Fireside Chats from Queenstown – Founders, Operators, and the Ecosystem Behind Episode 100

Before the 100th episode of Startup Theatre with Rod Drury, we brought the community together in Queenstown for a live fireside series with founders, operators, investors, and ecosystem builders from across New Zealand.

In front of a live audience, we explored what really happens behind the scenes of building companies – from validating an idea and surviving early mistakes, to scaling teams, raising capital, hiring well, and knowing when to step aside as a founder.

You’ll hear from founders at different stages, SaaS and non-SaaS alike, alongside the people who quietly support the ecosystem every day – investors, advisors, operators, and community leaders.

This episode captures the honesty, humour, and reality of startup life, complete with live reactions, tough lessons, and practical insights for anyone building, backing, or thinking about starting a company.

Moderated by our own Adrienne Muir & Troy Hammond

Fireside chat panel (Founders):

• Rob Stirling – Scannable

• Melissa Jenner – ACTVO

• Heidi Farren – Tourism Innovation Group (TIG)

• Stuart McLean – EverCommerce

Ecosystem supporters panel:

• Peter Fullerton-Smith – Mountain Club

• Alison Meredith – Startup Queenstown Lakes

• Anand Reddy – PwC New Zealand

• Kimberley Gilmour – Sprinklr NZ

Proudly supported by PwC, long-standing champions of New Zealand’s tech and startup ecosystem.

Want a free discovery session with PwC?

Head to 👉🏻 https://www.pwc.co.nz/services/private-business/startup-theatre.html

Special thanks to our supporter sponsor in Startup Queenstown Lakes⁠