Global Kiwi

Annie Lewin is Google’s Senior Director of Advocacy and Head of Asia Pacific. She says technology provides an amazing growth engine for businesses, communities and individuals. But it’s important to recognise that not everyone has the same access to the opportunities and if we are not careful the most vulnerable parts of our societies are going to be left behind.

“When I think about digital inclusiveness and digital equality I think about the work we can do to ensure everyone has equal access to the kinds of digital skills they need to fully participate in society, to grow and develop their careers and to access government and other businesses services which are increasingly going online”

SeniorNet sees older adults signing on to teach their peers how to use technology

To help combat this inequality Google supports a range of organisations including the nonprofit SeniorNet. SeniorNet runs a programme that sees older adults signing on to teach their peers about how to use the internet for everyday tasks such as banking, emails, and online safety. During the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns Annie says the service became a key point of connection for many of our older adults.

“We have had a couple of years now where the normal social connections have not been available in the same way. During the lockdowns we heard stories of seniors joining multiple sessions in a day because that was their only touch point with the world. When we talk about digital inclusion I think we often stop at the technology, but as always with these things it’s the people behind the technology and what they are doing with it that determines whether we are creating a society that is inclusive and equitable.”

The World Economic Forum has named Digital Inequality as a critical threat to the world over the next two years and the seventh most likely long-term risk. There are multiple organisations in New Zealand helping to bridge the digital inequality gap and one of these is RAD or Recycle A Device.

RAD is a nationwide Not For Profit organisation which tracks down donations of old laptops and devices and refurbishes them before donating them to people who would not otherwise have access. Donor Liaison Rebecca Harris says her organisation sees first hand the difference a device can make to not just an individual but a community.

“It’s not just giving someone a laptop. That device gives them opportunities, it helps even the playing field and it creates a snowball effect. We had a story recently of a person who was exiting a domestic violence situation and she had three kids and wanted to study online to improve her job choices but she couldn’t without a laptop. We gave her one, and that device is going to have a huge effect not just for her but for her ability to provide for her family.”

Students refurbish devices as part of the RAD programme

RAD was born out of a school project started by two students at Aotea College that has since been funded and rolled out nationwide. Rebecca says the programme is unique in the sense that it not only supplies devices to communities in need but also works with high schools in those communities to carry out the refurbishment work.

“We collect old devices from businesses and send them to a professional company to make sure they are wiped. Then the two students who started the project, who are now both studying at Otago university, will come in and run a workshop with the schools on how to refurbish them, after that the school will pick up the programme themselves with on-call support from our team and the process continues. Once the laptops are refurbished we work with trusted community groups to make sure they are donated to those who will benefit the most.”

Of course being connected is about more than just having a device and South Auckland business owner Peter Elbourne wants to use his charity ‘equity in connectivity’ to ensure some of our more disadvantaged groups have consistent access to data.

Peter is working on a model which would allow consumers and businesses to donate unused or rollover data to families who can’t afford the internet. His aim is to connect 2 million people by 2025.

The RAD programme not only donates devices it also encourages students to take part in STEM subjects

“When we did some research we found that students would say they had internet access, but actually they were tethering off mum and dad’s phone, so mum and dad had to have credit or they had to be home, not at work for kids to go online and do school work and even then the internet only lasted as long as the credit.”

Peter says a lot of kids don’t want to admit they can’t connect to the internet and giving them the opportunity to access the same resources as their peers is important for their feelings of self worth.

“Being connected empowers people. It’s like that saying ‘when the tide rises all waka rise’. Many of these kids are whakama (embarrassed or ashamed) about their lack of opportunities. They want to have the same opportunities as everyone else. Being digitally connected gives kids access to essential services, it gives them better cultural connectivity. It puts them on that path to a life of engagement with learning.”

While the digital divide affects many sectors in Aotearoa one of the most affected groups are Maori and Pacific people. 27 year old Julia Arnott-Neenee is working to change that. She says she co-founded the organisation PeopleForPeople after hearing too many stories of people who simply didn’t have access to our largely digital society.

“I heard stories of students sitting outside of McDonald’s to access free Wifi; of one device being shared amongst 8 people; of students writing essays on a mobile; of the deep isolation and loneliness of not being connected, and of the inability to access support which moved digital without considering those without access.”

Julia says a world where people are left out because of their inability to be part of a constantly evolving digital culture is a dystopian future she doesn’t want to see, however she says there are plenty of opportunities for Aotearoa to be part of the solution.

“A lot of levers need to be pulled at different levels to create systems change. What I want to make clear is that the responsibility is NOT solely on the individual. It is fundamentally incorrect to point fingers at communities and say it is their fault they are being excluded. There is a mammoth task to create the change I hope to see and many parties need to be working together to achieve a more equitable and inclusive digital future but it is possible.”

New Zealand’s opportunities in the digital inclusivity space is something that Kiwi immigrant Arash Tayebi is passionate about. His company Kara Technologies creates avatars which are used to make sign language more accessible for the deaf community, another group which can be left out by a fast evolving digital culture.

Kara technologies creates digital avatars which help with sign language interpretation

He says the secret to creating digital equality lies in the public and private sector making sure they work closely with the communities they are trying to help.

“We have been really privileged to work closely with the deaf community, we have tried to co-design our elements with that community and that’s a really differentiating part of our company. How closely the tools have been designed with those who are actually using them.

Arash says that while the pandemic has increased challenges around digital accessibility it has also created opportunities.

“Covid has forced technology to accelerate quickly, and when that’s the case it’s often for maximum impact, which means the solution focuses on the majority of people. This leads to minority groups being left behind. However I think New Zealand has a great sense of community, we have many communities here and we look after people. We have already been world leaders in a number of areas and the next one could definitely be accessibility.”

The Air Ambulance retrieves New Zealand’s most critically ill and injured children, bringing them to the country’s only dedicated Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Starship in Auckland. One of the people who sees the positive effects of this service every day, is flight retrieval nurse Kirstie Johnson.

Kirstie has been working as a PICU Nurse for nine years and has been part of the flight retrieval team for the last eighteen months. In that time she estimates she has done around 30 retrievals. She says people don’t really think about the Air Ambulance until the day they need it.

“When your child needs help they need it fast, that’s why the Air Ambulance is so important. Starship provides specialised paediatric services that aren’t available anywhere else in the country. To be able to get kids to Auckland is often a matter of life and death.”

The Boyce family knows just how crucial the service is, 14-year-old Amelia was hit by a car while using a pedestrian crossing last year, just six days before Christmas. She suffered numerous injuries including three skull fractures, concussion, and a broken hip. The seriousness of her injuries meant she needed the Air Ambulance to transport her to Starship, in Auckland. Her parents Adria and Dean say they’re incredibly grateful to the team.

“Starship and the Air Ambulance is an amazing life support which the whole of New Zealand relies on. The dedicated and experienced staff helped us through a very difficult time.”

Amelia is loaded onto the Air Ambulance for transfer

This year alone the Air Ambulance has made 145 retrieval flights. Kirstie says she still remembers her first flight, when she was sent to Palmerston North hospital to retrieve a six year old girl who needed the highly specialised care that PICU provides.

“We transferred the wee girl and her mother to PICU and a few days later she was becoming more stable. However, every time her mother saw me on the ward she would burst into tears, because I reminded her of that awful time when her child needed our help. As the girl recovered, so did her mum and she was just so thankful to us. It made me realise just how valuable Starship is for Kiwi kids and their families.”

Supporting family and whānau during the retrieval is a key part of the team’s role. While their primary focus is the patient, Kirstie says they are talking to the family every step of the way.

“When you turn up at the hospital and meet the family it’s one of the most scary and stressful times of their life. We come in with a lot of equipment, our bags are huge. The situation is often critical and parents take one look at us and they get so overwhelmed. It’s such a highly emotional time for them. From the time we arrive at the regional hospital we are talking to the family all the time, talking them through the flight and the transfer and making sure they always know what is happening and what is going on. It’s hard to talk to them on the plane with the noise and the space restrictions, so we try to explain as much as we can to them before we take off. It’s important that they trust us.”

The support the Air Ambulance team provides to the family is something Havelock North mum Tammi is familiar with. Her son Jordan was born prematurely at just 27 weeks. In his two short years he has already had two return trips to Starship via the Air Ambulance.

Jordan’s first trip came at just six months old when his lung collapsed, and his heart stopped. Tammi says she is so grateful to the Starship team who were there to help her baby.

“The hardest thing was watching him lie there and not be able to help him. But the team kept me on point – he was in the best care, with the best help, and in the best place. They’re like heroes, like the heroes of New Zealand, I reckon. They kept my baby alive.”

Jordan was able to recover in Starship before returning home. But less than 18 months later, just before his second birthday, a similar event saw him back on the Air Ambulance to receive more specialist care at Starship.

Tiny Jordan is bought to Starship PICU via the Air Ambulance

For children like Jordan and Amelia the Air Ambulance is a vital service. Without it, outcomes for both families could have been quite different. Kirstie says being able to see the difference the Air Ambulance makes is what keeps her going even during the longest and toughest shifts.

“I would like to think that if my child needed medical help, they would have the opportunity to be taken to Starship and to get that specialist support. The reason I love my job is because I know the Starship Air Ambulance makes such a difference to people’s lives. It allows children to receive the best possible care. That gives them the best chance to lead long happy lives and there really isn’t anything more important than that.”

We need your help to keep Starship Flying.

Every year the Starship Foundation relies on the support of generous donors to raise around $1.5 million dollars to keep the Air Ambulance flying. You can help by donating at keepstarshipflying.org.nz.

Alternatively you can gift corporate clients and staff Air Smiles. By donating or purchasing Air Smiles you’re helping critically ill and injured children from around New Zealand get the highly specialised care they need at Starship. Give the gift of Air Smiles this Christmas and help ensure the Starship National Air Ambulance is always at the ready 24/7 for children in need

The aim of this series is to highlight the incredible stories of our World Class New Zealanders and inspire other Kiwi to push the boundaries of their own business goals and expectations. Our World Class community are keen to use their insights and learnings to help others achieve the same heights of success that they have experienced.

This month Kea spoke to South American based Kiwi Craig Bell. Craig believes the most important challenge for businesses is to make a dollar and a difference. His commitment to leaving his adopted country of Brazil a better place than he found it, has led him to create a groundbreaking South American dairy model based around traditional New Zealand pasture based farming practices and give back to his local community.

What makes Craig really stand out as a World Class New Zealander is his dedication to share his knowledge and insights with a number of other business owners and entrepreneurs both in Brazil and New Zealand. To hear Craig’s story and discover the challenges and opportunities of operating in the South American market.

Watch the full webinar below.

Architecture Van Brandenburg is a cutting-edge architecture and design company with studios in Dunedin and Queenstown. For the past few years Damien Van Brandenburg and his team have been focused on building a 120,000m2 corporate campus for Chinese fashion giant Marisfrolg in Shenzhen, China. Supporting thirty thousand employees, Damien says the campus is like a mini city and it’s design aims to mimic the natural world.

“The design of Marisfrolg is based on nature and how nature can inspire architecture. We have the ability to learn from natural networks and use these to enhance our lives. For example the roof of the campus is created from leaf life shapes which form canopies, they collect rainwater and push it down a ‘stem’ to be collected and reused much like a plant or a tree would. There is a lot to learn from the way in which a forest, for example, will grow and adapt to look after all the species within it. We can learn from this when we think about the planning and architecture of our future cities.

Marisfrolg corporate campus in China takes its design cues from nature

Damien’s designs aim to use as many recycled and sustainable materials as possible and he says the ability for New Zealand cities to adapt and evolve particularly when it comes to sustainability needs to be a key consideration for Aotearoa.

“Nature is constantly adapting and evolving and changing to make things more efficient for trees and plant life. People have had to adapt a lot recently in response to the pandemic, and I think in future we will see that adaptation be applied to the growth of cities. For example could the cities of the future be grown entirely from trees? Could all our homes come from renewable materials such as mass timber construction which is all digitally fabricated? I think the challenges and opportunities are in adaptation. There is a huge amount of data out there to influence city development so cities of the future can really be learning from the cities of today.”

Making sure Aotearoa’s future cities learn from others is something which Professor Anthony Hoete (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Ranana) is passionate about. Anthony recently moved back to New Zealand after thirty years of practising architecture in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. These days he’s working for the University of Auckland using his expertise in optimal density housing to research ways to make Aotearoa’s cities more compact. He feels New Zealand has a number of opportunities in this space but it’s going to require a big shift in thinking.

From Northern to Southern boundaries Auckland is 120km, whereas if you look at a city like London with almost four times the population it’s around 50km from one edge to the other. We have to optimise our density of living as we move forward, it’s the one major means to tackle the housing crisis. We have a lot of opportunities for infill within our cities, a lot of places where we can build up or create more compact living particularly around transport hubs. A lot of houses with empty roof voids. We need to move away from the quarter acre dream and get used to living closer to each other, yet living closer doesn’t necessarily come at a detriment to quality as we can design buildings for sunlight and daylight, for privacy and overlooking, to make the most of shared spaces.”

“There is nothing wrong with a backyard but let’s get rid of the side yard. Moving into the future we need to look at arrangements like terraced housing. High density housing doesn’t mean ugly cities. Paris, Barcelona and Berlin are all seen as beautiful cities and with citizens living side by side and above and below each other. We also need to question the relationship between house and car, we need to look at parking on the street – maybe walking 20, 50 meters to our front doors and I know that’s a bit of a pain-in-the-rain but accommodating the car onsite is really impeding our livable space.”

Along with the ability to increase density, Anthony says New Zealand also has a real opportunity to create less suburban sprawl and more sustainable cities of the future given our unique environment and our culture of embracing technology.

“We can grow pinus radiata and spruce relatively quickly in this country given our soil conditions. Reforestation is a real opportunity. It’s surprising to me that given we have the capacity to plant the second-largest man made forests in the southern hemisphere (Kaingaroa) we cannot socio-economically exploit locally-grown exotic forestry more. We need to shift the entire housing supply model, embrace off-site manufactured processes with a lot more digital fabrication technologies. By doing so, we could minimise waste and upskill and increase the labour market and disrupt housing supply chains.

Founder of the New Zealand Green Building Council Jane Henley says our building sector is one of the last sectors to innovate and when it comes to cities of the future, innovation and factory manufacturing within the sector will be key.

“Currently the building industry is very bespoke, we need to look at how we can drive a manufacturing mindset. Innovation is key to sustainability and cost effectiveness. The more we can drive computer technology and bring that into the market, we will be able to reduce waste and reduce design cost wastage. If you build better buildings you in turn will have better cities.”

Another key consideration for New Zealand is how we incorporate our culture into urban planning. Deidre Brown has a background in Māori and Pacific architecture and says the cities of Aotearoa’s future must celebrate their place within the pacific.

“Right now the University of Auckland is working on a project looking at how Tāmaki Makaurau would have developed into a modern city without colonization. If we can imagine that and build a model of that then we can start to think about how we could bring some of that back. I think cities of the future have to reflect the people living in them and also reflect the heritage. When they are able to do that they can better adapt to their environment.”

But perhaps the most important consideration when it comes to the cities of the future is making sure they are spaces people want to live in. Damien says he’s optimistic we can create future cities which are not only kind to the planet but also kind to people.

“If you start imagining what future cities might look like, many people will have this idea of sci-fi futuristic cities which are often portrayed in movies. But I think more of an optimistic solution which I think is achievable. Future cities should have spaces, environments, and cultures that we want to be in, that are inclusive and fair. From a design perspective I want the foundations of these cities to be as welcoming as possible, I want people to be able to move through cities without huge congestion, to be able to make the most of things such as small-scale aero transportation. I’d like to think future cities will have buildings which can generate their own power and can be adapted to grow food, to allow farming to take place within a city environment. But overall I think the cities of the future need to be inclusive and welcoming, to allow people to feel safe.”

Chelsea trained as a sports physio in Sydney before emigrating to New Zealand in the early 2000s with her Kiwi husband. She worked in a physio practise in the South Island picking up work here and there with high performance athletes before moving to Auckland in 2011 to take up a role with the newly created organisation, High Performance Sport New Zealand. Then one day out of the blue the NBA came knocking.

“I got an email from an American guy asking if I could look at some issues in their programme, that in itself wasn’t out of the ordinary as I did do that sort of work from time to time. But then all of a sudden I was offered a full time job and was moving to San Francisco and joining this crazy world that was the NBA.”

Chelsea says she had only just started to feel like a real ‘Kiwi’ in Aotearoa and the move to the US brought a fresh of culture shock, however as she began navigation her new role and all that came with it she was surprised to realise that the franchise were also trying to navigate their round her.. Specifically her gender.

Chelsea and 3x NBA Champion Stephen Curry hang out pre game. Photography credit Noah Graham

“When I first arrived I thought my ‘otherness’ was because I was a Kiwi, despite the fact my gender had been brought up on several occasions, I never really believed it was an issue. I had come from a place where being a woman and doing what I do wasn’t unusual so it took me a while to realise in this new climate I was in fact incredibly unique. I was told that the biggest hesitation of bringing me into the team was because I was a woman, and I thought that was absurd, I was like your biggest concern should really be that I know nothing about basketball, you should be concerned about the fact that I literally googled basketball when you offered me the job, who cares if I’m a woman.”

A female management role in the NBA in 2016 was rare, so rare in fact that there were no female toilets, showers or changing rooms. In the early days Chelsa brushed it off, preferring instead to focus on doing her job as best she could but after a while she realised that she had an incredible opportunity to change things for those who would come after her.

“I started receiving lots and lots of letters from little girls – they see you on the television, and they see that you are there with the coaches and you are actually part of the game. Up until that point the only females they have seen have been dancers or entertainers. I would get these letters from girls and the fathers of little girls talking about creating pathways into sport science and it is impossible to not be touched by that. Once I stopped fighting and pretending that my gender was insignificant it was actually easier because I was able to become an advocate. I realised I needed to take this seriously, if I was being judged for being female, if there were no changing rooms or toilets for me, then I had a real opportunity to stop the next person from feeling like that, I had a responsibility for the people who came after me. That I had become a role and I was breaking stereotypes.. I realised I needed to respect that, because it’s a powerful thing.”

Chelsea on the job during a Golden State Warriors match

Chelsea was fortunate enough to be part of the Golden State warriors for three years in which time they won the NBA championship twice, she says being part of that moment was something she will never forget.

“To watch a group of people be that talented and to pull it together that consistently not not just once but twice I didn’t think I can ever explain how remarkable that feels, especially because it’s not my win, it belongs to the athletes, I got to be part of it because of them, it’s not mine. That I got to experience that and be there is such a gift.”

However despite the amazing high of an NBA championship win (and the shiny jewellery that goes with it) Chelsea says her biggest career high was actually something she experienced off the court.

“The highest moment for me was when I got to a place where culturally, I had learnt enough about my athletes to be able to serve them properly. It’s not just that we were different genders, they were also all different cultures and none of those cultures were mine. I honestly believe that to make a high performing person perform at their highest you really need to meet them as the person they are. Their motivations, their cultural needs, their family needs, their performance needs. After about the second year I finally felt like I was getting to that place, where I was reaching them at a level that was culturally appropriate. I wasn’t sure I would ever get there and if that was the case, then have I really served them? That’s not to say I know it all, I could spend another 20 years working there and not know everything, but to be able to understand where they are coming from enough to be able to give them what they need, that was my biggest high.”

A lone female face, Chelsea sits with players and staff at during an Atlanta Hawks game.

After three years with the Golden State Warriors Chelsea was offered the role of executive director of athletic performance and sports medicine for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks had finished bottom of their conference and had the ambitious goal of turning their losing streak around with the aim of making it to the conference play-offs within three years. For Chelsea the opportunity embodied everything she loved about the NBA culture.

“They just kept raising the bar for you. Someone would say can you do this? How about this? Why don’t you have a go at that? Well if you did this then you must want to try that? The steepness of the learning curve is incredible but they support you and have so much trust in you. People expected things of me that I never even expected of myself that I had never imagined of myself, to this day it still feels a little bit make believe. But that was invaluable and it leaves you with this new look on life of why aren’t we having a go, why aren’t we pushing?”

“I went in as a high performance physio and came out six years later with a NBA vice presidency and I came out sitting in boardrooms learning the business of basketball because someone said well you have done that so why not give this a crack. They just keep pushing you and they place so much trust in you that you can do what they give you, further and doing more. when someone gives you that level of support it drives you.”

Chelsea saw the Golden State Warriors win the Championship twice during her time with the club.

By the end of the three years the Hawks made it through several rounds of the playoffs to compete in the Eastern Conference finals, making them one of the top four teams in the NBA that season, a crowning achievement for the club. Chelsea meanwhile had been promoted to vice president of athletic performance and sports medicine. An executive position, and one of only two women at that level.

However the drive and opportunities came with sacrifices, the job was seven days and week up to 18 hours a day. And after three years in Atlanta, Chelsea and her husband were ready to come home. Right now she’s taking a break, allowing herself time to reflect on a whirlwind six years and the lessons she has learnt. Lessons she hopes to bring to her next role in New Zealand.

“I think for me the biggest learning was around the organisation of people and how you set the bar for them. You have meet firstly as humans, if you do that there isn’t anything blocking us from connecting. There’s absolutely no reason why a white woman, half aussie half kiwi who knows nothing about basketball can go into an established organisation with all its history, and within four and a bit years be sitting at the vice presidency table when she went in as the physio. That shouldn’t work, but it did and I have had to unpack that a number of times. I think it’s because once you break it down it’s about humanity. It takes some bravery to meet someone as human because it means accepting you are one too, but once you can find that common ground with people then you can build up from there, while that might be a real challenge it’s also where the real payoff comes from.”

“I think in Aotearoa we can sometimes pigeonhole people. We say you do this, and this is what you are capable of and please don’t step outside of that. What we need to start saying to people is well how far can you go? What tools and support can we give you? Can you do that? Why don’t you try this? If you do that in your organisation everybody wins. It takes bravery and belief and huge amounts of human investment, but the payoff is that people will achieve things they never thought they were capable of. As a country we can only benefit from that.”

For those businesses starting to plan ahead with this new information, there is much to be learned from those overseas who have already begun navigating some of the more common challenges.

Kea Connect’s global community is both willing and able to offer advice to businesses in Aotearoa looking to adapt to this new normal. We spoke to several offshore Kiwi who shared advice on three common areas of concern.

Supply chain delays

With the summer holiday season fast approaching, it’s a key time of year for our business community. Ryan Bennett is based in the USA and is the Vice President of Sales at ShipHero, a leading provider of Warehouse Management Software and eCommerce Fulfillment solutions. He says many eCommerce and retail businesses are adjusting to longer lead times due to delays in shipping and planning is key.

“I see some businesses utilising air freight if their products are small, light, or of higher value, while others are ordering inventory months in advance and seeking financing options for the cost of owning stock earlier.”

Pressure on global sea freight is expected to continue

Most online retailers’ sales follow the 80/20 rule, 80% of orders come from 20% of their total SKUs. Ryan’s advice for Kiwi businesses is to order larger quantities of the top-selling 20% of items for peak season. He says New Zealand retailers shouldnt be afraid of running aggressive sales on slow-moving products (the other 80%), if the supply of goods or materials is delayed to ensure they capture much-needed revenue during peak season. “It’s critical to be flexible and quick to pivot during these unprecedented times.”

Closer to home, Melbourne businesses are reopening after enduring some of the longest lockdown periods worldwide. Kerry Osborne is a business mentor advisor working with SMEs in the Victorian capital and says supply chain issues have seen many manufacturers become less reliant on overseas imported materials.

“Manufacturers are now looking to the circular economy to supply recycled product, such as recycled plastic pellets for their goods. Also handmade and local products are really taking off both in online sales, but also within stores, as they open and use live streaming for those still unable, or unwilling to travel. I am also seeing local communities and businesses banding together to promote their food, wine and local products regionally and in urban clusters, which also uses that sustainable theme and recycling, circular economy at its heart.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says globally the effects of Covid will continue to strain supply chains and ongoing pressure on global sea freight is expected to continue as are long standing cargo delays. This is particularly prevalent for ports along the USA West Coast. In response, businesses that usually ship to the West Coast have shifted cargo to ports along the East Coast, Gulf and Pacific Northwest.

Travel Restrictions

Difficulties around international travel continue to challenge export businesses. Whether it’s keeping front of mind with partners or securing offshore investment, it’s a frustrating environment and it’s easy for Kiwi businesses to feel left behind.

Chris Perfect helps businesses navigate risk and says there are a few tactics that Kiwi businesses can employ to make sure they stay front of mind until our borders reopen.

“Every geographic market, business segment, and industry is different. “There is no single factor that a business can rely on, but here are some themes that I’ve seen help clients navigate the pandemic to stay front of mind:

be creative – there is an ocean of samey-samey client engagement out there, even small amounts of creativity in the look and feel of engagement can make a big difference
emphasise the relationship – think personalise, empathise, energise.
don’t use guesswork – chase feedback and monitor buying patterns relentlessly. Then learn from it: be better, be more resilient.”

For businesses concerned about raising capital offshore, investor relations and marketing expert Elizabeth van Rooyen says many professionals have realised there are plenty of opportunities they can access digitally, and businesses should leverage this.

Difficulties around international travel continue to challenge export businesses

“In the venture capital world, there have been many instances of founders getting access to offshore investors through Twitter or other digital mediums that has led to funding entirely virtually. Because of this shift, investors are getting access to a whole new range of differentiated deal flow compared to the venture capital down the road from them. Business owners should take advantage of this.”

Team morale and productivity

Along with the more business focused challenges, many companies are also working out how to bring people back into the office safely and productively in the months ahead.

Chris says businesses that have done well in the USA are those that have focused on the aspirations and human concerns of their employees.

“Some workers will find returning to the workplace difficult, many have happily settled into a life of remote working, others will have concerns about the risk of contracting COVID if they return to a shared workspace. Open and frequent communication is key, emphasising the positives: increased productivity, less loneliness, and firmer boundaries between work and home life. Businesses should be ready to make reasonable accommodations. With recruiting challenges in many sectors now is time to be pragmatic rather than dogmatic.”

Former management consultant turned entertainment entrepreneur Rebecca Assice says her key tip for New Zealand businesses is to use this time to work together with your competitors to reopen your industry in the most productive and positive way possible. “Collaboration is more important than competition”.

Whatever your focus is over the next few months, remember that you are not alone. Kea Connect’s free service is happy to connect you with our global community of experts to help with the challenges facing your export business. If you would like an introduction to any of the contributors mentioned in this article, or anyone else in our international community, reach out today. To learn more about how Kea Connect can help your business and our process, see here.

We would like to thank those people from our global community of experts who helped with this article.

Ryan Bennet, VP of Sales, Fulfillment at ShipHero, USA

Rebecca Assice, Owner, Virtual Room Asia Pacific and Escape Hunt Australia & NZ, Singapore

Chris Perfect, Owner and Principal Consultant, Concept and Perspective, LLC, USA

Kerry Osborne, Lead Mentor, Managing Partner, The Leaders Mentor, Australia

Elizabeth van Rooyen, Head of Investor Relations & Marketing, Invest Unlisted, Australia

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