More than 1200 recent migrants to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland have attended Auckland Council’s Migrants in Tech meet-ups during the past three years. The bi-monthly events help newcomers learn about Auckland’s tech community and make new connections.
Big crowds and inspiring speakers
Auckland Council hosts Migrants in Tech events at GridAKL in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter innovation precinct, where the programme has gone from strength to strength since its launch in December 2022.
The GridAKL team organises speakers from a range of backgrounds and countries, with industry expertise from AI to deep tech. For newcomers, hearing first-hand experiences – the positive and the challenging – can be invaluable help as they settle in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Session topics are designed to resonate with participants and give them insights into local ways of doing business. They include the importance of networking (‘the power of the flat white’), connecting with and supporting fellow migrants, and reaching out to potential employers to ask for advice.
Kenneth Gustilo, Founder and Director of fintech TerePay, says networking events are invaluable for new migrants looking to set up a new business in a new home.
“Networking is important for migrants like me, especially the first generation. We’re not only diverse by culture, but by diversity of thinking. We have different ideas, and we can build great things - that makes the future exciting for Migrants in Tech,” Gustilo says.
Paula Cooper, Manager Tech Industry at Auckland Council, says that building a career as a migrant is not easy.
We hear from many newcomers that it's hard to find a job when you don't have ‘Kiwi experience’ yet. We wanted to create a space where migrants can collaborate, build their networks, hear success stories and share experiences of living and working in Auckland. For us at Auckland Council, it's also an opportunity to better understand the migrant journey so we can provide more tools and support to attract top talent to the region.
Commitment to growing a thriving community
Auckland’s innovation ecosystem and support networks, such as Migrants in Tech, underpin Auckland’s thriving tech scene.
Auckland Council’s Head of Sector Development, Jasmine Millet, says: “We are proud to be attracting and retaining the world’s best technology workers, as well as committed to growing a thriving community for tech migrants. Migrants in Tech events enable migrants to come together to establish new connections, create supportive networks, and provide essential guidance as they collectively navigate life in a new city and country.”
“Migrants have so much to offer when they become part of our tech ecosystem, and it's important for all of us in the wider tech community to not only make them feel welcome but to help set them up for long-term success in Tāmaki Makaurau. These events are a step towards that goal.”
Calling Auckland tech employers
If you're an Auckland tech employer, register to come along to these events – they are great opportunities to meet potential new talent and network with industry innovators. You can also encourage recent migrants in your own business to attend – even those who have secured a job can benefit from friendship and support networks as they adjust to life in their new city.
Interested in hiring tech talent for your business? Head to the Migrants in Tech Directory to browse profiles, explore portfolios and connect directly with the people who make up Auckland’s migrant tech community.
We are always looking for inspiring speakers, panel members and people to volunteer their time to share their industry experiences and insights. Get in touch with us via email to see how you can get involved.
Connection to Tech Tāmaki Makaurau
Growing our tech sector through talent attraction, the Migrants in Tech event series is part of the Tech Tāmaki Makaurau strategy, a programme of action to grow Auckland’s technology industry, to create jobs and to attract talent and investment to the region.
“The creation of a tech migrant community was identified by industry as a priority action of the strategy. These events are an essential initiative to build a culturally diverse and values-led tech industry,” Jasmine Millet says.
Keep up to date
Migrants in Tech events take place every two months. To learn more about upcoming events, speakers, meet other newcomers and learn about Auckland’s tech ecosystem, head to the Migrants in Tech website.
