design – Creative Welly – Courageous conversations with bold humans.

Creative Welly Episode #43 | Tania Anderson & Nick Fox

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Tania Anderson, System participatory designer and Hoa Haere (learning partner)

Tania is a puppy mum, recently a wife to a wonderful husband, obsessed with food and cooking for loved ones and has a hobby of acquiring new hobbies. She geeks out about complex systems and shifting them towards a world that lives below the ecological ceiling and above the social floor.

They are an interdisciplinary system and participatory designer and recovering project and change manager. Creating solutions and embedding change for social outcomes and impact. Believing that compassion, evidence and lived experience leadership are key to co-creating change and making a real difference with people.

Nick Fox, Founder, Jumping Fox Interactive Ltd

Nick is the Founder and CEO of Jumping Fox Interactive – a salesmaking consulting company – working with B2B sales organisations and helping them get fit for a digital-first world.

He has made his career within and then leading B2B sales and marketing teams. Just prior to starting Jumping Fox, Nick had worked at New Zealand Post. First as GM of Customer Experience – looking after all customer-facing aspects of the business, including sales, marketing, and digital channels. And then as GM of Digital Platforms. As part of the digital role, Nick went to the d.school at Stanford University to learn and apply user-centred design techniques. He’s been back a number of times since to speak – and is now also a d.school-trained design thinking coach.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #42 | Vida Christeller & Digby Scott

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Vida Christeller, Manager City Design, Wellington City Council

Vida leads the City Design team at Wellington City Council, a team focused on influencing and delivering people-centric spaces which build on the best of Wellington and transforms the City to be fit for the future. Her focus is on ensuring that Councils Strategy and Policy is implemented and the city becomes more sustainable in the whole holistic sense of the word – that densification is done well through empowering Wellingtonians of all ages and abilities to get around safely on foot and by bike, urban greening, public space upgrades and place-based regeneration. Wellington City Council is turning strategy into action and are beginning a decade of transformative change.

Digby Scott, Mentor, guide, and catalyst for leaders and change-makers

I’m a trusted mentor, guide and catalyst for leaders and change-makers. I’m deeply interested in how in this age of flux and uncertainty, we can better design our lives, our organisations and our societies to enable people to live well, purposefully and sustainably. I reckon this stuff matters more than ever now.

With 25+ years in the people game, my expertise is all about cutting through to get to what matters, and bringing energy and fresh thinking to get people unstuck and moving forward.

Originally from Western Australia, I’ve made Wellington my home. I love this place for its creativity, how nature is right there in your face, and the diversity of people that hang out here.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #41 | Hollie Arnett & Joe Hopkirk

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Hollie Arnett, Founder of Maker & Moxie

Hollie Arnett is a brand strategist and coach for creatives, and the founder of Maker & Moxie. With a background in graphic design and experience with her own art practice, Hollie knows the power of creativity and how building a brand can enable your creative business to thrive. That’s why she’s on a mission to help creators build their brand, grow their audience, and share their work with the world so that together we can make the world a more creative place, one brand at a time.

More creativity, colour, and joy in the world? Yes please!

Joe Hopkirk, Strategy Development Manager, Greater Wellington Regional Council

I’m Joe, a long time ago, climbing on a cliff face somewhere, I realised that finding the easiest way to do the most difficult thing was a beautiful shortcut to living a satisfying life.

This has led me down a long a windy path via a fair few rocky trails and hill tops to working in systems and strategy design. Looking for connection in concepts and shifting how problems are framed, to find ways of addressing the challenges of the climate, biodiversity crisis.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #36 | Laurinda Thomas & Guy Marriage

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Laurinda Thomas, Advocate for libraries, digital equity, and public spaces.

Curious librarian, local government person, optimist. I like kicking the tyres on stuff. I was once called the consummate public servant and I’m still not quite sure how to take that comment.

My career keeps on coming back to libraries. They’re so amazing! Who would dream up a library these days? I love their potential, the people they can help. They are such satisfying places to make things happen.

I like to make things happen. Finding the best opportunities out of a crisis. Getting in the thin end of the wedge. Figuring stuff out. My career has been about turning problems into good stuff: in libraries, IT, archives, information management.

In the weekends I watch the kids swim and the broccoli grow. Sometimes it rains, and we watch Disney movies.

Guy Marriage, Architect

Guy Marriage is an Architect. Teaching construction at Victoria University in Wellington, and practising architecture at First Light Studio, he is an architecturaholic and a bookaholic too. He not only reads lots of books, but writes them as well – Tall, Medium, MAD. And get this: he raves about buildings, and space, and knows a thing or two about libraries as well.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #35 | Freda Wells & Dan Neely

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Freda Wells, Curator / Communications Advisor / Yoga teacher / mum

My curiousity about people, behaviour and the invisible forces between things, and my tendency to daydream, doodle, and sympathise with the underdog, have carved a winding life path around many countries, conversations and adventures.

In Europe, seeing our ecological trajectory, I added environmental science to my mishmash of uni papers, including psychology, neuropsyc, french, philosophy, graphic design, and music.

My work ‘portfolio’ includes comms & engagement advisor for the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee, teaching yoga, and curating The Kiwi Diary – a diary designed to share art and ideas that are good for people and planet.

I see many global woes as social in nature, that we need to “bring heart back”. We need to better understand how our inner world constructs our outer world, and the importance of psychological safety, I’m excited about co-curating experiences to cultivate these!

Dan Neely, Manager Community Resilience | Wellington CDEM Group Recovery

Dan Neely is the Manager of Community Resilience and Group Recovery Manager at the Wellington Emergency Management Office (WREMO). Dan is a community development practitioner – who happens to work in the Emergency Management.

He started in this field more than 20 years starting as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in the recovery of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras and later with the International Organisation for Migration in Sri Lanka after the Boxing Day Tsunami.

He leads a team of passionate and innovative people who make a real difference to peoples’ lives. Their work has been adopted by cities across Aotearoa, Australia, USA and Canada.

Originally from Arizona, he also knows a good taco when he sees one.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #33 | Cynthia Hunefeld & Mark Westerby

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Cynthia Hunefeld, CEO & Founder Evithé Biotechnology

I have dedicated my life to improving treatment outcomes of chronic inflammation and sepsis with innovations in drug discovery and development, focused on complex botanical drugs.

Plant medicine are my passion and I have over 20 years experience in the field of ethnobotany and integrative medicines and applied these skills both in a clinical setting and by supporting fellow practitioners as a consultant and technical support person for a distributor of integrative medicines.

My mission is to connect tradition and science towards the develop a quality controlled, clinically proven complex botanical drugs that harnesses botanical defence system for a sophisticated
multi-target approach inspired by nature.

Mark Westerby, Producer

Mark Westerby is the Managing Director & Producer of WestMark Productions, a screen production company in Wellington and also a Co-Founder of Taia Studios. Mark has a rich and varied history in the creative sector, working previously as the director of the NZ Fringe Festival, the producer of the PANNZ Arts Market and for several years on international events like London Fashion Week, Australian Fashion Week, Sydney Film Festival and Tropfest. In recent years, he has served as Executive Producer/Associate Producer on films such as PORK PIE, BORN RACER, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AI, DAWN RAID and the upcoming WHINA. Mark has developed a specialist EPK/BTS and Trailer agency, and has recently directed and produced content for MOTHERS OF THE REVOLUTION, MILLIE LIES LOW, POPPY and was a finalist in the Golden Trailer Awards for his EPK work on THE LUMINARIES. Mark currently has a short film, podcast and three television series in development.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #32 | Michelle Kitney & Rob Cousins

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Michelle Kitney, Chief Executive at Volunteering New Zealand

Michelle Kitney lead’s Volunteering New Zealand. Originally from Taranaki, she lives in Te whanganui a tara with her three boys and husband.

Volunteering New Zealand is the national umbrella organisation for volunteers and volunteering. It’s purpose is to empower volunteers to enrich Aotearoa New Zealand.

Michelle has a background in communications, marketing, social enterprise and not for profit experience. She has also worked in the public sector in New Zealand and the UK. She says she volunteered her way into her current job. Gaining relevant experience through a variety of volunteering roles.

She cooks and plays Floorball in her spare time.

Rob Cousins, Innovation Manager

Being honest, I’m a jack of all trades and master of none, who often seems to land on my feet, and somehow finds a way to make a difference with the people I meet. After a mediocre degree in Psychology, I worked in insurance and risk management in the UK, whilst pursuing hobbies that were both uninsurable and risky in many other parts of the world. Instead of a career, I’ve followed opportunities as they’ve arisen, and as I’ve pursued various different interests.

All of this has taught me that they key to most challenges is people, their experience, being curious and caring. Right now I am bringing this to how health and safety is understood, and how we might regulate that, from WorkSafeNZ. Shifting away from paperwork, compliance and rules. Moving towards caring about people, creating improvement, and giving people power over the things that affect them.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #29 | Emilie Fetscher & James Bushell

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Emilie Fetscher, Entrepreneur / Designer / Researcher, GM Design @ Xero

Need zest? Meet Emilie. Deeply curious, passionately collaborative, and inspired by the people and world we live in; Emilie brings a diverse background and relentless optimism to all her endeavors. She’s worked in and out of design as an outdoor guide, a freelancer, in a boutique consultancy, as well as starting tech and non-tech businesses before taking the plunge into the large global team that is Xero. Outside of her day job she contributes to the startup ecosystem, mentoring programs for young women, and as a lurker in environmental communities. She’s also an outdoor enthusiast and lover of great dinner table conversations with old friends and new.

James Bushell, Director / Investor / Strategist, MOTIF

James Bushell is the founding director of MOTIF, a specialist business advisory for organisations that want to create a more equitable and sustainable world. He is a leading strategist in incorporating ethics and sustainability into commercial models and has had governance and executive experience in developing, emerging and developed economies. James is also an author and recently released a book called HUMANGOOD – a field guide to ethical leadership.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #27 | Negin Imani & Derek Bradley

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Dr Negin Imani

Negin is a lecturer in Architectural and Building Science, founder of Biomimicry NZ, representing New Zealand in the Biomimicry Institute global network, and a Visiting Scholar at the School of Architecture, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand since 2020.

Negin’s research is focused on sustainable architecture and biomimetic energy efficient building design. She is the first post-doctoral researcher at the VUW school of architecture. Her research investigates possibilities to develop living building modules. She has co-authored the book “Heating with Wolves, Cooling with Cacti”.

As a recipient of the National Science Challenge, Science for Technological Innovation, Seed Project grant, Negin is working as the Principle Investigator of the project, Biomimetic Buildings for Climate Change Adaptation: Future Generation of Facades.

Derek Bradley, CEO, A44 Games

Derek Bradley is the CEO of A44 Games an independent games studio based in Wellington, New Zealand. He was the Game Director on ASHEN, the company’s first title, which was released world-wide at the Annual Game Awards in 2018.

Audio podcast subscription options:

To receive email notifications of each episode (approximately twice a month), sign up below or via the sidebar:

Creative Welly Episode #23 | Samantha Gadd & Phyo Thu

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Samantha Gadd, Passionate about all things business and employee experience, Founder / Director of Humankind and EX Design School

I am a super proud mum of three boys, business founder and EX enthusiast. I am obsessed with business, leadership, growth, brand and all things people in business.

I have recently launched EX Design School, having just stepped away from my CEO role at Humankind after nearly 10 years. EX Design School is an online programme and community with global ambitions, looking to transform how business leaders and HR practitioners design awesome employee experiences. I’m excited to learn about how to build a product and global community, alongside putting my business experience to the next test!

Phyo Thu, eMotion Maker, Founder and Creative Director of Fox & Co

After nearly a decade of experience in motion design and visual effects, I started my animation studio, Fox & Co Design, to fuel my passion for storytelling through animation and unite a subculture of like-minded creatives with the same enthusiasm. I’ve been fortunate to have built a talented team that shares my vision, and together, we continue to create inspiring visuals.

Virtual production is becoming a leading trend to constant evolutions in the animation industry – I’m excited to see how we can leverage all the emerging technology to push our boundaries and take our creativity to the next level!