The Man Who Brought Aerospace To New Zealand

Mark Rocket's story is a testament to the power of transformation. From a young kid born in the era of Starwars, Trekkies, and Alien with a passion for space, he found himself navigating a troubled high school experience and unemployment in his early 20s until he emerged as a visionary entrepreneur in New Zealand. Mark made his future, changing his name to 'Rocket' in the early 2000s, his trajectory from digital startups to pioneering aerospace ventures mirrors the paths of industry giants like Musk and Bezos. Mark's involvement with names such as Virgin Galactic and Rocket Lab highlights his influence on the global stage. As President of Aerospace New Zealand and CEO of Kea Aerospace, his passion for bringing that galaxy far far closer, and disrupting the industry from New Zealand is so evident. His story reflects profound self-awareness, leading him to craft his unique journey bridging successful digital ventures to groundbreaking space technology. In this episode, Mark, Thomas, and Jackson explore topics like: The liberation of embracing your fears. Transitioning from a turbulent school life to pioneering internet and digital businesses. The unspoken link between internet geeks and space geeks. The birth of Rocket Lab and turning dreams of reaching the skies into a Kiwi reality. Sustainability and challenging norms in the aerospace industry. Navigating career pivots and embracing self-awareness. Marks vision for the future of Aerospace in Aotearoa and the 2023 Aerospace summit Thank You so much for listening! You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn here You can find out more about Kea Aerospace here: www.keaaerospace.com Follow us on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠@theprogresslounge⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@theprogresspodcast⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠@theprogresspodcast⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠/the-progress-pod⁠⁠ Head to ⁠⁠theprogresspod.com⁠⁠ to learn more.