Hub to showcase Tāmaki talent to the world
July 8, 2022
Hub to showcase Tāmaki talent to the world
Entrepreneur Tyrone Tangata-Makiri has big plans to build a community of business start-up innovators who will take the world by storm – all from his home turf of Glen Innes, East Auckland.
Tyrone, executive director of In the Flow State, is running an innovation hub called the Reserve as a space where locals – Māori and Pasifika in particular – can get help and advice to start their own businesses. He wants to create a vibe where his community can “do business where they live”. He says, “It’s very important for us to have something local and know there are others who are on their own journey of creating businesses that are going to help lots of people, not only here in Tāmaki, but around the world.”
The hub is named “Reserve” to honour the many reserves in Tāmaki where he and mates would meet and hang out when they were growing up. It officially opened on 8 July after Tāmaki Regeneration (TRC) transformed it from its rundown state. TRC owns and maintains the building as part of its vision to revitalise Glen Innes town centre by working alongside the communities of Tāmaki to create jobs and business opportunities and improve social and economic outcomes for local whānau. With support from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Reserve will bring together innovators and entrepreneurs, subject matter experts and business mentors from Tāmaki and further afield. Reserve has shared working space, a boardroom with a presentation suite, sound booths and breakout areas. Ty and other local entrepreneurs helped set up ESTBLSHD which has been supporting potential start-ups remotely while the Hub building was being refurbished ready for use.
Tyrone was born and raised in Tāmaki – the suburbs of Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure and has Māori and Cook Island whakapapa. He says, “Reserve is a space where we can come together, connect, learn, and grow and be around like-minded people. We will invite others that have expertise and experience that we can learn from on our journey, but our goal is to make sure that we as people from this area can help each other out.” Shelley Katae, TRC’s Chief Executive, says, “I am in awe of the businesses that each member of ESTBLSHD runs, and their drive to succeed and scale as a collective is, I believe, reclaiming indigenous entrepreneurial competencies. “When I look around the town centre now, and see ESTBLSHD in this space, Whaea Emily Karaka in her studio, Gary Silipa located close by with other amazing local retailers moving in soon, all Māori and Pasifika business owners in their own right with whakapapa back to Tāmaki, I can’t help but dream what the future will look like. We are proud to have been able to play a support role in the establishment of Reserve with our partners at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.”
Nick Hill, Chief Executive Tātaki Auckland Unlimited says: “Tyrone’s vision is a great example of the innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship that exist across Tāmaki Makaurau, and we wish him and the Reserve team every success. As the region’s economic and cultural development agency, we are delighted to have partnered with TRC and In the Flow State to help unlock this economic opportunity for the people of Glen Innes and the wider Tāmaki area.”
