10x10 Aotearoa + Global Centre of Possibility
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED – NEW DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Presents an evening of access innovation and impact
5:30PM November 15 2023 | Spark City: 167 Victoria St, West Auckland
Be A Part Of Something Transformative
When pioneering leadership, design and innovation come together with a social impact movement of generosity, a more equitable society can be reimagined. The Global Centre of Possibility has partnered with 10×10 to create a night of interactive philanthropy in support of three progressive access and disability innovators. Together we can fund their groundbreaking ideas and make them a reality for access citizens in Aotearoa and around the world!
Are you WITH us?
Our theme of the night, “WITH”, stands as a beacon of hope and unity, rallying us to support equity for the access community. Discover the power of ‘with’ by joining a generous giving collective in support of Minnie Baragwanath, Chantelle Griffiths and Ari Kerssens.
Donate with purpose
To attend, all you need to do is donate $100 via Givealittle. Upon arrival, you’ll receive two pledge tokens worth $50 each. Brace yourself for an evening of inspiration where each access innovator will pitch their mission, vision, and impact. And then, the choice is yours – channel your generosity to the idea that resonates with your heart and experience first-hand how the power of 10×10 can drive positive social impact.
The Access Innovators
Chantelle Griffiths
The Tactile and Technology Literacy Centre
An access citizen from birth, Shon was diagnosed with an optic nerve vision condition as a baby. At an early age, Shon developed remarkable skills to transcend her vision impairment. She learned piano and flute, and in high school learnt how to read music notation in braille. Entering the workforce, Shon worked as a braille music proof-reader, and studied adaptive technology. Shon then worked in Australia for several years before returning to New Zealand and becoming a braille instructor full-time.
During this time, Shon noticed a great need for tactile-based programmes to reach beyond basic English literacy. A current braille student, violinist David Seevaratnam asked if she would teach a small cohort how to read music and literary braille concurrently. She agreed with enthusiasm, pioneering a ground-breaking adult braille music curriculum which has become the foundation of what has become the Tactile and Technology Literacy Centre (TTLC).
Ari Kerssens
Mobius Access
Ari Kerssens is a proudly blind creative and access advocate. Becoming blind in 2013 was the catalyst of both a radical shift in the then-makeup artist’s own identity, and a roller-coaster journey as he seeks to understand his own place as a blind creative, and transform the world’s relationship between disability, art, and artist.
After graduating from the University of Auckland in 2019 with a degree in Biomedical Science, Ari had already decided the artistic applications of sensory neuroscience were much more appealing than spending months in a lab accruing student debt. Art was his calling, but he couldn’t see (no pun intended) any blind creatives around him. In 2020 Ari set off to Europe, in search of disabled artistic community, to research and build a platform of disabled creatives here in Aotearoa.
Michael Lloyd
Accomodationz
Mike has been vision-impaired since birth and now has no functional vision. He also lives with Parkinson’s, which means that when travelling away from home, Mike and his partner Laura, who is also vision-impaired, must carefully plan each detail of their trip.
Mike’s vision for social change is built on the concept of a home away from home for those with access needs, both globally and in Aotearoa. His newly formed company, Accommodationz is a peer-to-peer network of access citizens who have rooms to spare. By matching access travellers with hosts whose homes are already located and modified to meet their own requirements, Mike is reimagining what travel means for the one in four people who have an access need.
Minnie Baragwanath - 10x10 Dragon for Good
Minnie Baragwanath is a renowned access innovator in Aotearoa and globally. Her work and study in this space spans 25 years and has included many diverse roles. She is also a highly sought after independent author, coach and consultant.
Minnie recently released her book about her life and work as a blind woman and social entrepreneur, ‘Blindingly Obvious’ into New Zealand and overseas. Not only is this a book about social change and accessibility in our world today, it also strives to be the most accessible book ever produced in Aotearoa. It is already available in a wide range of accessible formats but Minnie wants to expand this even further!
Minnie is currently the Chief Possibility Officer and Founder of the newly established Global Centre of Possibility at AUT. This organisation has a unique emphasis on “possibility leadership, design and innovation” as the key to future social transformation. The concept of “designing with” is absolutely fundamental to this approach. It is distinct from ‘designing to’ or ‘designing for’ which are the common defaults when approaching any type of design with the access community. The ‘possibility lens’ is unique to Aotearoa.
Over the last few years Minnie has been awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award, the Westpac Women of Influence Diversity award, the Zonta women’s award and was placed as a top 10 finalist for the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.
10x10 GLOBAL PARTNERS
We are so grateful for all of our partners who play a crucial role in ensuring we can continue to build 10×10
