Kiwi Leadership Network USA
Kiwi Leadership Network USA
Kiwi Leadership Network USA
Developing Kiwis in the USA
About Us
All about the Kiwi Leadership Network USA
Our Vision: To help New Zealanders in the United States achieve their full potential and succeed in their endeavors.
Mission: The Kiwi Leadership Network USA's purpose is to inspire, assist and support the growth of New Zealanders in the United States through educational, social and cultural activities and opportunities.
Why: The Kiwi Leadership Network USA has been formed because we know first hand how hard it can be to move to a new country and how important it is to connect with people who can help you along the way. Having built professions and careers over a period of time, we also strongly believe in the power of connecting people with similar and complementary ideas and expertise, because we know this is when doors can open and great things can happen.
Who: The Kiwi Leadership Network is a 501c3 non-profit organized for New Zealanders in the United States to help them achieve their full potential and succeed.
What: The Kiwi Leadership Network USA is focused on these main areas:
1. Organizing in-person events: such as leadership speaking events and other forums with US-based New Zealanders to inspire and connect people.
2. Developing video interviews and profiles: we will interview and profile successful New Zealanders to show how people got their opportunities and overcame various adversities and succeeded in the US.
3. Central online resources: We are developing a central source of useful information, insights, existing resources and networks to help New Zealand know about opportunities and resources available.
4. Scholarships and opportunities: As a 501c3 non-profit we will be looking to develop educational scholarships and opportunities for New Zealanders in the United States
KIWI CONFERENCE Los Angeles - Kiwis Can Fly
Saturday November 9th, 9am - 430pm at Google YouTube Playa Vista, LA
Photos from the LA Event are HERE
Join us for a truly unique day-long conference of world class New Zealand speakers at the Google YouTube Playa Vista Campus - Spruce Goose Hanger. From Olympic medalists, coaches and mentors to business leaders and entrepreneurs to world class musicians and and health experts - there is something for everyone.
EVENT SCHEDULE
8:00 - 9:00 am - Registration
9:00 - 9:15 am - Welcome
9:15 - 10:00 am - Kiwis Can Fly
10:00 - 10:45 am - How a Kiwi Learnt to Fly
11:00am - 12:00 pm - Creative Kiwi Arts Panel
12:00 - 1:00 pm - Networking Lunch
1:00 - 1:45 pm - Healthy Kiwis
1:45 - 2:45 pm - Kiwi Business Leaders Panel
3:00 - 3:45 pm Kiwi Master Coaching & Mentoring
3:45 - 4:30 pm - Kiwi Family Success
4:30 pm - Closing Remarks
ABOUT THE VENUE
Google YouTube Playa Vista Campus - Spruce Goose Hanger
The Spruce Goose Hanger is one of Los Angeles' most historical and spectacular landmarks. The Spruce Goose Hanger, designed and built by visionary and film maker Howard Hughes, was home to the largest airplane ever built as well as Howard Hughes' famous film studios. More recently, the Academy Award Winning film, The Titantic, Iron Man, Avatar, and other notable films have also been filmed in the Spruce Goose Hanger. After a multi-million dollar design renovation, the Spruce Goose Hanger was converted into Google-YouTube's new Playa Vista Campus. Amongst the many notable features includes a state of the art conference room housing the largest LCD screen in California.
We would like to thank our event partners and sponsors:
EVENT PARTNERS: New Zealand Consulate, Los Angeles and KEA New Zealand
EVENT SPONSORS: John Stokes Financial, Forsyth Barr and Systems Evolution Inc. (SEI)
Past Events
Breakfast Network Event with Chris Liddell and NZ Ambassador Rosemary Banks
September 6, 2019. NZ Embassy, Washington DC
Chris Liddell is Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Coordination. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Initiatives, overseeing the Administration’s efforts to streamline the Federal Government’s regulatory process and modernize its technology systems. Before joining the Trump Administration, Liddell served as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer at General Motors, where he led global finance operations and managed the company’s $23 billion IPO in November 2010, which, at that time, was the largest public offering in history. Liddell has more than three decades of experience in corporate leadership, including Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Microsoft Corporation and Chief Financial Officer of International Paper. In 2012, Liddell was the executive director of the Romney Presidential Transition Planning team. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Auckland and a Master of Philosophy from Oxford University.
Photos: http://bit.ly/KiwiDC
Past Events
NYC Leadership Speaking + Networking Event
May 18, 2019 - NYC
Guest Speakers:
Craig Nevill-Manning - Head of Engineering, Sidewalk Labs; Former Director of Engineering, Google NYC
Helen Klisser During - Art Curator, Advisor, & Photojournalist
Julie Fry - Founder & CEO, AmbitionNZ
Photos: http://bit.ly/kiwinyc
Official Launch Leadership Speaking + Networking Event
Nov. 10, 2018 - UCLA Anderson School of Management
Guest Speakers:
Chris Lewis - 1983 Wimbledon Finalist, Former Junior #1 and Former Coach to Ivan Lendl, World #1
Shane Fleming - VP - US Operations Rocket Lab
Skye Duncan - Global Designing Cities Director at National Association of City Transportation Officials
Photos: http://bit.ly/kiwilaunch
Our Team
Is at your service
Xaviour Walker - President
Irvine, CA
Xaviour is originally from Dunedin, New Zealand and graduate of the University of Otago Medical School. He is passionate about helping people achieving their potential and helping others. He was the cofounder and inaugural chair of the Junior Doctors Network, World Medical Association and is triple American Board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Public Health and Preventive Medicine. He completed his post graduate medical training from Harvard, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he also received his Master’s in Public Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of California, Irvine. He lectures nationally on health aging, preventive medicine and is currently is a physician at Kaiser Permanente. He lives in Irvine, Southern California with his wife and three children and is a life long athlete and marathon runner with best time 2h 36 minutes at the NYC marathon.
Simon Brandon - Vice-President
New York, NY
Simon is a Management Consultant working for Systems Evolution Inc, working out of New York City and Miami, Florida. Simon previously worked as an investment banker in New York and London and has a strong interest in Financial Services, technology and the energy sector. Having grown up in Wellington, New Zealand and Washington D.C. Simon is keen to help support and develop New Zealanders pursuing opportunities in the United States. Simon graduated in 2000 from Victoria University of Wellington with a BSc Hons (1st Class) in Computer Science and Mathematics.
Paul Viskovich - Treasurer
Los Angeles, CA
Born in Auckland, New Zealand and moved to the USA in 2002. Paul is the founder and CEO of Optima Curis Inc a healthcare engagement and social network platform. Previously Paul was President of Orion Health Inc in North America where he led the company from start up to one of leading Health IT companies in North America. Paul is passionate about healthcare and how to apply technology to improving healthcare outcomes. Paul is a graduate of Auckland University of Technology.
N. Margarete Ezinwa - Secretary and Membership
Loma Linda, CA
Margarete received her medical degree from The University of Auckland, New Zealand, before completing residency training in Family Medicine at Franklin Square, and Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins including fellowships at the World Health Organization where she worked with a multidisciplinary team creating International Partnerships for Patient Safety and strengthening the network of the WHO global collaborating centers, the Office of Global Research at the National Institute of Health where she initiated collaboration between New Zealand the USA. Currently as Assistant Professor in Preventive and Family Medicine at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA, she combines her passions for assisting patients in lifestyle change for the treatment and prevention of Non-communicable disease at an underserved clinic in San Bernardino, and teaching the next generation of Preventive and Family Medicine Residents global-local medicine.
Skye Duncan - Strategy and Publications
New York, NY
Skye is the Director of the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) at the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). Following over 15 years of experience in architecture, urban design, and planning, her team has published the Global Street Design Guide and currently provide ongoing technical assistance to cities around the world on safe and sustainable street design and mobility. Prior to NACTO, she spent over seven years working as a Senior Urban Designer at the New York City Department of City Planning in their Office of the Chief Urban Designer, has worked as an International Urban Design Consultant, and has been an Associate Adjunct Professor at Columbia University in New York City. She graduated as a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia in the Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design program and has a Bachelor of Architecture with Honors from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.
Divya Dhar - Digital Communications
San Francisco, CA
Co-founder of Swish and P3 Foundation. Divya a physician from University of Auckland Medical School and has was awarded the Young New Zealander of the Year, Young University of Auckland Alumni of Year and Indian New Zealander of Year. She cofounded and sold her last health tech start up Seratis. Divya is a Fulbright Scholar and has an MBA/MPA from University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.
Max Smith
New Brunswick, NJ
Originally from Otago, Max is a former New Zealand representative in athletics. After beginning his studies at the University of Otago, Max moved to the US on a scholarship to Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. He is an All- American athlete and holds the New Zealand Under 20 mile record holder at 4min 01 and is the 12th fastest all time New Zealander for the mile, just behind the legendary Dick Quax with a personal best time of 3min 56. For over 10 years Smith has been dedicated to the footwear industry previously working for Adidas, Puma, and currently for Swiss based On AG, as director of sales. Max is married to former Olympian and Rutgers University coach Marina Muncan, they and their two children are based in New Jersey.
Anna Gardner
Bel Air, MD
Anna Gardner (née Wilson) is originally from Dunedin. Anna is a former Olympian and top international New Zealand swimmer, winning multiple New Zealand titles and breaking multiple national records. In 1993, she was awarded NZ Junior (U21) Sportswoman of the Year, and in 1995 was ranked no. 2 in the world for the 400m individual medley short course. She represented New Zealand at the 1994 Commonwealth Games where she was 5th in the 400m individual medley, at the 1994 World Championships where she was 10th 400m individual medley, and at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA. Anna attended the University of Arizona on an athletics scholarship for Swimming and graduated with a BSc in Public Health in 2001 and a BSN in Nursing in 2004 (Summa Cum Laude). Anna is a registered nurse in Maryland and is finishing her MSN from Drexel University to become a family nurse practitioner. She lives with her husband Warren in Bel Air, MD with their two children.
Our Advisors
They help us row in the same direction
Robert G Webster
World Renowned Scientist and Avian Flu Pioneer
Robert G. Webster is a world-renowned virologist and leading influenza expert. His team identified the avian strain of influenza known as H5N1, the causative agent of avian influenza or "bird flu"; that emerged in Hong Kong in 1997. Dr. Webster is Emeritus Member and Professor of Virology and Molecular Biology of the Division of Virology; Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His interests include the emergence and control of influenza viruses, viral immunology, the structure and function of influenza virus proteins and the development of new vaccines and antivirals. Together with Graeme Laver he developed one of the first subunit vaccines for influenza that is still being produced in Australia. He contributed to the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Influenza Research at the University of Hong Kong and to the Center of Excellent for Influenza Research and Surveillance at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His curriculum vita contains over 700 original articles and reviews on influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Dr. Webster grew up on a farm in Balclutha, New Zealand and received his B. Sc.and M. Sc. in Microbiology from the Otago University in New Zealand where he has also given his name to the Webster Centre for Infectious Diseases and the Webster Family Chair in Viral Pathogenesis at Otago. He received his Ph.D. from the Australian National University, and was a past Fulbright Fellow at the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) and Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Dr. Webster has trained and mentored many scientists, including New Zealand scientists at the world leading St Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Leo Celi
MIT Principal Research Scientist and Harvard Critical Care Physician
Leo Anthony Celi MD MS MPH has practiced medicine in three continents, giving him broad perspectives in healthcare delivery. As clinical research director and principal research scientist at the MIT Laboratory for Computational Physiology (LCP), and as an attending physician at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), he brings together clinicians and data scientists to support research using data routinely collected in the process of care. Leo also founded and co-directs Sana, a cross-disciplinary organization based at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at MIT, whose objective is to leverage information technology to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. He is one of the course directors for HST.936 – global health informatics to improve quality of care, and HST.953 – collaborative data science in medicine, both at MIT. He is an editor of the textbook for each course, both released under an open access license. Finally, Leo was an intensive care and infectious disease consultant at Dunedin Hospital and a senior lecturer at Otago University School of Medicine from 2002-2007. He been a mentor and help advised many young New Zealanders to study and research in the United States, including at Harvard and MIT and collaborates with New Zealand based researchers with his work with MIT and medical informatics.
Campbell Murray
Managing Director, Norvartis Venture Funds
Campbell Murray is a experienced venture capital investor with a demonstrated history of working in the biopharma industry and life sciences. He is managing Director of Norvartis Venture Funds (NVF) in Cambridge, MA, USA. Prior to joining NVF, he worked at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research as the Director of Special Projects. Campbell is originally from Auckland, New Zealand and a graduate of University of Auckland Medical School and previously worked at Auckland Hospital. He is a Kauffman Fellow and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MPP (public policy) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he was a Knox Fellow and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Campbell serves as a director on the boards of Annexon, Expansion Therapeutics, Galera, and Lemonaid Health and is an observer on the board of Akouos.
Chris Lewis
1983 Wimbledon Finalist, Former World Junior #1, Former Coach of Ivan Lendl, World #1
Chris Lewis is one of New Zealand's greatest tennis players and sportspersons. As a former professional tennis player, he reached the 1983 Wimbledon final against John McEnroe, which was one of New Zealand's greatest sporting moments. Also in 1983, he received the New Zealand Sportsman of Year Award. During his career, he won three singles titles, reached the final of ten Tour events, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 19 in April 1984. He also won 8 doubles titles during his 12 years on the professional tour. Lewis became only the third player from New Zealand to reach the finals of a Grand Slam singles event, and he is the last player from New Zealand to reach the finals of a Grand Slam. In 1982, he led the NZ Davis Cup team to the semifinals in which New Zealand lost a close tie against France. In 1975, Chris was ranked the number one junior in the world, winning Junior Wimbledon and finishing runner-up in the US Open Juniors. As a coach, he has coached some of the top players in the world, including Ivan Lendl (former world no. 1), Carl Uwe Steeb (former world no. 14), and New Zealand's Marina Erakovic (former world no. 39). Lewis is currently Co-founder and Co-Owner of the Brymer Lewis Tennis Academy in Irvine, CA, where, together with his two partners, he is responsible for the development of over 500 aspiring young players.
Shane Fleming
VP - US Operations Rocket Lab
Founded by New Zealander Peter Beck in 2006, Rocketlabs is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. Rocket Lab develops and launches advanced rocket technology to provide rapid and repeatable access to orbit for small satellites. Shane Fleming is responsible for the management operations of Rocket Lab's headquarters in Huntington Beach, California. Previously, Shane managed the operations at Rocket Lab's Auckland, New Zealand facility, as well as Launch Complex 1. With a decade of experience developing and commercializing innovative and disruptive technologies, Shane is accustomed to leading diverse teams and navigating complex international projects. Prior to Rocket Lab, Shane spent seven years at biotechnology firm LanzaTech, leading the Global Engineering Operations and managing teams of engineers, scientists, and technicians at five production facilities in four countries across China, Taiwan, Japan, and the US. Shane has a background in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Support Us
Develop New Zealand's Next Generation of Leaders. The Kiwi Leadership Network USA is a a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Kiwi Leadership Network USA relies on donations to help with costs of administration, events and establishing educational scholarships. Your donation is tax-deductible and a tax receipt will be provided.
Copyright © 2018 - Kiwi Leadership Network USA, Inc. is a Registered 501c3