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Climate Smart Entrepreneurship Workshop Invitation
Many communities in developing countries face economic, social and ecological challenges that are threatening their very existence. This has spurred an international team of researchers to look at ways of linking sustainability and entrepreneurship research capabilities to come up with some innovative solutions.
“We’ve called this new approach ‘climate smart entrepreneurship’ and we’re using the terms ‘climate’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ in a holistic way,” says the research team’s leader Professor Brendan Gray, who is based at the University of Otago’s Centre for Entrepreneurship in Dunedin, New Zealand.
“That means we’re interested in interactions between social, economic and ecological conditions and their impact on the efforts of communities to develop sustainable business and social enterprises.”
Members of the ie-scholars network who have an interest in sustainability issues, particularly as they relate to indigenous, family and community-based entrepreneurship, are invited to attend a research workshop on ‘climate smart entrepreneurship’ that will be held in conjunction with the 14th McGill International Entrepreneurship Conference at the University of Southern Denmark in September.
If you are interested in attending an informal workshop over a meal one evening in Odense then drop and email to Brendan Gray [brendan.gray@otago.ac.nz] or Rod McNaughton [rmcnaughton@uwaterloo.ca] and we’ll let you now the time and place where we can meet.
Entrepreneurship Researcher Creates a Winning Recipe (June 2011)
One of the presenters who will feature at this year’s Samoa II Conference, as well as an IE Scholars-sponsored research workshop that follows the conference, has just won a prestigious international award.
Dr Tracy Berno, who has conducted research into how communities in the Pacific Islands can develop entrepreneurial tourism businesses, has created a cookbook along with chef Robert Oliver. Their book, Ma’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific, has been named Best Book of the Year in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
Dr Berno, who now works as planning director at New Zealand’s Lincoln University, decided that one way of encouraging international tourism development would be to promote the region’s cuisine. The book is an unusual outcome for an academic research project, Dr Berno admits. As well as letting potential investors and visitors from around the world know about island cuisine, Dr Berno says she wanted to remind South Pacific cooks that their food is as good as any.
Dr Berno will discuss the innovative research methods she employed at a special track on cross-cultural entrepreneurship and social science research methods at the Samoa II Conference, to be held at the National University of Samoa, Apia, Samoa, from July 5-8, 2011. She will also take part in a follow-up workshop, sponsored by the IE Scholars network, aimed at establishing a multi-country study on international indigenous, family and community-based entrepreneurship.
Professor Brendan Gray, who heads the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Otago, New Zealand, is chairing both events that Dr Berno will be taking part in. “Tracy certainly seems to have found a winning recipe – hopefully she can inspire other researchers to come up with creative research-based publications, too,” says Professor Gray. “She has also managed to give something back to the communities she studied, which is what good action-based research aims to do.”
STUDY FOR A MASTER OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEGREE IN QUEENSTOWN
The University of Otago is launching an additional stream of its popular Master of Entrepreneurship degree in Queenstown in July 2011. Queenstown is New Zealand’s “adventure capital” and is therefore ideally suited to people wishing to set up innovative new ventures in the wine, tourism, adventure and leisure sectors.
A number of established entrepreneurs and angel investors have also moved to the Queenstown, Wanaka and Central Otago areas in recent years for business reasons, and are being recruited to act as guest speakers, as well as well as mentors and advisors for any student entrepreneurs.
Classes will be held in the modern and well-appointed Queenstown Resort College. While the course is underpinned by solid theory delivered by University of Otago lecturers, a highly experiential approach is taken to the teaching and learning processes. Consequently each paper features guest lectures from industry (for example venture capitalists, lawyers, patent attorneys, and design engineers), and presentations from established entrepreneurs. Students are also strongly encouraged to network with visitors and seek their own mentors.
Community-based Entrepreneurship Initiative (April 2011)
The Centre for Entrepreneurship is taking a leading role in developing an international research project on indigenous, family and community-based entrepreneurship.
In July, the Dunedin City Chair in Entrepreneurship, Brendan Gray, will be chairing a two-day research workshop in Samoa that has attracted 20 researchers from New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, the USA and UK who have an interest in researching how indigenous communities can develop innovative, export-oriented businesses. The workshop, which will be held at the National University of Samoa (NUS), is being sponsored by the Canadian-based International Entrepreneurship Scholars Network.
The researchers attending the workshop have also volunteered to present papers during six special sessions on cross-cultural and entrepreneurship research methodology which Professor Gray has also organised for the Samoa 2 Conference, which will precede the community-based research workshop. Several participants will also help Professor Gray to present seminars for NUS postgraduate students and staff on research methods, which will be held the day before the conference starts.
“Two things got me interested in indigenous entrepreneurship. The first was my involvement with KUMA – the southern Maori business development network – which opened my eyes to the potential of Maori-owned businesses to transform struggling communities. The second event was a holiday in Rarotonga, where it became obvious that the Cook Islands were exporting all their finest minds to New Zealand and Australia to go to university, but there were no high quality jobs for these young people to come back home to. So, the only alternative looks like creating new export-oriented ventures based in the Pacific Islands”.
During his sabbatical last year Professor Gray visited Samoa twice to discuss research opportunities.
“We’re starting with an historical case study of Women in Business Development Inc – or WIBDI – which is an incredibly successful community-based entrepreneurship development organisation. One of its success stories is that it is the only supplier of virgin coconut oil to the Body Shop internationally. Suzanne Duncan, from Te Tumu, and I are interested in whether the WIBDI model can be adapted for other developing communities.”
Last year Professor Gray also canvassed the opinions of researchers with similar interests at the McGill International Entrepreneurship Conference in Montreal. On the way home he visited Professor Ana Maria Peredo, from Victoria University, British Columbia, who is the leading researcher in community-based entrepreneurship.”
“We are thrilled that Professor Peredo has agreed to kick off our research methodology track at the Samoa 2 Conference and that she is keen to lend her expertise to a multi-country study of indigenous, family and community-based entrepreneurship.”
Superheroes sell health messages
23 June 2010
Former Master of Entrepreneurship student and winner of the inaugural Audacious business competition Dr Kim Chilman-Blair and business partner Dr Kate Hersov have got their Medikidz health information company off to a super start.
The company, which aims to provide medical information to children, uses cartoon characters to explain health conditions and treatments in clear and concise ways that young patients can understand.
Since September 2009 the UK-based company, which now employs 20 staff, has launched a range of illustrated books featuring superheroes who tackle topics as diverse as leukaemia, HIV and epilepsy.
Medikidz is also producing comic books and on-line information to help children understand health problems that might affect their parents.
For more information go to http://www.medikidz.com/home or click on the link to a recent Otago Daily Times article http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/111432/superheroes-helping-children-illnesses.
Study of environmental entrepreneurs wins international acclaim
Dr Jodyanne Kirkwood and Dr Sara Walton, of the Department of Management, University of Otago, have been invited to speak at the International Women’s Forum in Montréal, Québec, Canada, in October. The invitation is to present some of the findings from their indepth study of ecopreneurs (funded through the Centre for Entrepreneurship) at the Plenary Program – Ecopreneurs: The Blue Gold Rush.
Download further information (pdf)
University of Otago Master of Entrepreneurship Graduands August 22, 2009
DEGREES TO BE CONFERRED AND DIPLOMAS AWARDED IN PERSON
Walid Othman H Alahmadi, with credit, Felicity Butcher, with distinction, Steven Ralph Hore, with credit, Bhavneet Kaur, with distinction
DEGREES TO BE CONFERRED AND DIPLOMAS AWARDED IN ABSENTIA
Hasan Abdel Rahman, with credit, Mariam El-Assar, with credit, David John Poussard, with distinction.
Master of Entrepreneurship Graduand Aims to make Dunedin a Centre for Golf Tourism
Dunedin City Councillor Fliss Butcher graduated with a Master of Entrepreneurship and aims to develop Dunedin as a centre for golf tourism.
Full profile from the Otago Daily Times (PDF Format)
Centre for Entrepreneurship Seminar Series
Black swans and managing high growth companies
Professor Mark Ahn, Professor and Chair, Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Faculties of Commerce & Administration and Science Victoria University of Wellington
3 April 2009, 5.00 pm, Commerce 2:03
Download of Professor Mark Ahn's slides (PDF Format)
Making Universities More Entrepreneurial
Dr Alan Collier and Professor Brendan Gray, Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Otago
21 May, 5.00 pm, Commerce 2:03
Professor Brendan Gray and Dr Alan Collier, from the Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Otago, examined the economic and social benefits that result from commercialising university research. The commercialisation practices and performance of universities in the USA, Australia and New Zealand were compared. The on-going debate over whether universities should focus on generating income or improving the well-being of society was also be addressed.
The open lecture was held in School Business, Commerce Building, Room 2.03, Thursday 21 May, 5pm.
Download of Professor Brendan Gray and Dr Alan Collier's slides (PDF Format)
Growing green entrepreneurs
Dr Jodyanne Kirkwood and Dr Sara Walton, Department of Management, University of Otago
3 July, 5.00 pm, Commerce 2:03
How do entrepreneurs cope with the conflicting values of being green and maintaining a financially viable business?
Suggestions for achieving these diverse aims werel presented at a Centre for Entrepreneurship seminar on Friday 3 July at 4.00pm in the Archway 2 theatre.
Ecopreneurs are emerging as a new type of entrepreneur who balance environmental and financial concerns.
Insights from a study of their environmentally conscious companies will be discussed at the seminar.
Download of Dr Jodyanne Kirkwood and Dr Sara Walton's slides (PDF Format)
High growth university spin-outs in Canada’s Technology Triangle
Professor Rod McNaughton, University of Waterloo, Canada
13 August, 5.00 pm, Commerce 2:03
Innovative universities can transform local economies. A world-leading example is the University of Waterloo, at the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle. Professor Rod McNaughton discussed how universities can emulate Waterloo’s example by spinning out high growth firms and creating a culture of entrepreneurship.
The open lecture was held in the School of Business, Commerce Building, Room 2.03, Thursday 13 August, 5pm.
Download of Professor Professor Rod McNaughton's slides (PDF Format)
Professor Rod McNaughthon's presentation is also availble to view. Please follow the link below.
http://unitube.otago.ac.nz/view?m=nrRveMjKXE
Social entrepreneurship – The case of fenced eco-sanctuaries in New Zealand
Professor Colin Campbell-Hunt, Department of Management, University of Otago
24 September, 5.00 pm, Commerce 2:03
Half a dozen fenced ecosanctuaries have now been established in New Zealand, including Dunedin’s Orokonui Ecosanctuary (the only one to date in the South Island). These ventures are the result of community-based enterprise, and are a good example of entrepreneurship being applied to create social rather than economic benefit. An in-depth study of the establishment of all six sanctuaries by Diane Campbell-Hunt describes in detail the elements that must be brought together to launch these ventures, and to sustain them over a very long horizon. The role of the entrepreneur in bringing these ventures to life is described, as are the processes they use to engage community support.
Download of Professor Colin Campbell-Hunt's slides (PDF Format)
Social Tourism Entrepreneurship Through Networks
Professor Alison Morrison, was until recently at the University of Strathclyde
5 November, 5.00 pm, Commerce 2:03
Using a case study approach, the Ayrshire Food Network provides an example of a private/public sector partnership, driven by a visionary community entrepreneur.
Success and sustainability factors are identified that can be applied within international tourism contexts.
Professor Alison Morrison's presentation is also available to view. Please follow the link below.