Survival mode has had a long run. Global noise, economic pressure, an election cycle thatβs kept everyone guessing β Kiwi SMEs have weathered all of it. But growth doesnβt wait for perfect conditions. Itβs made by the businesses bold enough to go after it anyway.
One week after New Zealand goes to the polls, Ready to Rise returns for round three: After the Result. Not to relitigate the vote, but to work out what the next three years could mean for your business. No political spin, no wait-and-see. Just sharp thinking, hard-won stories and real strategy for your next bold call.
Nobody else builds your business for you. The SMEs who pull ahead from here are the ones who back themselves β and this is where you find your people to do it alongside.
Tickets are $89 (incl. GST). Grab yours now.
Speakers
We built this line-up around one question: What does an SME owner need to hear the week after the vote? So weβve put founders whoβve grown through tough conditions alongside people who can read the economy, the policy landscape and the business market. Expect both sides of the story: Whatβs changing, and how to make your next move anyway.
Your MC
Angus keeps the morning lively and on track, linking the founder stories, the panel and your questions so you leave with actions, not just notes.
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- Angus Jenkins is a leadership and performance coach, keynote speaker, master facilitator and Mirror Holder: he helps leaders close the gap between who they believe they are and what theyβre capable of. Angus spent 25+ years leading in corporate across seven industries before backing himself to build Angus Jenkins Leadership. Today, he partners with CEOs, executives and founders to trust their judgement, grow their leadership and lift the performance of their teams. As your Ready to Rise MC, Angus will connect the founder stories, the panel and the questions in the room, keeping the morning lively, focused and useful. Expect energy, warmth, a little irreverence and a healthy appetite for getting to the heart of things.
Keynote addresses
Two Kiwi founders whoβve built global brands through tough conditions share the hard calls, what paid off, and what theyβre betting on next.
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- Grant Taylor is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of MOXX Brands, a fast-growing New Zealand consumer goods start-up building award-winning brands sold across the USA, Canada, Australia and NZ, including home fragrance brand Maison&Muse and hair care brands DoseTheory & Everblue, among others. Grant is an experienced FMCG entrepreneur, having previously founded Rascal+Friends, the hugely successful nappy brand now sold around the world and which secured Grant EY Entrepreneur of the Year-Product as well as Coles Non-Food Supplier of the Year. MOXX was recently awarded Excellence in International Business at the 2degrees Auckland Business Awards, following its Best Emerging Business win in 2024 and an outstanding third place in the 2025 Deloitte Fast 50, where it was also named New Zealandβs fastest-growing consumer products and export business. Grant is passionate about building high-performing brands, taking Kiwi businesses to the world and creating products that genuinely deliver for consumers.
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- Angus Brown is the founder of Δrepa, a New Zealand brain food technology company creating clinically researched nutrition products designed to support mental performance and brain health. More recently the company has discovered a new molecule that has a world-first position in food. Under Angusβs leadership, Δrepa has grown into one of Australasiaβs leading brain health brands, combining food science, neuroscience, brand storytelling, and human clinical research to build consumer trust and market demand. Angus has firsthand experience navigating health claims, regulatory scrutiny, product innovation, IP development, and the commercial realities of building a science-led food brand.
Panel discussion β After the Result: Whatβs next for Kiwi business
An economist, a former Deputy Prime Minister, a business telco leader and political commentator unpack what the result really means for SMEs: Rates, policy, and where the opportunities sit over the next three years.
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- Kelly Eckhold is Chief Economist at Westpac. Kelly began his career at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, where he went on to hold a range of senior roles across the Financial Markets, Economics and Financial Stability departments. Most recently, he spent 12 years at the International Monetary Fund, working on monetary policy, foreign exchange and financial stability issues. Kelly joined Westpac in March 2023.
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- Paula Bennett is National Director of Customer Engagement and Advisory at Bayleys. She leads the companyβs engagement with select corporate, government, large developers and private wealth. She excels in building relationships with clients, understanding their needs and tailoring a property plan specific to individual requirements across the suite of Bayleyβs offerings, including transacting large property deals. During her 15-year career in politics, Paula Bennett served as Deputy Prime Minister and a Cabinet minister with portfolios including social development, associate finance, state services, police and local government. She is currently the Director of Strategic Advisory at Bayleys Real Estate, Pharmac Board Chair and Board Chair of Sea Cleaners. Paula has a podcast with the NZ Herald that is in its 9th season. Paula is MΔori with Tainui ancestry.
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- Andrew Fairgray was appointed Chief Business Officer at 2degrees in September 2019. Andrew is an industry veteran, having formerly run his own business JETA Group. Previous to that he was the head of corporate and government sales at Vodafone. He has also held a range of executive roles in New Zealand and overseas with multi-national operators such as Alcatel Lucent, Nokia, and IBM. Andrew joined 2degrees in its 10th year, with a strong brand and a significant opportunity to grow market share and Fight for Fair for Kiwi Businesses. Most recently, through the merger with Vocus, he continues to lead the 2degrees Business team to improve the overall productivity of New Zealand Inc. through leveraging 2degrees world class mobile and fixed networks.
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- Trish Sherson is Co-Founder & Strategy Director of corporate affairs firm, Sherson Willis. Trish is a communications strategist with a background in media and politics. She established Sherson Willis in 2005 along with Rewa Willis, which has grown to be one of the leading Corporate Affairs firms in New Zealand and the local Affiliate for global consulting firm, FTI. Her specialties include financial and corporate communications, crisis management, litigation support and government relations. Her recognised expertise has seen her acting for many leading New Zealand and international companies and regularly called on for expert media commentary on politics and business. Trish started her career in Parliament as a senior caucus press secretary, and as a journalist and radio host for Radio New Zealand. She has produced radio shows and TV news and current affairs. In the run up to the election Trish has been part of Newstalkβs ZBβs weekly βThe Front Benchβ show on Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive and the Heraldβs analysis team for the leadersβ debates.
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Why you should be in the room
- Real stories, not theory. SME leaders on how theyβve turned hard calls into hard-won growth.
- Strategy you can use the next day. Practical, no-fluff takeaways for the three years ahead.
- A panel that says the quiet part out loud. Straight talk on what the result means for business, without the politics.
- A room full of your people. Connect with SME owners facing the same conditions, and figure it out together.
Last time at Ready to Rise
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