"Through the Automation Clone learning, I realised we didn’t have to buy the solution — we could build it ourselves"

Our organisation was operating under increasing pressure. As a community-focused charitable trust, funding volatility is a constant reality. Every year brings uncertainty, contracts ending, budgets tightening, and the ongoing challenge of maintaining safe, compliant services while still delivering meaningful support to whaanau (families).

Like many not-for-profits, we were carrying growing administrative demands alongside compliance and health and safety responsibilities. Systems that larger organisations take for granted came with price tags we simply could not justify. Every dollar spent on software is a dollar not spent directly supporting our community.

The day before completing the Automation Clone module, I had begun discussions with a provider about purchasing a visitor sign-in and contractor management system. It would have met accreditation requirements — capturing health and safety information and enabling real-time roll call during emergencies — but required an upfront investment of over $1,000 plus ongoing monthly costs.

For an organisation like ours, that decision matters. It wasn’t just software, it was choosing between operational compliance and community impact.

The reason I enrolled in this programme was simple: we needed a different way of operating. We needed to reduce costs, scale our impact, and remain financially sustainable without compromising safety or quality.

Thanks to this programme, everything shifted.

Through the Automation Clone learning, I realised we didn’t have to buy the solution — we could build it ourselves. Using the principles taught in the programme, we created our own visitor sign-in and safety workflow tailored specifically to our environment and needs.

Instead of committing scarce funding to external systems, we now have a functioning solution that meets our operational requirements while keeping resources within the organisation.

After taking this Quest, I feel more capable and strategic as a leader. Previously, I often felt reactive — responding to problems as they arose and dependent on external providers for solutions. Now, I approach challenges differently. I look first at what can be designed, automated, or built internally.

The biggest change is not technological — it is mindset.

Areas of my life where I’ve noticed the biggest change are in decision-making and organisational leadership. AI has moved from being something abstract or efficiency-focused to something deeply practical. It gives back time — time that can now be reinvested into people, relationships, and community outcomes.

My top insights include:

AI is not just about efficiency — it creates organisational sovereignty.

Small community organisations can now build systems previously only accessible to large institutions.

Leadership shifts from buying solutions to designing them.

The biggest positive change is that AI is now embedded into the workflow of our organisation across multiple areas. We are no longer asking, “Can we afford this system?” but instead, “Can we build what we actually need?”

Now my life — and our organisation — can operates differently. Becoming more resilient, more innovative, and better positioned to direct limited funding toward what truly matters: supporting our community.

I would recommendthe AI accelerator programme to anyone leading within constrained environments, because it doesn’t just teach tools — it changes how you think about possibility.