New Zealand’s leading innovation summit, Festival for the Future, is in Wellington July 29-31!

Festival for the Future is three days in which groundbreaking innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of Aotearoa connect, inspire and catalyse positive change for our country, and the globe.

This incredible event, now in its 11th year, is run by charity Inspiring Stories, which backs young New Zealanders to change the world. More than 12,000 people have participated in the organisation's programmes, including The Impact Awards and the year-round Future Leaders programme.

Inspiring Stories CEO and founder Guy Ryan, a Young New Zealander of the Year and Edmund Hillary Fellow, says: “We believe in the power of young people to create change. We’ve seen them create startups, lead campaigns, and spearhead projects making a tangible difference for Aotearoa.

“At Festival, we bring together some of the most innovative, creative thinkers and doers from across the nation. It’s amazing to see what happens when you get so many great people in one room – the energy and ideas are incredible. And from it, we see people taking real action.

“We can’t wait to see what Festival 2022 will bring, and we would love to see you there!”

Festival speakers this year include:

Dave Letele: Fresh from Dancing with the Stars, New Zealand’s Local Hero of the Year 2022 and Buttabean Motivation founder is on a mission to improve the health of whānau and community.

Jacinta Gulasekharam: The co-founder of Dignity created her social enterprise to ensure period equity, and has supported tens of thousands of people in accessing free period products.

Izzy Fenwick: The founder of FENWICK and emerging director for Aotearoa Circle is passionate about business for impact and youth-voice in governance.

Sophie Handford: The founder of School Strike 4 Climate and New Zealand’s youngest councillor is a driving force for bolder action and leadership on climate change.

Ezra Hirawani: The Young New Zealander of the Year 2022 co-founded Aotearoa’s first Māori owned electricity company Nau Mai Rā, which is tackling power poverty for thousands of whānau.

Inspiring Stories ensures a significant number of Festival attendees are under 25, to ensure the voices and ideas of our next generation are heard. The weekend includes inspirational speakers, future-focused panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and an expo showcasing some of Aotearoa’s leading impact-driven organisations.

The Awards Ceremony for The Impact Awards ceremony takes place on the Saturday night. The Awards celebrate young people making a difference, with $30,000 in prizes awarded across six categories – climate, enterprise, inclusion, wellbeing, local, and global impact.

The Festival is at the TSB Arena, Shed 6 and virtually from July 29 - 31. Tickets can be purchased here.

About Inspiring Stories

Inspiring Stories is the Kiwi charity behind Aotearoa’s leading innovation summit, Festival For the Future, The Impact Awards, and the year-round Future Leaders programme. At Inspiring Stories, we believe in the power of young people to create change. We back them to build their entrepreneurship and leadership capability, and take action. But we also need you – to invest in our young people, and make a difference for our future.

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