Empowering future leaders:
Kiri’s OnBoard journey

Hamilton NZ, 30 April 2025

At KiwiNet, we believe the strength of Aotearoa’s innovation ecosystem lies in its people. That's why we're committed to nurturing the next generation of innovators and leaders—like Kiri Lenagh-Glue, Senior Commercial Analyst at OpenStar Technologies.

In 2024, Kiri joined the KiwiNet board as an observer through the OnBoard programme—an initiative designed to grow the next generation of independent board directors. Each year, KiwiNet partners with OnBoard to give selected applicants the chance to develop their governance skills and observe a board in action.

For Kiri, who had previously observed start-up boards as an investment analyst and sat on various investment committees, the programme felt like a natural next step.

“I really wanted to continue developing those skills,” she explains. “It was a very different experience to start-up operations, but I was excited to observe on a board with different operational context, construction, and mandate.”

“This was a fantastic experience and I’m so grateful I got to work with the KiwiNet team,” she adds.

One highlight was participating in the board’s annual strategic planning sessions at the start of her observer role, which introduced her to the team and set the tone for the year ahead.

“This really helped me get a sense of the priorities and focus for the year and longer term, which grounded a lot of the board’s discussions and decisions throughout the rest of the year,” she says.

The OnBoard programme has also paved the way for Kiri’s long-term goal of contributing to start-up governance.

“I’m very excited to continue working within start-ups, understanding the work and dynamics within companies. Long-term, I’d like to return to investing and operating in a governance capacity and OnBoard has massively helped grow my knowledge base and capabilities in that regard.”

Kiri’s advice for future OnBoard participants is simple yet powerful: “Take advantage of the cohort community and the various members of the governance board. The learning from peers and experienced colleagues in this space is incredible—people are so knowledgeable and generous with their time, and they’re happy to help you grow.”