BLACKBIRD
AOTEAROA ROADSHOW '22
Tuesday 24 May, 2pm - 4.30pm. Holiday Inn, Frankton, Queenstown.
The Blackbird Aotearoa team are coming to Queenstown!
The team are so excited to meet you - the Kiwi startup founders defining Aotearoa’s future. They’re keen to hear about what you’re working on and to support you in your journey.
WHAT'S ON:
2PM - 3PM: OPEN OFFICE HOURS
The Blackbird team have brought their best mentors and will be dedicating 1:1 time to work with you on specific challenges you might be facing with your startup.
Check out the team’s bios below to see who might be have the right experience to best help you, and sign up quick as spots are limited!
(Only 12 slots available)
3PM - 4.30PM: PITCH WORKSHOP & NETWORKING
As investors, the Blackbird team see countless pitch decks and hear from many founders. They know what makes a good pitch and are keen to share their insights with you to help you up-your-pitch-game.
You’ll also have opportunities to practice in peer groups, receive real-time feedback. Followed by a chance to network with the Blackbird team and fellow founders- so don’t miss out.
Come along, get your questions answered and have some fun!
MEET THE MENTORS
Samantha Wong
General Partner
Sam is a Partner at Blackbird. Originally from Australia, she now heads up the office in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), where she raised its inaugural $60M New Zealand fund in 2020 and is continuing Blackbird’s Kiwi adventure! Sam has broad investment interest including digital healthcare, robotics and IoT and B2B software. Sam sits on the boards of Halter, FirstAML, Foundry Lab, Partly, Harrison AI and Workyard.
Sam is passionate about diversity in technology and venture capital and spear-headed the release of the Model Code of Conduct for the Startup Community as well as a venture capital internship program for women.
Phoebe Harrop
Principal
Phoebe is a Principal in Blackbird’s investment team based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). At Blackbird her investments span software and hardware, including EnergyBank, HyperSegment, ThroughLine, Excellent and SoulAether.
Prior to joining Blackbird, Phoebe spent 8 years’ in London and Melbourne.
Most recently, she was a Director in the Growth Equity fund at Generation, Al Gore’s sustainability-focused investment firm. There she invested in technology companies impacting the Sustainable Development Goals, from Nature’s Fynd (alternative protein) and Remitly (cross-border money transfer), to Convoy (transport efficiency) and Proterra (electric buses). She began her career as a management consultant at Bain & Company after studying Law and Spanish at the University of Otago.
James Palmer
Investment Associate
James is an Associate in Blackbird’s investment team based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). Prior to joining Blackbird, James spent six years across a variety of finance roles.
Most recently as an Investment Manger at NZ Growth Capital Partners where he led investments into Blackbird Aotearoa Fund 1, GD1 Fund 3 and Movac Fund 5. He additionally led or supported co-investments into Author-it (Enterprise SaaS), Kry10 (Security-first OS) and Zenno Astronautics (Aerospace). Prior to NZGCP he was a member of Todd Corporation’s Strategy and Corporate Development team.
Outside of work James loves watching and following sport (he’s an NBA & F1 junky) and cooking.
David Long
Community Lead Aotearoa
David is Blackbird’s Community lead for Aotearoa New Zealand and responsible for supporting and growing the startup ecosystem here. He's a mechatronics engineer by trade with experience leading hardware/software engineering teams and product direction.
Keen to chat all things community, tech/product & team building!
WHERE: In-Person, Holiday Inn, 28 Red Oaks Drive, Frankton, Queenstown 9300
WHEN: Tuesday 24 May, 2pm-4.30pm
