Ignite Consultants

This semester I have extended my time with Ignite Consultants serving as a Project Manager! I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a talented team to support local charities and non-profits, helping them achieve their goals and create a greater impact in our communities. Specifically this semester I had the honour of working alongside Jacqueline Theis and Yolanda van Heezik on their project the New Zealand BioDiversity Factor Tool. The NZBF is designed to help developers improve their BioDiversity during the development process, and to improve the overall BioDiversity of our shared planet. 🌏🌱 It was incredible to hear Jacquis passion for the NZBF tool and to help her improve her marketing, reach, and credibility to increase usage overall. I hope that the teams finalised report will be helpful 🚀 I also want to thank the team of consulatants I have worked with this semester, Georgie Burdon David Gough Chloe Balisacan Summer Ellis Hugo Barbour and Sakshi Pal. Your efforts and dedication to this project are admirable and you should all be proud of what you have produced. Thank you also to John Cooper our teams mentor for his guidance and wisdom throughout this journey 😄 That is all for my time with Ignite Consultants ! This organisation will be greatly missed but I know that it is in great hands 🔥

This trimester I've had the amazing honour to be the project manager to an incredible team. The privilege of getting to be a Project Manager with Ignite Consultants for the organisation Foundation for Equity and Research New Zealand I have appreciated the challenge and experienced gained. The team interested countless hours and I'm incredibly proud!! Firstly a special thank you to my mentor Kynan Salt from EY for his unwavering support and guidance throughout the trimester. Thank you to all of the Ignite Consultants team and my consultants for their dedication to making a positive difference! Our project consisted of conducting research on the disability space in New Zealand with specific focus on Tāngata Whaikaha Māori. After conducting research we were tasked to develop a strategic infopack with FERNZ. A key aspect of this strategy was to promote understanding and awareness of holding inclusive events that prioritise accessibility and cultural competency which aligns with FERNZ mission. By creating this information pack, we aim to increase collaboration and attract the use of best practice. On the 1st of October we had our community evening, and it was truly an incredible experience. It was and incredible display of all the hard work and dedication the teams put in over the trimester. It was a fantastic night to acknowledge the hard work and rewarding to see projects success. I've gained so much knowledge and I truely recommend to anyone who is able to take part it is truely an meaningful opportunity. Truely thank you to everyone who has contributed!!

That’s the end of the Ignite Consultants year! I have had an amazing time this trimester as a Project Manager for the New Zealand National Refugee Youth Council. Our project was centred around NZNRYC’s organisational strategy and funding. The team made recommendations on how to engage with stakeholders and how to bring a wide range of perspectives together into one clear strategy - and they did an awesome job of it! I would like to thank consultants Duy Phan, Emily Attfield, Sinéad Pacey, Tedson Chimera, Evelyn Kerse, and Alisha Yeatman for the amazing work you’ve done and the passion you brought to the project. I’d also like to thank NZNRYC CEO Daniel Gamboa, JP for the opportunity to work on the project, and my mentor Tom Henderson for all the support across the past nine weeks. Finally a massive thanks to all the Ignite Consultants Executive for being such an awesome team to be part of!

Empowering Inclusion: My Journey with Ignite Consulting for FERNZ. I recently had the privilege of mentoring a passionate team of seven at Ignite Consulting, a student-led, not-for-profit organisation. Our project aimed to create more inclusive environments in New Zealand, especially for tangata whaikaha Māori, in collaboration with the Foundation for Equity and Research NZ (FERNZ). Key Points of Our Work: - Inclusive Event Spaces: We focused on ensuring that public spaces and events are accessible to all, particularly to tangata whaikaha Māori who experience disability at significantly higher rates. This initiative is crucial for participation in social, cultural, and community events. - Collaboration with FERNZ: Established in 2018, FERNZ is a Kaupapa Māori-governed charity dedicated to fostering a better life and a fairer society. Our collaboration aimed to uphold cultural values that promote inclusion and respect for every individual, regardless of ability. My thanks to the Foundation for Equity and Research New Zealand for their partnership and to the team at Ignite Consultants for their hard work. I look forward to EY's continued support of Ignite Consulting and the impactful work they do in our communities. Additional contributions - In addition to our collaborative efforts, I co-led a Design Thinking workshop alongside Cassidy M. to help provide the consultants with the tools for transformative change. The session was aimed at equipping them with the skills to navigate and influence the complex landscapes of their future projects.

This trimester I have had the honour and the privilege of getting to be a Project Manager for Ignite Consultants for the organisation Helping You Help Animals (HUHA). I have truly enjoyed every moment! I would firstly like to thank my mentor Cassidy M. from EY for her amazing advice and guidance throughout the trimester. Then I would like to thank all of my consultants for the hard work and dedication which they poured into the project you have all really made such an amazing difference! For our project we looked at building and enhancing a volunteer pool for HUHA to increase their community engagement, among younger demographics. A key aspect of this strategy is leveraging social media platforms popular with younger audiences, such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, to promote HUHA's mission and volunteer opportunities. By creating engaging content, and event highlights, we aim to increase visibility and attract more volunteers. Social media will be a vital tool for expanding HUHA's reach and fostering a deeper connection with the community. Last week was our Community Evening, and it was truly an incredible experience. It was amazing to see all the hard work and dedication the teams put in over the trimester come to life. Seeing the projects come together was such a rewarding and fulfilling moment. I've gained so much knowledge and personal growth throughout this journey, and it's hard to say goodbye to something that has been such a meaningful experience. So thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way!!

We were delighted to work with Ignite Consultants – a group of passionate students from Victoria University of Wellington. Ignite provides free support to charities and they helped us with strategic advice for our communications. It was great to attend their Community Evening and celebrate their work with us, Helping You Help Animals (HUHA), Foundation for Equity and Research New Zealand and the New Zealand National Refugee Youth Council. Special thanks to our consultants Yashika, Edwin, Zeke, Grace, Ned, Dhruv and Sophie! 🎉

Amazing work from some of this semester's consultants!

I recently had the privilege to attend the Ignite Consultants Trimester 2 community evening last night (01/10/2024) with a few club members, and I cannot help but make a brief post about this. First off I just want to say wow! Hearing all of the consultants speak passionately about the amazing mahi that they've done with various organizations across 9-10 weeks speaks volume after volume of dedication, perseverance, and quality. The presentations from each group of consultants really makes you feel what they are doing will provide realistic utility in the real world, which is so, so important. I'm confident that the organizations that collaborated with the consultants with Trimester are without a doubt thrilled with the progress made and kaupapa upheld. To say a simple gesture of 'thanks' to the incredible young leaders would be an understatement - they all deserve their flowers! 💐 "Whaowhia te kete mātauranga" - Fill the basket of knowledge

I am very pleased to share that after a competitive application process, involving both a written submission and an interview, I have been accepted to join the student-led, Ignite Consultants this Semester. Having completed my initial training, I am now underway with an exciting 8-week project, which is focused on supporting the future growth and endeavours of the incredible non-for-profit, Taste Nature! I am super excited to contribute to a project which has such a meaningful impact for the wider communities of Mosgiel and Dunedin and am thoroughly enjoying my work so far! Many thanks to Ignite Consultants for the training and also the chance to gain hands-on consulting experience whilst on exchange in New Zealand😄🔥

Thrilled to have been able to partake in this workshop weekend to develop my consultancy skills! I’m very excited to announce that I am working with the Hi-Tech Foundation this semester to help this incredible organisation develop strategy to maximise their social impact.