Miho Tanaka Gumpp

Miho Tanaka Gumpp

R&D Solution Specialist

R&D Solution Specialists

Digital specialist supporting Canterbury’s innovators

Working within the local entrepreneurial R&D ecosystem, I enjoy getting to know the brilliant innovations coming out of New Zealand and the bright minds behind them.

My background is in digital, data protection and ed-tech. I built a financially unviable but fun AR mobile app startup in Berlin, and then moved onto co-found a multilingual GDPR data protection compliance business in Munich, gaining leading global corporations as customers. These experiences have taught me the importance of being brutally realistic about demand, commercial viability and operational practicalities when it comes to developing a new product.

My biggest hero in the R&D space is Marie Curie and in the broader sphere, Niel deGrasse Tyson. I’m endlessly inspired by their curiosity and drive to uncover mysteries of the world for us to piece together the intricate mechanisms of how our universe works. They both overcame numerous hurdles in life to achieve their feats, and I think every innovator can relate to these struggles in some form, big or small.

Areas of expertise
  • Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Extended Reality (XR)
  • User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX)
  • Data protection
  • Ed-tech
  • Business strategy
Education
  • BA Hons. Psychology (cognition), University of Canterbury, 2001 
  • BA Linguistics, University of Canterbury, 2000 
Memberships and awards
  • Global Advisory Board for OEB (a leading international conference on EdTech)
  • Industry Advisory Group member for UC Online
  • Mentor - Te Ōhaka Founder Catalyst Programme (current)
  • Entrepreneur in Residence - StartupBootcamp Copenhagen (2015)
  • Grand Prize Winner (startup competition) for AirMarkr (AR Mobile app)
  • StartupWeekend (Berlin) third prize,
  • Silver – Interactive from Epica for MINI Global campaign
  • Bronze - Integrated Campaign from Epica (international creative marketing & communications awards) for MINI Global campaign
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