Michael Masterson

Peer Group Chair, PWN

Michael is a sought after global speaker and a Principal at Intrinsika, a global intrinsic & intangible asset advisory, valuation, and corporate finance specialist that helps companies and investors unlock their competitive edge by identifying, valuing, and monetising their intrinsic assets. This has included working with the founders of Airtrunk and Aegros as startups, who are both multi-billion dollar companies (AirTrunk recently exited for $24b). He is an IAM300 & Strategy 300 Global Leader ranking him as one of the world’s top IP strategists. Michael is also the founder of several successful start-ups; and has been integral to turning around two mid-sized companies in the logistics and FMCG sectors, taking both from significant losses to profit within nine months. He is on several private company Boards and sits on the Board of Cure Brain Cancer, which was named by the AFR as the most Innovative Charity and the 25th most Innovative Organisation. He is also a co-founder of the Growth Capital Club. 

Dr Sean Simpson

Founder, LanzaTech

Dr. Sean Simpson is the founder of LanzaTech, a company that proposed, developed and commercialised a sustainable fuel and chemical production process, and became a global leader in gas fermentation. Dr. Simpson has over 20 publications and 300 patents. He has received a number of awards including the Presidential Green Chemistry Award, NZ Innovator of the Year Award, and the Kea NZ World Class New Zealander in Science Award.

Since leaving LanzaTech, Dr Simpson has co-founded Ternary Kinetics, a company delivering a system to deliver low-cost, zero emission power through the liquid fuel infrastructure. He sits on the Board of Mint Innovation, Nilo, and Outset Ventures, and is a scientific advisor to Samsara Eco.

Dr Simpson will share insights into Deep Tech technologies being developed and emerging in New Zealand, and their potential for global impact.