Tech Hui '08 Speakers

The speakers for this year's Tech Hui have been finalised!

They are:

Paul Brislen

Brislen has spent ten years covering the ICT sector for a variety of media organisations including TVNZ, Radio New Zealand National, The New Zealand Herald and Computerworld publication. Currently he is the External Communications Manager for Vodafone New Zealand where he gets to play with all the latest toys before they're released to the public.

Tim Copeland

The co-founder of Wellington based company SilverStripe and a pioneer in web application development.

Pete Rive

Pete Rive has been researching and working in virtual reality since 1999. With extensive experience and knowledge of Virtual Reality and Second Life, Pete consults for businesses seeking communications, marketing and knowledge management advice in a virtual world.

Pete’s clients include: Auckland City Council on their Broadband Advisory Group, Auckland Regional Council's Metro Project as a member of the Innovation and Leadership Group, and the KAREN (Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network) Advisory Group. With over 20 years experience in the screen industry, Pete brings his marketing experience to the rich media environment of the 3D simulator, Second Life. He recently hosted the Government's Digital Future Summit in Second Life.

Pete is the current Chairman of Film Auckland, and is enrolled as a PhD student at Victoria University's Digital Design School where he is studying knowledge transfer and creative collaboration in Second Life. Pete remotely teaches the first New Zealand class in Second Life, with 35 students on Victoria University's Digital Design virtual island.

He is a recent contributor to a US book, Handbook of Research on Virtual Workplaces and the New Nature of Business Practices, edited by Dr. Pavel Zemliansky and Dr. Kirk St. Amant.

Dr. Brenda Leeuwenberg

Brenda was an early internet entrepreneur, back in the days when anyone could (and did) build a website she was involved in creating online resources for New Zealand schools and convincing commercial clients that online was where they needed to be.

She started Webgrrls in New Zealand, an organisation that helped numerous women find their place in what was then an isolating and often frightening IT world. Brenda ran her own web agency, SpunkMedia, before selling up and experiencing the corporate sector for a couple of years.

After spending 5 years working with a web agency in Amsterdam, managing accounts for Sony Ericsson, Sony Europe, Speedo and Dunlop, Brenda has returned to NZ. She is currently managing the production of a website called NZ On Screen - making New Zealand's screen culture accessible to the masses.