Professor Stephen Cummings, associate dean of the Wellington School of Business and Government and director of entrepreneurship programmes at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, presented Luke and Kendall with the New Thinking Award at the Gold Awards dinner, attended by more than 800 people at the TSB Arena on Thursday 7 July.
The engineering duo, who say they were frustrated with the status quo, set out on their venture in the heart of Pōneke in the middle of the lockdown in 2020. Their focus was simple—“cut back on the noise, the stress, the pollution, and create a bike that was altogether more simple and straightforward”.
Professor Cummings said the pair demonstrate the kind of innovation that is key to the New Thinking Award, launching a business that is relevant and impactful to the local community. He said they were selected for their commitment to sustainability and innovation in meeting that goal, both in the creation of a sustainable product, and in providing an alternative to the car, further reducing congestion on our roads.
“FTN-Motion bikes are beautiful world-leading products that reflect the heart and soul of where they were designed and built: Wellington. They are truly reflective of a future that we can all be proud of.”
Luke said the win was a complete surprise. They found out about it shortly before the awards, while the winners were only revealed to the public during Thursday’s event.
“We are incredibly honoured and humbled to receive this award, and our entire team feels proud to be recognised for its work. Kendall and I relocated specially to Wellington to build the business, and the city has welcomed us every step of the way.”
The theme of this year’s event was space, with the night’s keynote speaker, H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, director general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre speaking about the future of space and our world.
Professor Cummings said “Te Herenga Waka has a long history of encouraging new thinking, but we are increasing our efforts to support our communities to turn that new thinking into new ventures. Luke and Kendall are great inspiration for the student entrepreneurs we support at our innovation space, The Atom.”
Last year’s winner was Jessie Wong from Yu Mei bags. She was selected because she not only embodies the ethos and values of the Gold Awards, but is also active and highly successful in the Asia-Pacific region. Jessie incorporates sustainable practices into Yu Mei by using deer nappa/leather that would otherwise be destined for landfill.
Connections made at both events will be further developed as part of entrepreneurial engagement through The Atom/Te Kahu o Te Ao innovation space at Wellington School of Business and Government, providing opportunities for future thinkers to explore and develop their new ideas too.