QLDC Councillor Joins Startup Ecosystem as Newest Trustee

Startup Queenstown Lakes is pleased to welcome Queenstown Lakes District Council appointee Alexa Forbes to its board of trustees.

Forbes is chair of the QLDC infrastructure committee and also the council representative for Tangata Whenua and the Queenstown Trails Trust. Beyond her elected councillor role, she is a lecturer and researcher in Leadership for Change programmes at Otago Polytechnic.  Her research is focused on two exponential curves – technological and environmental.

"Diversification of the Lakes District economy is key to the area’s economic and social resilience," said Forbes. "I'm proud to represent QLDC to support economic initiatives that can work towards this goal."

While the announcement is new, Forbes participation in Startup Queenstown Lakes started several months ago. She attended the first meeting of the new trustee board that took the reins from the organisation's founders on 24 November. She joins Wayne Hudson (Wanaka), David Wallace (Wanaka), Luke Taylor (Queenstown), and trustee apprentice Madison Stumbles (Queenstown).

Forbes, Stumbles, Taylor, Wallace, and Hudson (left to right)

“The Board of Trustees is delighted to have Alexa join us as QLDC representative. She will provide a vital link between the two organisations alongside her passion for supporting entrepreneurial activity within the region," said David Wallace, trust chair.

The appointment of a QLDC representative to a trustee position ensures that the investment in the new organization is responsibly delivering on the council's economic development strategy, which included a focus on increasing productivity and diversity by developing a strong knowledge and innovation sector.

"As a community, we are investing in the startup ecosystem as a place to foster the innovation that offers a pathway towards achieving that wider, more resilient economic base we need," said Forbes. "My role on the trust will be to facilitate the relationship between the council and startup businesses."

Forbes's appointment will run through her elected term.