Entrepreneurs have a new space to grow their business with the official launch of Reserve, an innovation hub located in Glen Innes town centre designed to stimulate business growth in the Tāmaki area.

Opened on 8 July, Reserve was established by Tāmaki Regeneration (TRC) – the lead agency for urban regeneration in Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure – in partnership with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region’s economic and cultural agency. TRC purchased a building and retrofitted it for Reserve as part of its vision to revitalise Glen Innes town centre.

Local social enterprise In the Flow State will operate the hub, providing a space where Tāmaki innovators and entrepreneurs can come together with subject matter experts and business mentors to connect, learn and grow around like-minded people.

Nick Hill, Chief Executive of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited says Reserve is an excellent example of place-based economic development, which seeks to amplify economic opportunities that exist in a particular area.

“Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has a strong culture of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship – particularly amongst its Māori and Pacific people. Our work with Tāmaki Regeneration showed the conditions were right for an innovation hub in Tāmaki, and we are delighted to be working in partnership to help unlock economic opportunities for the local community,” says Hill.

Hill says place-based economic initiatives and programmes are now more important than ever.

“The ongoing impact of COVID-19 has accelerated prosperity inequalities across our region, highlighting the urgent need for interventions and programmes that help attract and retain business and investment, enable quality jobs for people close to where they live, and improve the physical and social environment,” says Hill.

Tyrone Tangata-Makiri, Executive Director of In the Flow State, echoes Hill’s sentiment, saying his vision for Reserve is to create an environment where people can do business where they live.

“It’s very important for us to have something local and know there are others who are on their own journey of creating businesses that are going to help lots of people, not only here in Tāmaki, but around the world,” says Tangata-Makiri.

Prior to Reserve’s official opening, Tangata-Makiri and other local entrepreneurs helped set-up ESTBLSHD, an online community that has been supporting potential startups remotely while the hub building was being refurbished ready for use.

Shelley Katae, Chief Executive of Tāmaki Regeneration, is proud that TRC has been able to play a support role in the establishment of Reserve and is excited about what this, with the establishment of other local businesses and artists, means for the future of Tāmaki.

“We recognise that Tyrone and the ESTBLSHD team have been operating as a collective long before these doors were opened, and indigenous entrepreneurial capability has been a part of the history of Tāmaki for hundreds of years. When they approached us with their vision to establish a hub, it was a no brainer for us to support their kaupapa of driving equity outcomes for Māori and Pasifika from Tāmaki, mana motuhake for the collective, and revitalisation of the town centre. It aligns perfectly to our drivers, and it has been fantastic to provide that support with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited,” says Katae.

Reserve – named after the local reserves Tangata-Makiri and his friends used to hang out at when they were growing up – connects into Auckland’s vibrant innovation network, which includes Click Creative Tech Studios in the west, GridMNK in the south and GridAKL in central Tāmaki Makaurau.

Hill says the innovation network plays an important role in fostering the region’s creative, innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, as identified in the Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures report Reimagining Tāmaki Makaurau: Harnessing the region’s potential.

“Our work with Koi Tū identified nine scenarios for Auckland to reach its potential. Two of these scenarios – a region of creativity and culture, and an innovative region – fall clearly within Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s mandate and we are delighted to support initiatives such as Reserve to help drive our region towards a better future,” says Hill.

© Scoop Media