These are the words of the new Chief Digital Officer of Te Papa Melissa Firth. She was explaining in a PowerPoint presentation how to select the best projects for an incubator very similar we assume to the one being set up at Te Papa. Firth would have come across incubator-biz at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) so no no big surprise her turning up at Te Papa to work with another ex ABC staffer Rick Ellis who is now Chief Executive. At the ABC the incubator business was pretty much creating fun apps for kids so watch out for ‘Catch the giant squid’ and Hack Days.
Firth’s declared passion is ‘working at the intersection of commercial strategy and innovation.’ At Te Papa she will be using those skills to generate income by financing the development of entrepreneurial ideas (the ABC give its entrepreneur $40,000 each), or gambling as it’s known in Silicon Valley. Spot an idea you think is promising and invest, mentor, and make a fortune. Not exactly core business and high risk so hard to know why the Board who has just staunched one major money bleed is so keen on the idea.
