Recently the Hawke’s Bay business community came together to experience a wave of inspiration and innovation with The Profit Unleashed, the first of a must-attend business event series held at The Atrium @ Tribune in Hastings. This gathering, featuring some of Hawke’s Bay’s, and indeed New Zealand’s most influential business leaders, served as a hub for connection, sharing business stories, ideas and opportunities that boost our own businesses.

Meet the Speakers

The lineup included industry trailblazers such as Luke Irving, founder and CEO of Fingermark. Known for pioneering technological advances in Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), Luke shared his remarkable journey from managing bars in Wellington to creating a global enterprise that helps QSRs enhance customer experiences with cutting-edge solutions like self-ordering kiosks and drive-thru intelligence.

Robyn McLean, co-founder of Hello Period, shared her success story of building a sustainable period care company that has significantly reduced waste by diverting over 600,000 single-use products from landfills globally. Robyn’s vision is to make Hello Period a leading name in sustainable period care, aiming to reach one billion by 2030.

Also featured was Hamish Pinkham, co-founder of the Rhythm & Vines festival. What began as a small gathering, Rhythm & Vines has grown into a major music event, attracting internationally acclaimed acts and over 30,000 attendees. Hamish’s passion extended beyond music festivals, as he also co-founded Endeavour Live, creating beloved events and festivals across New Zealand.

An Event of Opportunities

The event provided more than just inspirational stories; it offered a platform for local businesses to connect, share ideas, and find opportunities for growth and innovation. Supported by prestigious names like Int. Workspaces, Bramwell Bate Lawyers, NOW Busines, Gemco, Ziwi, New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, and also by a line-up of several other businesses, such as Folio Creative, Brave Brewing Co, Tribune, 2B Limitless, Attn Marketing PR, O-Studio Hawke’s Bay, Winefriend, Zeffer, HB Tech, Picky and myself who provided a range of various services from tech, product, event photography and other support.