Practitioners, Not Just Advisors
We bridged the gap between enterprise consulting and practical implementation because we were tired of seeing slides without code.
Our Story
thecolab.ai started as a simple idea: that the best way to learn AI is to build with it. As organizers of the Auckland AI Builders Meetup, Adam and Simon saw a disconnect in the New Zealand market.
On one side, huge enterprise consultancies were selling expensive "strategy" without technical depth. On the other, small automation agencies were implementing tools without understanding business context.
We built thecolab.ai to be the bridge. We bring enterprise-grade strategic thinking combined with the ability to actually write the code, deploy the agents, and solve the hard technical problems — across any AI platform.
The Team
Simon Conroy
20+ years leading data and technology strategy at NZ's largest organisations. Former Head of Customer Strategy & Analytics at Air New Zealand, GM Data Strategy at Spark.
- Air New Zealand — Head of Customer Strategy & Analytics
- Spark New Zealand — GM Data Strategy
- Flight Centre — Head of Information Technology
Simon's superpower is translating complex AI capabilities into language executives understand — and strategies that actually get implemented.
LinkedIn →
Adam Holt
Serial tech founder, full-stack developer, and angel investor. Nearly a decade shipping products used by thousands of NZ businesses — from ERP integrations to AI-powered automation.
- PO2Order — AI-powered wholesale order automation
- Rapido — B2B portal for Accredo ERP
- PricePulse NZ — AI grocery price comparison
Adam's the one writing the code, building the demos, and making AI actually work in production.
LinkedIn →Enterprise strategy meets hands-on implementation.
That's what makes thecolab.ai different.