About Me

About Vaughan

Founder of Vend
Co-founder of the Pam Fergusson Trust
Rode the length of NZ on a bike solo, because
Founded a $500m venture in the middle of the GFC, because
Rode around the world, because
Learnt to sing and then sang a live gig in front of 100 people, because
Ran 1,000km, because
Had a big moustache, because

Vend

Vaughan is the Founder of one of New Zealand’s fastest growing technology companies Vend, a cloud based retail software for small to medium retailers worldwide. Vend has been award winning for its innovation, it’s culture, it’s brand and it’s customer success. Vend was sold to Lightspeed in 2021 for half a billion dollars.

OMGTech!

Vaughan also co-founded OMG Tech! an initiative to encourage kids of all backgrounds, genders, and ages to get into technology. It not only covers coding, but all newly developed technology such as robots, drones, nanotech, teleportation and hover-boards. They give kids the chance to explore and get inspired by technology that they will be experts in ten years from now.

He dreams big and likes to set himself impossible challenges; whether it is cycling the length of New Zealand solo, running 1,000 kilometres, or building a $100M venture.

Stop. Reset. Restart.

Is this is a simulation or a movie or a fever dream? Sometimes the plot is so intense and surreal, the last week being a very poignant example of how strange the universe can be. When the power went out in Portugal while I was walking the Camino de Santiago

When an end is a beginning

10 years ago we started the Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust to inspire tamariki into STEAM. In that time we have done so much. We have been in the lives of 100,000 kids all across Aotearoa, from teaching robotics, coding, science and invention to supporting kaiako and teachers to be

You’re Invited to an Innovation Reboot

5 years ago, we bought a zoo —well, by zoo I mean a camp. Zoe and I renamed it The Institute of Awesome, and then we set about to reboot the 50 year old outdoor education centre to be a place of innovation and inspiration for kids. Here we run

Mackintosh’s ranked from best to worst.

Egg and cream. Universally the best. Malt. Like old coagulated Milo when you leave the Milo tin lid off. Mint. Like brushing your teeth while chewing toffee. Harrogate. It’s like when you eat a bit of paper wrapper with the toffee. Harrogate is that flavour. Coconut. Nice start. Middle