Founding Story

Raised by a struggling single mother in a small rural town and the youngest of three brothers, Cameron often thought he had it hard. However, lying in a hospital, he realised he had actually been very privileged growing up. Even though his mother worked three jobs to provide for the family and was rarely home, she remained a loving, ethical role model of persistence and perseverance. He was also fortunate to have grandparents living close by who helped raise him. Finally, he received a great education through the support of his family.

Eventually, Cameron established himself as a recruitment and investment professional. It was in this context that he saw firsthand how a criminal conviction can profoundly impact a candidate’s life and their whānau. While working in the venture capital industry, Cameron recognised both the opportunities afforded by the tech industry and the shortage of tech talent in New Zealand. This realisation catalysed him to take action by addressing issues within the justice system to help solve the talent shortage in tech. In turn, his work began providing life-changing opportunities for marginalised individuals.

In 2019, Cameron left his full-time job in investment to pursue his vision for Take2. Using his life savings, he visited the US and UK to learn how similar programmes had succeeded. His experience informed the development of a customised blueprint for the New Zealand Corrections sector. Self-funded in its first year of operation, Cameron built a support team and secured commitments from leading employers to hire programme graduates. In addition, he persuaded the Corrections system to enable advanced technology training within prisons and raised seed capital to underwrite the successful pilot programme at Auckland South Corrections Facility.