Business Navigators: Innovation and Entrepreneurship pathway
Turn ideas into reality and drive change.
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Stage 1: BUSINESS 113
Business Navigators 1: Explores pathways for growing sustainable ventures through innovation, entrepreneurship, and international market expansion. Integrates marketing, operations, commercial law, and management perspectives using live New Zealand business cases.
Stage 2: BUSINESS 203
Business Navigators 2: Tackles grand challenges facing business and society through consultancy frameworks and industry engagement. Explores areas including leadership, sustainability, and the future of work using live New Zealand business cases.
Stage 3: Stage 3 Capstone Course
Business Navigators 3: A capstone course where students complete a challenging Innovation and Entrepreneurship project, and draw on the skills and knowledge they have gained in their degree to date.
Note: Course titles and descriptions are subject to final approval through University processes.
Extracurricular activities
Participate in activities including:
- Passport to Business
- Business Navigators Club activities
- Activities run by the Business School's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), including:
- Open entry:
- Summer Lab
- Solve It Corporate Innovation sprint
- Technology training - for example, 3D Printer, CNC Router, Laser Cutter, Soldering Station, Vinyl Cutter, Sewing Machine, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Internet of Things
- Velocity Ideas Challenge
- Ignite Innovation (must have an idea)
- Velocity $100k Challenge
- Monthly Māori Entrepreneurship Wananga
- Web3 Hackathon
- Start-up Careers workshops
- By application:
- Velocity Leadership Committee
- Kurutao Māori Entrepreneurial Leaders
- Start-up Interns
- Vanguard Entrepreneurial Leaders Expedition
- Venture Lab incubator
- Open entry:
- Exclusive talks, presentations and events
To complete the programme, students need to complete a minimum of 60 hours in each calendar year of extracurricular activities that are deemed eligible for the programme (over the duration of their degree(s)) and submit a written reflection relating to those activities. Students submit the reflection near the end of their degree(s).
If students complete 40 hours doing Innovation Path activities (which include many of the CIE activities listed above) and also complete 40 hours in another Path (Community Engagement Path, Global Citizens Path, Leadership Path) they will potentially qualify for the University of Auckland Distinguished Graduate Award.
Community-building activities
Business Navigators Club activities, talks, presentations and other events.

“One highlight from the Business Navigators programme was our first discussion-based lesson with Rod Drury. It was a fantastic experience hearing Rod explain in person how he started and scaled Xero. I highly recommend the Business Navigators programme to all future Commerce students, because it offers the opportunity to meet high-profile guests that not even MBA students have the opportunity to meet.”
Bhagjot Singh, Bachelor of Commerce (first year)
Majors: Economics and Finance