Launchpad meet the teams: ARCO

ARCO's Felicity Brenchley, Ana Heremaia and Ruby Watson. Photo / Mark Tantrum

Launchpad is the social enterprise incubator where eleven fledgling businesses are prepared for market.

This month Element readers decide on the 'People's Choice' from the 11 social enterprises in the Launchpad accelerator, thereby deciding who receives the $20,000 prize from Contact to help further their endeavours. Social enterprises are purpose-driven organisations that trade to deliver social or environmental impact. Click below to access the voting form, and click on each team's name to learn more.
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ARCO

RB: Describe what ARCO is and does? Go!
Ana Heremaia: ARCO provides education opportunities for marginalised youth in the Kaikohe region, using design and production of high-quality furniture from locally sourced NZ timber. We aim to engage with communities through collaborative design and innovative teaching methods, make high-end, locally made furniture assessable to the average person and empower rangitahi to achieve their potential.

RB: Tell us about the brains behind ARCO.
AH: ARCO is led by myself (Ana Heremaia), Ruby Watson and Felicity Brenchley. We come from interior and architectural design backgrounds and are passionate about design; affordable, sustainable, quality products; and community development. Felicity has an architectural master's thesis in social housing, Ruby's working in community design and arts and my background is in education and sustainable design.

RB: Tell us about the "aha" moment that bought ARCO to life?
AH: The three of us bonded over a passion for community, design and hands-on 'making'. Ruby and I had always dreamed of starting a company, project, or even a band, together. My dad's from Kaikohe and after his death I started to spend more time there getting to know my whanau and the local area. My mum and I started to look into the use of local resources and from there the ARCO business model was formed. The idea started to gain momentum and Felicity came on board. But it was Launchpad that really started the ball moving.

RB: What gaps does ARCO fill?
AH: In Kaikohe there is a lack of creative options for school leavers. Moreover, the mainstream education system doesn't cater for all kinesthetic (practical) learners. This often creates a sense of disempowerment for those who don't fit the mould.

The ARCO model, integrating whanau, kinesthetic learning and tikanga, not only provides training for youth but creates future pathways into the creative, practical and design industries. We believe that creativity and the "hands-on" aspect of doing is key for engaged learning. And engagement is the key to empowerment.

ARCO empowers youths to believe in themselves so they can pursue a career about which they are passionate, talented, and provides for their wha¯ nau. The production of high-quality furniture that is locally made, ethically produced and affordable also fi lls a gap in the furniture market. Buyers invest both in heirloom furniture for themselves and the future of our youth.

RB: How will society look 10 years from now because of ARCO?
AH: ARCO's Kaikohe workshop will be a financially self sustaining machine that continues to train youth and produce beautiful furniture. Kaikohe will be a more thriving community and ARCO (or ARCO-inspired) workshops will be established in small communities throughout New Zealand. ARCO furniture will be available internationally. Our methods will have also become common in educational institutions globally - we'll have a generation of young people engaged in learning, pursuing what they love and creating great things for themselves, their whanau and their community.

RB: Do you see Arco evolving into additional areas?

AH: Most definitely! ARCO has grand plans for the future in terms of replicating and scaling. While ARCO is starting with furniture, we have ideas about social housing, architectural design and other creative avenues. We also have visions for ARCO's training programme to become a globally recognised and replicable template.

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