Unlocking potential through innovation and entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial Capability Building

Building entrepreneurial capability in our community including Startup Weekend Tairāwhiti and Global Entrepreneurship Week
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Innovation Ecosystem Development

Developing innovative approaches to envisioning and implementing an Aroha Economy that is built on the principles of generosity, regenerative systems, and generational decision-making
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Design Thinking

Supporting teams to design and implement design thinking methodologies imbued with kaupapa Māori approaches
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Rangatahi

Developing the next generation of social entrepreneurs and community leaders through hands on experiential learning
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Our Kaupapa

Kiko Innovation’s mission is to grow social entrepreneurship and innovation to drive transformative change in Tairāwhiti. A groundswell of local momentum has been building over recent years to drive a much greater transformative agenda through a stronger focus on embracing technological opportunities and creating a cultural shift towards innovation and entrepreneurship.

We are eclectic in our approach, bringing together methods from matauranga Māori, the social sciences, policy, community development, business and design. Catalysing, coordinating and empowering community-led action is at the heart of Kiko Innovation.

Our team have been central figures to the community-led initiative Startup Weekend Tairāwhiti which has run in Tairāwhiti over the last four years and unleashed a wave of entrepreneurial endeavour. Kiko Innovation has also been at the forefront of powering up Tāiki e!, Tairāwhiti’s first Impact House in the heart of the Gisborne driving social and environmental impact using innovative models. Tāiki E! Impact House is made up of several impact business' and community changemakers working across multiple disciplines. It is the residence for Kiko Innovation.

One of Kiko’s key focus areas is on developing youth entrepreneurship pathways which includes Tāiki e! Next Gen, Business Time, Technovation Tairāwhiti, Like A Boss, HīAko and the Hokohoko Youth Market. Kiko Innovation understands that in order to undertake transformative work, a long-term capability programme focused on rangatahi is critical. Our approach is focused on partnering with aligned community leaders and organisations to design, test and iterate different models, while building local leadership capacity and sustainability.

Community Development

We are helping to empower our community to lead and architect our own solution making to generate transformational change for our community.

Kiko Innovation has built a strong reputation for working in a principled and generous way, utilising a broad range of interdisciplinary skills and experience. Our success is driven by the hearts, minds, and souls of our community. Come and join us.

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Tāiki e! Impact House

Kickstarting the Aroha Economy from Tairāwhiti

Kiko Innovation has powered up Tāiki e!, Tairāwhiti’s first Impact House in the heart of Gisborne that connects people with purpose together. Tāiki e! is a collaborative space with a shared agenda for social and environmental action.

Tāiki e! brings together people who are passionate about creating systemic change using collaborative design principles, entrepreneurial thinking and “leading with aroha”. It is a space for changemakers who question the status quo and want to work with others to pursue durable, positive changes within Te Tairāwhiti and beyond.

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Innovating Social Change

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Albert Einstein

We utilise a range of innovative tools and models to to create solutions for some of our most complex social challenges, with a focus on community-led development. We are experts in curating the right conditions for facilitating innovative "collisions" across a diverse mix of social entrepreneurs and community champions. We have an explicit focus on facilitating community-led models – placing community members as both the champions and as the arbiters of change. We equip community with the tools they need to architect their own solution-making processes.

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Tāiki E! Next Gen

Be a force for good

Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting companies; it is a skillset and a way of thinking. We’re passionate about empowering rangatahi to innovate, create, and discover their potential. That’s why we have created innovative and fun entrepreneurship curriculum, training, and programs

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Design Thinking

Designing new approaches for community-led development

Kiko Innovation has built an environment of support and helpful resources to make sure that Partnership is always a priority. Our success is driven by the hearts, minds, and souls of our community. Come and join us.

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