By: Christine Woods and Kiri Dell
Being able to effectively test the viability of a new business idea is an important skill for both businesses and business students. In this session, we presented Te Ara Hihiri, a tool we’ve developed to help students and businesses evaluate ideas and turn them into viable business opportunities. The session explored how the tool has already been used in the business world and in a course on Māori entrepreneurship and enterprise development, part of the Postgraduate Māori Business Diploma. We also briefly touched on its use with first nations groups in Canada.
Christine Woods is an Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Business School. She currently teaches entrepreneurship at undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as Māori Entrepreneurship, a component of the Postgraduate Diploma in Māori Business. Her research interests are in the area of family business, SME growth, social entrepreneurship and Māori entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behaviour. Christine is currently the Faculty director of the Vision to Business Programme that is part of Velocity. She is also part of the direction team for The ICEHOUSE Business Growth Programmes and facilitates on the Owner Manager Programme and the Agribusiness programme. Her consultancy work is with SMEs and Family Businesses in strategy development, learning and business growth.Kiri Dell is a PhD candidate in the Business School, looking at barriers and constraints to Māori land development. She is director of Te Raa, which supplies Manuka plants to industry, and was director of Haka International from 2003 to 2011. Kiri’s passion and expertise in the area of business have been recognised with a number of awards, including the Dame Mira Szaszy Māori Business Leader Award 2011 and a Meritous Award for Top Masters of Management 2009.
Contacts:
Christine Woods: cr.woods@auckland.ac.nz
Kiri Dell: k.dell@auckland.ac.nz
