Impact Summit 2018: First three speakers announced

Impact Summit 2018: First three speakers announced for Day One!

Press release: UC Centre for Entrepreneurship

9th July 2018

The Impact Summit will help young people to develop the skills they need to take their next steps -- whether those steps are personal, community-focused or global. Day One is the flagship and final event of the Impact Summit and will take place on the 29th September.

Usman Iftikhar will be flying in fresh from receiving the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year award from none other than Prince Harry himself. Usman will be sharing a few of the things he’s learnt starting his social enterprise, Catalysr, a startup accelerator that helps refugees and migrants realise their entrepreneurial ambitions.

From an entrepreneur, to a journalist, to being our youngest Member of Parliament, Chlöe Swarbrick has no shortage of inspiring stories to tell. She’ll be heading down south for the day to teach everyone a lesson in how to smash the world’s expectations of millennials.

Last but certainly not least, entrepreneur and creative, Bonnie Howland, is a 22 year old fighting avoidable blindness through indigo & iris, a mascara. Bonnie will be gracing the stage to share her top tips on all things social enterprise, design and how to get 2,210 people to pledge money for your product before it’s even on the shelf!

This event is a first for Christchurch but the team have plans to build the Impact Summit into an annual event that brings together young innovators to celebrate their successes as well as learn how to go even further. The event is lead by the UC Centre for Entrepreneurship and supported by a student committee. This provides multiple opportunities for students to hone their skills as well as making sure the content is exciting and relevant.

“The kaupapa of the Impact Summit is to not only inspire, but equip young people with the skills and connections they will need to lead New Zealand into the future. We’re incredibly excited to bring an event like this to Christchurch”, says UCE Programme Manager, Hannah Rhodes.

The Impact Summit is supported by the Ministry for Youth Development.

About the Impact Summit:

The 2018 Impact Summit combines two events, the Social Enterprise Challenge and Day One.

The Social Enterprise Challenge is a two-day hackathon style event on the 27th and 28th September. The teams are challenged to come up with a social enterprise concept that solves a real problem in their community. They will compete for cash-prizes and be mentored by a range of industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs.

Day One is the flagship event on the 29th September which will bring together 150 young innovators and is designed to prepare young people for tomorrow's world. As well as bringing in incredible national and international speakers, Day One includes five different workshop streams so attendees can personalise the day to suit their interests.

The workshops will be hosted by a range of local organisations working in enterprise and impact which will also provide pathways after the event for attendees to tap into.

About UC Centre for Entrepreneurship
UC's Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE) provides a dedicated, student-focused space where ideas and innovation can flourish. With a combination of research, teaching and community engagement we stimulate the development of entrepreneurs, opening minds to a world of new ideas and possibilities.

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