Adler PeakBridge Prosperity7 Ventures Blackbird Green Queen Media Square Peg

We're delighted to debut a new content partnership with Missing Perspectives, High Agency Women: profiles and stories that shine a light on what women are building, and how they're building it. Read one of the first stories, a profile on Sunroom co-founder Michelle Battersby 👇 , and find the full series at Missing Perspectives.