Darsel Keane is Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at University of Auckland. Leading the amazing team at CIE, she is a passionate champion for entrepreneurs emerging from within our University ecosystem. Her answers below offer insight into this work:
Q1: What first drew you into the world of innovation and entrepreneurship?
My dad was a business owner and ran ventures across all sorts of industries, so I grew up surrounded by ideas, risk-taking, and creativity. When I got to university, I took Entrepreneurship and New Ventures with Chris Woods and that led to me being interested in joining Velocity (then Spark). It all snowballed from there. I realised I loved being around people who were excited about new ideas and bold enough to make them happen.
Q2: Studying entrepreneurship is often seen as leading into starting a business. What other career options are there?
Starting a business is one path, but it’s definitely not the only one. My own journey as Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University is a good example. I’ve seen so many of my peers and students go on to work as patent attorneys, investors, policy advisors, business development leads, and join startup teams where they can apply their entrepreneurial skills in fast-moving environments. Studying entrepreneurship builds creativity, resilience, and a mindset for solving problems, and that’s valuable anywhere, from startups to government to global companies.
Q3. For students and University of Auckland staff that have an idea but are not sure where to start, how can CIE help?
CIE is absolutely the place to start. If you’ve got an idea, even if it’s just a spark, we’ll help you turn it into something real. Our programmes support students and staff at every stage, from exploring and testing ideas through to launching ventures. We can help you validate your concept, find mentors, build prototypes, startup teams, connect with potential co-founders, and tap into a powerful innovation network across the University and beyond. You don’t need to have all the answers – just curiosity, energy, and the willingness to give it a go. We’ll guide and champion you the rest of the way.
Q4. You’ve heard so many business ideas. Is there anything that underpins the success of the ventures you’ve seen?
It always comes down to the people. CIE works with innovators and founders right at the start of their journey, when ideas are still messy and evolving. The ones who stand out are deeply curious about a problem and genuinely passionate about solving it. The original idea almost always changes, but the people who stay open, adaptable, and motivated are the ones who turn it into something real.
Q5. You’ve worked with so many entrepreneurs and innovative projects. What’s been a highlight or favourite moment so far?
There have been so many. But my favourite moments are always when I see someone’s confidence click into place, when they realise, “Hey, I can actually do this.” Watching students and staff go from a spark of an idea to launching something meaningful, or finding their voice as innovators, is the best part of what we do. It’s also incredibly special to see our alumni out in the world raising capital, employing people, winning entrepreneurship awards, and still feeling grateful for the small role CIE and the University played in their journey. Many of them come back to mentor, speak, or even help fund our programmes, which is such a powerful reflection of the community we’re building.
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