Journal
Insights on future ready leadership, the economics of justice, systemic innovation, and equity by design.
Who Said It? | Who Is? | What Is? | Did You Know? | Systems in Practice | Signals and Reflections
"You wouldn't need charity if the world was just."
Charity matters, but justice matters more. What if the real work of leadership isn’t simply giving back, but redesigning the systems that create inequality in the first place?
Did you know fiction fuels critical thinking?
It turns out stories don’t just entertain us — they expand our minds. Research shows that fiction readers score higher on empathy, social understanding, and flexible thinking.
In a world obsessed with efficiency, maybe the smartest thing we can do for our leadership and creativity is pick up a novel.
Who is Rebecca Solnit?
The essayist who turns observation into action, Rebecca Solnit shows how stories can become tools for change — reminding us that “hope is not a lottery ticket, it’s an axe.”
Discover why her writing continues to shape how we see power, progress, and the systems that define us.
When was the last time you had a pattern interrupt?
Real growth rarely comes from comfort. Whether it’s moving countries, shifting careers, or rethinking what’s possible, disruption helps us see with fresh eyes — revealing what to keep, what to let go of, and what to reimagine.
Read on to explore why intentional change might just be your greatest strategy for renewal.
"If nothing changes, we risk atrophying in our irrelevancy…”
“If nothing changes, we risk atrophying in our irrelevancy. If everything changes, we risk losing ourselves in ineffective chaos.”
Peter Drucker’s words capture the timeless tension of leadership — knowing what to evolve, and what must endure. Read on to explore how leaders can balance progress with purpose without losing their centre.
Who is Prof. Mariana Mazzucato?
The economist redefining the role of government — not as a market referee, but as a co-creator of innovation and public value.
Her work reveals how the boldest technologies of our time were born from public investment, and why the future depends on reimagining the partnership between state and enterprise.
Who is Dr. Joy Buolamwini?
Known as the poet of code, Dr Joy Buolamwini exposed the racial and gender bias hidden in facial recognition systems — and forced Big Tech to confront the coded gaze it refused to see.
Discover how her work reshaped global AI standards and why her call to “design for justice” matters far beyond technology.
"Business and society have a symbiotic relationship…”
Long before “stakeholder capitalism” became a buzzword, the Business Roundtable declared that business and society are symbiotic — each depending on the other to thrive.
Four decades later, we’re still catching up to that truth. Read on to explore how this forgotten wisdom reshapes the way we think about corporate purpose today.
Who is Antionette Carroll, M.A. ?
What if design wasn’t just about solving problems, but about shifting power?
Through her Equity-Centred Community Design (ECCD™) framework, Antoinette D. Carroll redefines innovation to centre equity, justice, and lived experience — a blueprint with powerful lessons for anyone shaping systems, from policy to fintech.
How ancestral wisdom guides me.
As Matariki invites reflection and renewal, I’ve been thinking about my own Internal Board of Directors — the people whose values shape my choices, even when they’re no longer here.
For me, that includes my grandfather, whose quiet strength still guides my leadership today. Who would take a seat on yours?
"We often associate a new invention with a single creator. However….”
We love the myth of the lone genius, but real innovation rarely happens in isolation. Matt Ridley reminds us that progress is almost always a team sport — shaped by the ideas, tools, and people around us.
Read on to explore why rethinking innovation might just change how we design our own systems for creativity and collaboration.
What is Common Good Economics ?
Common Good Economics, championed by Professor Mariana Mazzucato, asks us to reimagine how value is created and shared — not after the fact, but from the start.
In fintech, that shift could change everything. Discover how “pre-distribution” thinking might redefine what innovation, inclusion, and impact look like in financial technology.
What does wellbeing really mean to you and how has this evolved over time?
At the CA ANZ Canterbury Conference, one question made me pause — how much has our understanding of wellbeing really evolved?
Once seen as a “nice-to-have,” I now view it as performance infrastructure, every bit as critical as systems or strategy.
Read on for four mindset shifts that have reshaped how I think about wellbeing, work, and what truly drives performance.
Who is Audrey Tang?
A teenage coder turned cabinet minister, Audrey Tang transformed Taiwan’s democracy with one radical idea — that technology should build trust, not extract attention.
Discover how her “no reply button” innovation helped turn polarisation into collaboration, and why her blueprint for digital democracy might just change the way we design fintech.
Our monthly companywide lunch
Do we eat together because we like each other, or like each other because we eat together?
Our monthly lunch is more than just a shared meal — it’s a ritual that shapes how we connect, collaborate, and perform.
Find out why we believe good kai is one of the smartest investments a business can make.
"To build a culture of innovation…”
Who said it? "To build a culture of innovation, leaders must encourage employees to voice their opinions, share novel ideas, and discuss errors openly."
Could true innovation come not from environments of perfection, but in spaces where vulnerability is welcomed and mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities?
Finance is missing dignity as a design principle.
For too long, financial products have been built by and for those already inside the system, leaving many excluded by complexity, assumptions, and one-size-fits-none thinking.
Could dignity be the missing ingredient that unlocks both trust and innovation?
"Business cannot succeed in societies that fail."
Who said it? "Business cannot succeed in societies that fail." This quote hits differently in today’s world of rising costs, fractured systems, and growing inequality. It’s a timely reminder that social and environmental breakdowns aren’t distant threats, they’re business risks.
New Zealand first tackled pay equity in female-dominated jobs 50 years ago.
Did you know? New Zealand first tackled pay equity in female-dominated jobs 50 years ago, by imagining what a man would be paid to do the same work.
In 1973, unionist Graham Kelly QSO (my father-in-law) became secretary of the Wellington Shop Employees' Union and immediately faced a challenge: employers were creating new, lower-paid job classifications to defeat the intention of the Equal Pay Act 1972.
What is Intergenerational Equity?
Intergenerational equity refers to the principle of fairness between generations, ensuring that today's decisions don't compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs and enjoy similar opportunities. So, how businesses can create intergenerational impact?