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Two New Zealanders have been recognised in the Talent Unleashed Awards 2014

Announcement posted by Talent International 01 Aug 2014

Auckland August 1, 2014 - New Zealand’s Frances Valintine and David Hillier have taken out awards in the 2014 Talent Unleashed Awards recognizing exceptional tech talent in the Asia Pacific Region judged by Sir Richard Branson and Apple Co Founder, Steve Wozniak.
The awards created by global IT&T recruitment and technology services company Talent International were inundated with over 600 entries from the entire region with winners going to the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship in South Africa for a five day entrepreneurship workshop during Global Entrepreneur’s Week.

Founder and Managing Director of Talent International Richard Earl said that the quality of submissions from New Zealand was very high, reflecting New Zealand’s current investment and support for the technology sector.

“With research and development in technology at high levels it’s not surprising that New Zealand produced two exceptional winners. That is not to take anything away from their win – it actually made it harder to judge the New Zealand submissions as the quality was beyond our expectations” he said.

Winner of the coveted Best Start Up Award went to Frances Valintine of The Mind Lab. The Mind Lab is an educational initiative covering learning spaces and importantly, contextualizing studies in technological fields to set up New Zealand’s youth for an online future. Topics taught include game development, robotics, science technology, electronics, animation, film and programming.

2014 Judge, Candace Kinser, CEO of the New Zealand Technology Industry Association, said the Mind Lab concept would prove to be a driving factor in New Zealand’s growth in the education and technology fields.

“The fact that Unitec (Institute of Technology) have literally bought in to the business concept, and underwritten their support through a Post Graduate qualification for teachers, that will enable 10,000 educators to better understand technology and its application to the classroom, will ultimately uplift New Zealand's global capability to compete economically as generations of our children are born into a technology enabled education system” she said.

“The Mind Lab is an amazing platform that is proving to be a mega-hit with kids, parents and educators alike. The Mind Lab concept has been borne out of Frances' passion to increase the capability of the youth of New Zealand, and ultimately to grow a generation of tech savvy and inspired young people,” Kinser added.

Winner of the People’s Choice Award (whereby members of the public voted on their choice) was David Hillier of Little Lot. Little Lot takes a new approach to online giving and sends an advertiser sponsored wallpaper to a mobile lock-screen or computer desktop background. Little Lot charge the brand to feature on the given screen and donate 75% of that fee to a charity of choice. The brand gets the audience and the charity gets the donation.

Candace Kinser said Little Lot was ground breaking in the world of charity fundraising.

“By simply allowing Little Lot to take over your smartphone wallpaper, donations are made to a charity of your choice. Many charities find it difficult to engage directly and to make it super easy for donations to flow through. Little Lot has cracked this and it just works”, she said.
Global Awards Judge, Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Group, said “Talent International is one of those amazing organisations that care about tomorrow and how we change the world today by inspiring tomorrow’s tech sector and the people in it”.

The sentiment of the Unleashed Awards was carried through by Steve Wozniak who urged all technology professionals to seize any opportunity, anywhere, to make great innovations and foster different applications of technology on everyday life.

“I was amazed at the APAC awards submissions, and I’m so glad that people realise this movement doesn’t have to be in one congested place like Silicon Valley where people can have great ideas that are going to change the world and are going to be successful. You don’t have to be in that one area to start them” he said.

“People are always asking me, if it can happen in other places. Of course it can!” he added.


About Talent International

Talent International is a progressive and innovative global IT&T Recruitment and Technology Services Specialist supplying thousands of contract and permanent technology professionals to businesses across all aspects of the IT, Telco, and Digital sectors. With 14 offices throughout Australia, New Zealand, the UK and SE and NE Asia, and with revenue exceeding AUD$300 million per annum, the company is currently experiencing outstanding growth and recognition as it aims to build the most comprehensive delivery model across APAC and Europe supported by a range of unique initiatives.

Talent International also operates Agile Logic, a highly successful and complementary IT Consulting business specialising in Project Management, Business Intelligence, and the provision of Java Solutions and Applications.

Talent International is set to transform the industry with three key programs including: Talent Rise – a not for profit foundation aimed at addressing high rates of youth unemployment; Talent Unleashed Awards – aimed at recognising and rewarding great technology talent and ideas in APAC and the UK and an exciting loyalty program for IT&T contractors.

Available for Comment:
Richard Earl - Founder and Managing Director Talent International
Candace Kinser – CEO of the New Zealand Technology Industry Association
Frances Valintine – Founder The Mind Lab
David Hillier – Director and Founder Little Lot