The Jam | Leadership Edition

The Jam | Leadership Edition is Movac's afternoon of candid leadership stories from people building New Zealand tech startups, sponsored by Emerging Engines and held as the flagship closing event of Auckland Startup Week 2026. Six "Jammers" each get 10 minutes on stage to share their most honest leadership story, followed by 10 minutes of live Q&A from the crowd. The 2026 line-up is Alexander Fala (Tend Health), Angie Judge (Dexibit), Claudia Smith (Renti), Phil Thomson (Auror), Alia Bojilova (Movac Operating Partner / Propel Performance Group) and Barney Chunn (Conqa / Drumbeat), with Serge van Dam as MC.

It runs on Friday 16 October at Level 2, Pipiri Lane in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter, starting at 2pm sharp when the doors close, with networking drinks and nibbles from 5pm. Entry is free, but registrations are approved by the host and spots are limited. It is aimed squarely at founders and operators in the NZ tech startup ecosystem who want to learn from people who have been in the trenches.