Business Navigators: Innovators and Entrepreneurs stream

The Innovators and Entrepreneurs stream is for students who aspire to be entrepreneurs.

Customised papers

Stage 1: BUSINESS 113 Managing Sustainable Growth

Students take this paper instead of BUSINESS 112. Comprises an accelerated delivery of the BUSINESS 112 curriculum in weeks 7-12 and case-based discussions in weeks 2-6.

Stage 2: BUSINESS 202 Business Consulting

Comprises the BUSINESS 202 curriculum with an Extension Module.

Stage 3: Capstone Course

An innovation and entrepreneurship focused capstone course.

Extracurricular activities

Participate in activities including:

Passport to Business
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
  - Pacific Entrepreneurship (TBC)
  - Social Entrepreneurship workshop (TBC for 2025)
  - Legal AI Hackathon (TBC for 2025)
- By application:
  - Velocity Leadership Committee
  - Kurutao Māori Entrepreneurial Leaders
  - Start-up Interns
  - Vanguard Entrepreneurial Leaders Expedition
  - Venture Lab incubator

To complete the programme, students need to complete a minimum of 60 hours of extracurricular activities that are deemed eligible for the programme and a written reflection relating to those activities.

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

Talks and social events.

Woman with long, brown hair, wearing a light blue dress, standing in a warehouse, smiling.

“I’d always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I thought, ‘Well, the University has all these amazing resources for students who want to pursue entrepreneurship or explore it’. So I participated in the Velocity 100k Challenge. I think that Velocity gave me the confidence to believe that I could execute what I’d come up with and bring it to market.”

Kate Gatfield-Jefferies, Graduate: BCom/LLB