What is Manzana?

The pandemic had many people reevaluate their purpose, along with how important their jobs were. Many of us have struggled with work from home, and many of us are seeking meaningful connections especially with those who are purpose-driven to create a better world in the face of… don’t look up… climate change. 

Enter Manzana, a multicultural group of three entrepreneurial people sick of the status quo, wanting to make a change, and not waiting for anyone else to make the changes they want to see in the world.

Who? The Manzana kaitiaki are Dil Khosa, Ché Zara Blomfield, and Rachael Peri who each have diverse international experiences and came together to co-create Manzana as a response to the male-dominated start-up environment. The undercurrent also reflects a lack of progress on climate, and missing infrastructure, support and community for women business owners and underrepresented & marginalised individuals.

They bootstrapped their way from nothing to over $40k of investment during a lockdown and are offering over three-quarters of that value to diverse individuals wanting to develop their purpose-driven businesses. 

How? Supported by our PledgeMe campaign, City Centre Place Activation of Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Council, and Meka Management (a private landlord), Manzana offered free desk space, mentorship and coffee from Pink Neon Sign in February and March 2022, and in April 2020 offered free networking, events, and workshops. From then on we require ongoing support from the community.

Where? Manzana is in the city (47 High St) because it’s important to be around other people. A major inspiration for Manzana has been Get Off the Grass: Kickstarting New Zealand’s Innovation Economy by Shaun Hendy and Paul Callaghan, which identified NZ as being behind economically due to a lack of knowledge-sharing and how bringing people together equates to economic growth.

We need a community for us, by us. Since initiating this project we have had an astounding response, including 100% of applicants saying they are seeking “Co-working with other purpose-driven entrepreneurs” and over 90% stating they hope to find a “supportive community” through Manzana.  

After lockdown, when many of us lost our jobs, it meant freelancing or bootstrapping from home… it’s not exactly the most conducive environment for knowledge sharing and supporting one another.

Why is being in the City Centre is important? Not only is it where the largest number of people in NZ congregate, but it is also near the universities, other businesses, and transport links.

Why is it important to diversify business? Only 8% of NZX 50 CEOs are women, yet “companies, where women held more than 30% of board seats, outperformed their peers in 11 of 15 sectors. Companies with at least 30% non-white directors saw year on year revenue grow by 4%. Those with less racially diverse boards had a revenue decline.” Source: boardready.io/report-july-2021

The name? Manzana (man-za-na) means apple in Spanish. It’s a nod to Apple’s personal computer which diversified access to creative tools and networking. Jobs says the company’s name is "fun, spirited and not intimidating." Manzana is a feminine noun, we like it.