Welcome to The Uncommons: Finding Common Ground for AUT’s Innovative Minds
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often than not, it starts with a casual conversation between people who might never normally cross paths.
That’s the idea behind The Uncommons, a new social series launched by AUT Ventures in October. Hosted at Vesbar on the City Campus, the inaugural gathering offered a relaxed space for the AUT community and wider innovation ecosystem to connect over drinks and nibbles, without the pressures of traditional “networking”.
Coinciding perfectly with last month’s Auckland Startup Week, the gathering was a timely reminder that the next big idea doesn't always start with a polished pitch deck. Sometimes, it just takes the right collision of different perspectives.
At a university as diverse as AUT, the gap between a brilliant research concept and a real-world application can often be bridged by a simple chat across disciplines. The Uncommons is designed to be that bridge, creating a relaxed space to exchange ideas, talk commercialisation, and explore new possibilities.
And the momentum is already building. Thanks to the encouraging turnout and energy in the room, plans are underway to host the next Uncommons Session in late March 2027 (upgrading from the original once-a-semester plan) to keep the conversations flowing year-round.
We want this to become a staple of the AUT calendar, a place where familiar faces reconnect, and new collaborators meet. We look forward to connecting even more uncommon minds on common ground at the next gathering!