It’s time for our third event in Whangarei. Last year was a sell-out, so you will want to be quick. We’re delighted to be welcoming Frances Valintine, Cassie McAdams and Tammy Auranen.

Thursday 16th May 2019, 6-8.30 pm
Whangarei Art Museum
The Hub, Dent Street, Town Basin

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students – ticket prices are reduced this year thanks to Northpower’s commitment to the community. Read on to learn more or grab your ticket now!

Speaker profiles

Frances Valintine (CNZM)
Founder & CEO, The Mind Lab & Tech Futures Lab

Frances was raised on a farm near Hawera, Taranaki and moved to Auckland when she was around 14.  She is a keen adventure traveller and loves heading off the beaten path to venture into unknown places to get some head space.  

Frances has been a passionate educator and technologist for more than 20 years. In 2013 she founded The Mind Lab, to empower students and educators to develop applied digital knowledge and capability. In 2016 Frances launched Tech Futures Lab to support individuals, organisations and government to navigate the impact of technological advancement and cultural change in the workplace.  In the past 5 years her organisations have taught over 150,000 students, 4,000 teachers and worked with 250 New Zealand organisations.  

Frances sits on Callaghan Innovation and Dilworth Trust Board and is a selection advisor for the Edmund Hillary Foundation. She holds a Master of Education Management from the University of Melbourne.

Frances has received many awards for her work. She was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018 recognising her lifetime of contribution in education and technology and named one of the top 50 EdTech Educators in the World in 2016 by EdTech International.

Cassie McAdams
Invesment Manager, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

Cassie is inspired about fuelling NZ’s start-up ecosystem to compete on a global scale. She believes that all great ideas and founders need support and perspective - and of course adequate funding from the right investors to get there. 

Originally from Whangarei, Cassie has spent her 10-year career predominantly consulting at PwC and Deutsche Bank in Auckland and London. She holds degrees in Law and Science, and recently completed an MBA as an IE Foundation Scholar at IE Business School in Madrid. During that time, Cassie completed IE’s Startup Lab program and interned at Fundie Ventures, developing an interest in entrepreneurship and early-stage venture investment. 

Back on home soil, she now works in the Investment Team at NZTE, and regularly travels to Northland on a mission to help founders to build an investible proposition and raise capital.

Tammy Auranen
Group Manager Digital, Northpower Limited

Tammy was born and raised in a small mining community in Northern Ontario, Canada. About 3 years ago, she had the opportunity to come to NZ for work, and quickly decided to make it her permanent home, based now in Northland. 

Tammy’s career has been in digital, technology and improvement based roles over the course of 18 years and spans many industries. Most recently, she led the IT and systems functions at Far North District Council, City Fitness Group and SunRype Products. She has recently been appointed to lead Northpower’s technology transformation from a mix of legacy systems to a strategic emphasis on digital.

Whilst in Canada she was awarded ‘Women to Watch’ by the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. She was selected for this award due to her leadership and influence in the local tech and business community, as well as her participation in local mentorship programs for women in technology – something she is passionate about.