Icehouse Business Owner Programme alumni win at Hi-Tech Awards

Pictured above: Courtney and Tua Karalus.

Fresh off a major win at the 2025 Hi-Tech Awards, Deep Dive Division Co-Founder Courtney Karalus shares how the Icehouse Business Owner Programme helped bring structure, resilience, and sustainable growth to their mission-driven enterprise, and why now is the time for Auckland SMEs to get involved.

Winning their category at the 2025 Hi-Tech Awards was a humbling but rewarding experience for Courtney and Tua Karalus, Co-Founders of commercial, scientific and robotic diving business Deep Dive Division.

For Courtney, who manages the commercial side of the business, the rewards have been in the exposure for the work the Deep Dive team do; improving New Zealand’s waterways while developing cutting-edge technology to give customers a real-time digital footprint of their underwater assets.

“We’ve been so humbled by the win. As I said in my speech, we’re just a couple of bootstrapping hustlers from Kirikiriroa trying to make a difference and a positive impact. We’ve been encouraged that people see what we’re doing as meaningful and are taking a real interest in what we do. The judges liked that we are so strongly connected to our ‘why’ we are in business and our purpose.”

But it’s been the reaction from the Deep Dive Division team that has been gold for Courtney.

“One of our team told me afterwards that being connected to the cause and to something greater than themselves was the best sense of job satisfaction.”

Taking out the Poutama Trust Kamupene Maori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year topped off an exhilarating Q2 for the business whose customers include councils, environmental consultants, engineering firms, iwi and the marine industry.

Recognising the tough nature of the economy and wanting to learn more about growing a successful and sustainable business Courtney joined the Icehouse Business Owner Programme offered by the Waikato Chamber of Commerce, winning a scholarship from Waikato-based accountants Vazey Child to subsidise the Programme costs.

“I wanted to know how to build resilience, more structure and efficiencies into our business. I want to bring continuous improvement and value so that when the economy improves, we can be in the best position to capitalise on that.”

Courtney says that being able to put a manageable framework around the business has simplified decision-making.

“The Programme facilitator Jamie Brock was a real highlight because of his deep understanding of business and the way he could simplify ideas that had always felt complicated to us. We’ve been able to use the framework to apply more structure and that will bring the resilience we need, especially with a level of economic uncertainty.

Individual coaching with Jamie is allowing us to dive into our performance on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. We haven’t had that structure before and it’s going to make a huge difference to our business.”

Courtney likened the programme to a fitness regime which can be followed with consistency.

“All of a sudden, we have a targeted programme to consistently work to without the guesswork. We can achieve results and importantly to us, we can scale the business in a sustainable way.”

Are you a business owner in the $1-3 million revenue range? Do you want to learn more about growing a resilient, prosperous business alongside other highly motivated Auckland owners, with positive impact from the Icehouse expertise?

The Icehouse Business Owner Programme is coming to Auckland, starting August, at the Icehouse offices in Parnell.

Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to take your business to the next level – smarter and faster.

Contact Liliana Peneva to register your interest on 021 109 8177, or email [email protected].