BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//NZBusiness Magazine - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://nzbusiness.co.nz X-WR-CALDESC:Events for NZBusiness Magazine REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Pacific/Auckland BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1300 TZOFFSETTO:+1200 TZNAME:NZST DTSTART:20240406T140000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1200 TZOFFSETTO:+1300 TZNAME:NZDT DTSTART:20240928T140000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1300 TZOFFSETTO:+1200 TZNAME:NZST DTSTART:20250405T140000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1200 TZOFFSETTO:+1300 TZNAME:NZDT DTSTART:20250927T140000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1300 TZOFFSETTO:+1200 TZNAME:NZST DTSTART:20260404T140000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1200 TZOFFSETTO:+1300 TZNAME:NZDT DTSTART:20260926T140000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20251127T070000 DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Auckland:20251127T093000 DTSTAMP:20260411T064558 CREATED:20250915T230209Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T012753Z UID:12940-1764226800-1764235800@nzbusiness.co.nz SUMMARY:Ready to Rise Business Breakfast DESCRIPTION:Step into 2026 with confidence. Join NZBusiness for the Ready to Rise Business Breakfast and discover strategies\, insights\, and inspiration for SME growth.\nAs 2025 draws to a close\, New Zealand business leaders are looking beyond survival and focusing on opportunity\, strategy\, and growth – a sentiment reinforced by research from premier event sponsor 2degrees. The findings show the highest levels of business optimism since the telco began its annual Shaping Business Study in 2021\, with 45 percent of decision-makers feeling more positive about their prospects than last year. \nIn response to this emerging confidence\, the Ready to Rise Business Breakfast will give SME owners and decision-makers practical strategies\, insights\, and inspiration to move from survival mode into growth mode as they prepare for 2026. \nThe breakfast will feature talks from Sam Stubbs\, Co-founder of Simplicity\, on “Purpose and prosperity: Building the New Zealand economy we want”\, and James Boult\, Co-founder of Gravity\, discussing “Why now is the best time to be an SME”\, with great insight around AI and new tech. Sean Bell\, National Direct Sales Manager – SME for 2degrees will deliver an insights session\, as he unpacks the company’s Shaping Business Study results. The morning wraps up with a dynamic panel of experts – Neil Gaught FRSA\, Kate Wilson\, and Loren Tomlinson – who will explore “Purpose\, protection and growth for SMEs”\, unpacking how businesses can align purpose with performance\, protect intellectual property\, and harness digital strategy for competitive advantage. The morning will be hosted and guided by Marisa Fong\, co-founder of Madison Recruitment and mentor to female founders. \n\n  \nMC\, Speakers & Panellists\nMarisa Fong turns “I didn’t know that” moments into eight-figure exits. As co-founder of Madison Recruitment – NZ’s largest privately held recruitment agency\, sold for $38 million – she now backs female founders through her venture re:ampd with real-world\, battle-tested strategies. A past President of Entrepreneurs Organisation and Hall of Fame inductee for Women Entrepreneurs (2020)\, she has judged the New Zealander of the Year Awards and contributes to boards and networks including Global Women and Institute of Directors.\nJames Boult is the co-founder of Gravity\, an innovation studio that helps organisations build and launch new products at speed. After years working with global brands\, major corporates and fast-moving start-ups\, he’s seen first-hand what makes large companies stall\, and how small\, nimble businesses can out-adapt and out-innovate. His work turning “start-up speed” into a repeatable model for big clients gives him a unique vantage point on why this moment belongs to SMEs and how they can use it to get ahead while larger competitors are stuck.\nKate Wilson is a registered patent attorney\, educator and internationally recognised IP strategist. She is a former founding partner of James & Wells\, holds degrees in physics and chemistry\, and has extensive expertise in establishing and managing IP portfolios. An inductee into the NZ Women Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame\, she is passionate about helping businesses leverage their intangible assets. She is the Author of the recently published book The Hidden Mechanics of IP and currently works with James & Wells as an IP strategist and IP educator.\nNeil Gaught FRSA is an internationally recognised business and management thinker and a pioneer of purpose-driven enterprise\, best known as the creator of Single Organizing Idea (SOI®) — a breakthrough framework that enables organisations to embed purpose at the core of governance\, culture and longterm value creation. For more than two decades\, Neil has advised leaders and equipped organisations with practical tools to turn purpose into profitable outcomes that benefit all stakeholders. His work has taken him to more than 60 countries and every major sector.\nLoren Tomlinson is Founder and Strategist at The Social Collective\, a holistic marketing agency helping service-based businesses and personal brands show up with clarity\, consistency\, and strategy that actually works. With years of experience across digital strategy\, brand development\, and campaign execution\, Loren also host Coffees and Content\, a top marketing podcast sharing honest insights\, real conversations\, and practical advice for growing a business online without losing your voice (or your mind).\nSam Stubbs is Co-Founder and MD of Simplicity. Prior to that he was the CEO of Tower Investments\, a KiwiSaver default provider\, Managing Director of Hanover Group\, and spent 10 years working for Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong. He previously worked for Natwest Markets\, Fay\, Richwhite and IBM New Zealand. He has been a Board Member of the Financial Services Council\, and a member of the Government Taskforce on Financial Services. Sam has an MA (Hons) from the University of Auckland. He is the father of two children\, dreams of Simplicity and sailing around the world.\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\n\n\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nSean Bell is the National Direct Sales Manager – SME for 2degrees based in Auckland. He leads a team of Business Development Managers across New Zealand. With a strong background in sales leadership and partnership development\, Sean drives performance through collaboration\, innovation\, and customer-centric solutions Sean is known for his results-driven approach and commitment to excellence. Sean thrives on building meaningful connections that deliver long-term value.\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nPremier Sponsor\nEvent Sponsors\n \n \n \n  \n\n\n \n \n Ready to Rise\n Not ready to buy tickets? Register your interest for this event and receive updates and further speaker announcements. \n \n Name(Required)\n \n \n \n First\n \n \n \n \n Last\n \n \n Email(Required)\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n  URL:https://nzbusiness.co.nz/event/ready-to-rise-business-breakfast LOCATION:Hilton Hotel\, 147 Quay Street\, Auckland\, New Zealand CATEGORIES:Ready to Rise ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://nzbusiness.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Rise-Breakfast-900x600px_v3-scaled.png ORGANIZER;CN="NZBusiness":MAILTO:editor@nzbusiness.co.nz END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR