Rocket Lab launch leader Luke Smith is among the speakers who will headline the Profit Unleashed event on May 21 at the Atrium at Tribune in Hastings.
Rocket Lab launch leader Luke Smith is among the speakers who will headline the Profit Unleashed event on May 21 at the Atrium at Tribune in Hastings.
A Rocket Lab leader will share what it’s like to launch from Māhia at a Hawke’s Bay business event on May 21.
The seventh edition of the Profit Unleashed will be held at the Atrium at Tribune in Hastings, bringing together speakers with strong local ties and global careers.
Amongthem is Luke Smith, who oversees launch operations at Rocket Lab’s Māhia site, Launch Complex 1, the world’s first commercial orbital launch facility.
Working on the land of his Māori ancestors, Smith plays a key role in preparing missions for launch, combining technical expertise with a strong personal connection to the region.
“There’s something pretty special about managing a launch complex in a place your whānau has always called home,” Smith said.
“I’m excited to share my story, give people a real sense of what goes into making a launch happen, and talk about the genuine economic and community impact Rocket Lab is having across Māhia and Hawke’s Bay.”
Also speaking is Napier-born entrepreneur Charlie Wallace, founder of Guitar Mastery Method, an online platform that has reached more than two million users worldwide and recently set a Guinness World Record for the largest online guitar lesson.
Wallace is also a musician with the band Black Smoke Trigger.
Napier-born entrepreneur Charlie Wallace's Guitar Mastery Method has reached more than two million users worldwide.
Hastings-raised journalist Anna Fifield, who attended Hastings Girls’ High School, will complete the line-up.
Fifield spent more than 20 years as a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post and the Financial Times, reporting across Asia, the Middle East and the United States, and is the author of The Great Successor, a book on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Hastings-raised Anna Fifield is an internationally recognised journalist.
Event organiser Damon Harvey said the lineup reflected a deliberate effort to bring global perspectives back to the region.
“This is our seventh event, and I genuinely believe it’s our strongest lineup yet,” he said.
The event comes as businesses across Hawke’s Bay continue to navigate economic pressures.
