We’re New Zealand’s most innovative, transformative learning environment where people come to find their edge in a rapidly changing world.
Our postgraduate programmes, short courses and innovation workshops are designed specifically for the new world of work. We don’t rely on outdated textbooks or traditional academia models. We teach context, not content and are focused on enhancing the skills and capabilities of all our learners to then take into the ‘real world’ and embed into their workplaces, organisations and communities.
Tech Futures Lab was the brainchild of education disruptor and innovator Frances Valintine who, back in 2016, could see New Zealand businesses and professionals lacked the learning pathways and opportunities to develop the critical skills needed in the ‘future of work’. She gathered a team of industry experts, academic rebels and big thinkers around her to develop the first innovation-focused Master’s programme for Aotearoa – Master of Technological Futures. The ethos was (and still is) to teach context, not content. Our learning approach strives to embed critical thinking skills and innovation mindsets, to create novel solutions that are led by purpose and values yet answer real-world challenges.
Since that first cohort started in 2017, we’ve seen the most incredible innovative, transformative ideas born. Some have become start ups, some have shifted the direction of an organisation, some are reaching leaders on the global stage.
Today, our suite of postgraduate programmes have evolved to work in with busy lives and the rapid pace of technological change. We offer micro-credentials and postgraduate certificates that are all perfect on their own to support professionals supercharge their knowledge, but also can stack together towards a Master’s degree.
Tech Futures Lab is the catalyst that makes it possible for New Zealanders to lead positive change, for themselves and the wider world.
Tech Futures Lab is part of The Mind Lab, a NZQA-registered Tertiary Education Organisation under the provisions of the Education Act 1989. Tech Futures Lab postgraduate candidates are enrolled with The Mind Lab which is approved by NZQA to award a range of programmes and micro-credentials. Click here to access our 2022 Academic Calendar for all programmes across The Mind Lab and Tech Futures Lab.
The Tech Futures Lab team is genuinely passionate about learning, teaching and the future. We are a network of approachable, humble, supportive and open-minded people who look at the world from a different angle.
Frances Valintine CNZM is dedicated to pushing Aotearoa ahead as a global leader in innovation to build a stronger, more resilient future for all New Zealanders. A leader in her own right as an innovator, emerging technologies futurist and disruptor of traditional education, Frances founded Tech Futures Lab in 2016 to foster the capabilities and skills needed to develop a culture of innovation and agility critical to NZ businesses and individuals to thrive in this fast-paced technological advancement era.
Prior to this, in 2013 Frances founded The Mind Lab to empower students and educators to develop applied digital knowledge and capability.
Over the past 8 years across Tech Futures Lab and The Mind Lab, Frances has been instrumental in reskilling and educating 20,000 adult students in formal programmes, many thousands in short tech courses in software development and over 250,000 school aged students.
Connect with Frances on LinkedIn or read her full bio
Our friendly team is here to help.