The Jam | Leadership Edition
16 October 2026
- Scale up
- Early/growth stage
Join us for an afternoon of unfiltered leadership stories and startup learnings. 6 jammers will take the stage and share their leadership journey: the doubt, the hard calls, the growth, what worked and what didn't. Come prepared for the Q&A, good questions get Jam!
The Jam | Leadership Edition 🎤
Hosted by Movac | Sponsored by Emerging Engines
​Part of Auckland Startup Week, closing it out in style as the flagship event on the final Friday.
​Leadership is the part of building a startup nobody really prepares you for. The late-night calls, the tough conversations, building a team from scratch, the moments you doubted yourself and kept going anyway.
​This Jam is all about bringing those stories to the founders and operators who are out there doing it, raw, honest, and unfiltered.
​We're bringing 6 Jammers to the stage, each with 10 minutes to share their most honest leadership story, followed by 10 minutes of live Q&A from the crowd. Good questions get Jam... that's how we roll!
​This one's strictly for founders and operators in the NZ tech startup ecosystem who want to learn from others who've been in the trenches.
​📍 Auckland Startup Week | Friday 16 October
đź•‘ 2pm sharp | doors close, Jams begin
🍻 5pm | networking drinks and nibbles
​MC'd by the one and only Serge van Dam.
Proudly sponsored by Emerging Engines.
​Speakers will be announced soon!
Hold on tight, this is shaping up to be another epic Leadership Jam.
​Spots are limited, so make sure to secure your ticket early.
Free
MC
Serge van Dam
Director at Re-Leased, Cogo & Tapi
Serge van Dam is a hands-on Investor / Director of going-global Kiwi SaaS companies, such as: Re-Leased, Cogo and Tapi.
Originally an Organisational Psychologist, Serge is most interested in novel growth strategies, and has deep experience in B2B sales, marketing and distribution. He spent a decade as an acknowledged thought-leader in fintech, having been part of the leadership team at M-Com - the world’s leading mobile banking and payments platform - which was acquired by Fortune 500 company Fiserv in 2011.
Serge is an Operating Partner at New Zealand’s most successful venture capital firm - Movac - and is an advisor to various New Zealand Government agencies. He has previously been named New Zealand’s Angel Investor of the Year, organises / anchors several tech events, and co-hosts New Zealand’s most prominent startup podcast; Startup Theatre.
Serge grew up in Argentina, and lives in Wellington. When not helping grow tech companies, you will find him in the great outdoors, arguing over politics, playing cards or with a novel in hand.
Venue
Pipiri Lane
124 Halsey St
Wynyard Quarter
Auckland 1010
Pipiri Lane isn’t just a place to work or host — it’s a statement. Located in Wynyard Quarter, Auckland’s buzzing innovation hub, it’s New Zealand's first cross-laminated timber work and event space. With a 6 Star Green Star rating, Pipiri Lane is one of Auckland’s most sustainable buildings, representing a rare opportunity to align businesses with innovation, environmental responsibility and forward-thinking design.