Social Enterprise Auckland is a collaborative project that began in 2012, when Auckland Council gathered together a group of practitioners, training providers and academics to consider and advise Council on how to best support the development of social enterprise.
In 2015, we became a collaborative member based organisation (an Incorporated Society) in order to develop a vehicle for social enterprises and their supporters to lead this effort and create an environment in which social enterprise is just a normal way of doing business.
Work With Social Enterprise Auckland
Work with Social Enterprise Auckland & Increase Your Social Impact. (Download)
We aspire to build momentum and connect social enterprises together, illuminate their stories, and amplify investment opportunities. We help catalyze further research, investment and momentum towards building a culture where all business considers creating social benefits.
Information
Up-to-date information on social enterprise development. Workshops and events to introduce newcomers to the world of social enterprise and to help experienced practitioners develop.
Connection
Access to support and training services. Access to networks between social enterprises, and between social enterprises and other potential partners.
Inspiration
Stories of social enterprises, their journeys and their successes.
Public Voice
A public voice on matters that are important to our members. Promoting the many benefits that social enterprises bring to local communities, businesses, local and central government, charities and the environment.
Our People
Robert Bruce – Ambassador
Robert is a social entrepreneur and founder of Got To Get Out, an adventure group social enterprise on a mission to get people active and outdoors. Robert’s social impact mission is to improve attendees physical and mental health and wellbeing, while simultaneously strengthening communities by bringing locals and international visitors together via the outdoors.
Robert founded this purpose driven organisation high in the Himalayas in 2015, and today over 3,000 have people have gotten off the couch and into nature, attending one of three hundred (plus) mostly free events. Robert has a bachelor of business from AUT and recently began post graduate studies in social enterprise and advanced sports management. Rob is a member of NZOIA (NZ Outdoor Instructors Association), BYATA (Backpackers Youth Adventure Tourism Assoc.) and is an enthusiastic supporter and industry-connector for SEA.
Sathya Mithra Ashok – Social Enterprise Auckland Executive Director
Sathya has over fourteen years of experience, spanning communications, management and strategy, specifically in media organisations, small businesses, social enterprises and non-profits, across three countries and two continents. She has been Executive Officer at RiskNZ since June 2018, prior to which she was Operations Manager at NZ Global Women. She currently serves as a member of the board at AUTSA and NZ Hi-Tech Trust. Until recently she was on the board of Dress for Success (Auckland).
Board Members
Helen Price – Director of Finance and Administration
Helen had a chartered accountancy practice in Auckland which she sold in 2013 to have a change in direction. She now has a much smaller practice which has allowed her to become more involved in organisations that have a more philanthropic focus.
In her practice she had seen that these enterprises often spent large amounts of their money on paying ‘professionals’ to meet their reporting obligations to funders and meeting other compliance requirements, when the money could be better spent on their core business. She decided that she could, with her experience, change this in a small way by providing these services on a pro bono basis.
She has now become involved with several not for profit organisations in Auckland.
Philip Harper – Board Chairman
Philip has spent the last 5 years in the Not For Profit social sector and has become an advocate for Social Enterprise. He currently works for one of Auckland’s largest Social Entreprises, Airedale Property Trust, who are part of a three Trust structure, which includes Methodist Mission Northern and Lifewise.
Ger Tew
Ger Tew is passionate about the environment, human rights and creative entrepreneurship and with these passions established The ReCreators, upcycling collective. The ReCreators is a Social Enterprise based in Auckland, New Zealand, which promotes sustainable upcycling by providing communities with skills through our variety of creative workshops. All ReCreating artisans represent the multicultural diversity of New Zealand and the work supports them on a journey towards business success, financial sustainability and community integration.
Ger’s background has been working for the government in refugee and human rights matters and The ReCreators is her new entrepreneurial venture. She believes that working collaboratively brings the best results and is enthused to bring this Upcycle Collective to a New Zealand audience.
Ger also works for Social Enterprise Auckland in a bid to promote environmental and social wellbeing outcomes in a business setting. Ger Tew hails from Dublin Ireland and moved to New Zealand in 2001.
Paul Kerssans
Paul has recently moved to New Zealand and is originally Dutch. He has worked in the Impact sector in the Netherlands with a focus on scaling up young purpose-driven organizations. He is now committed to contributing to the Impact sector in New Zealand and is associated with the recently founded Impact Hub Waikato.
Jackie Curry
Jackie Curry is the Director of Spacific Consultancy Ltd, and is currently working on Business Development & Training projects with the MBIE, Samoa Qualifications Authority & Samoa Tourism Authority. She is also teaching part-time at AUT in the Marketing discipline.
She is passionate about working with the Pacific business community in Aotearoa and Samoa, developing SMEs, Social Enterprises & NGOs.