Image - Roiata, created by Vanessa Smith for Mahuki

Applied Imagination for complex challenges

Bird Island helps organisations work at the edge of change.

We design innovation challenges. Shape new strategy. Convene unlikely collaborators. Translate signals from culture, technology and society into practical action.

Our work increasingly supports leaders responding to rapid shifts created by artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies.

We help leaders move from ideas to momentum.

We connect people, sectors and ideas that do not usually meet, creating the conditions where new solutions can emerge.

Bird Island helps organisations respond intelligently when the future arrives earlier than expected.

What we do

Bird Island works with governments, philanthropies, cultural institutions, founders and ecosystem builders to design the conditions where innovation becomes possible.

Our practice includes

Challenge-led innovation
Designing national and organisational challenges that unlock new solutions quickly
Strategy at moments of transition
Supporting leaders navigating uncertainty, disruption and emerging technology
Applied imagination workshops
Helping teams see differently so they can act differently
Innovation ecosystem design
Connecting people, capital and capability around shared futures
Future-ready programmes
Creating pathways for entrepreneurs, communities and institutions to participate in change
Strategic writing and thought leadership
Through the Bird Island Substack, we publish original thinking on applied imagination, signals of change, creative leadership and the future of innovation practice. These essays help organisations interpret emerging patterns and respond with confidence.

Our approach

Innovation rarely begins with answers. It begins with better questions.

Bird Island works inside complexity. We help organisations recognise patterns, surface opportunities, and move confidently where there is no blueprint yet.

This is applied imagination in practice.

Selected work

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa Innovation Challenge
National innovation challenge exploring how AI-enabled tools can support progress toward zero HIV transmission while protecting trust, privacy and cultural safety.
Mahuki - The world’s first accelerator for the culture and heritage sector
Wonder Workshops
Development and delivery of Applied Imagination workshops supporting leaders and teams to recognise patterns, interpret signals of change and respond creatively to uncertainty.
Lightning Lab - New Zealand’s original business accelerator model
Magnitude 7 - A pathway into entrepreneurship for Māori and Pacific founders
Activate Wellington - A city-scale creative business activation programme
Respectful Ageing Innovation Challenge - Supporting new solutions for the future of ageing in Aotearoa

How organisations work with Bird Island

Organisations typically engage Bird Island to:

design innovation challenges
interpret emerging patterns
develop strategy at moments of transition
convene collaborators across sectors
build capability through workshops and leadership sessions

Get in touch - For consulting, workshops, speaking or partnerships, email tui@birdisland.co.nz