Guided by Character, Harry Wixon (16-22)

From Hawke’s Bay to the fast-paced cities of Asia, and from late night arrivals in unfamiliar places to building his own tech venture before finishing university, Old Boy, Harry Wixon has been carving out a life defined by curiosity, courage, and action. His journey is anything but ordinary and it speaks clearly to the character he shaped during his years at Lindisfarne

Harry credits Lindisfarne with instilling values that continue to shape his life. “The College doesn’t just teach you how to succeed; it teaches you how to be a good young man. Those values have shaped how I choose to live, lead, and interact with others. Without those foundations, I don’t think I would have developed such a conscious awareness of how important it is to live with purpose and strong principles”. Harry believes that Lindisfarne helped him appreciate the privilege of growing up in Hawke’s Bay and being part of a community that encourages excellence, while inspiring him to seek experiences beyond its borders.

Harry has certainly taken to heart the encouragement to seek out new experiences. After starting his degree at Auckland University,  he opted to do a student exchange for four months at the University of Singapore. Harry describes his experience: “Arriving in Singapore late at night at the start of my exchange was pretty overwhelming. Little did I know, that I would undergo a paradigm shift in my understanding of  different cultures and make some of the best connections of my life.” While on exchange, Harry travelled to Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Taiwan, and Japan, where he was introduced to Eastern perspectives on life and business and witnessed firsthand the scale and innovation of Chinese fintech. Stepping beyond the familiar boundaries of Hawke’s Bay, Harry found the experience transformative, giving him a new level of confidence and teaching him to adapt, connect, and thrive in unfamiliar environments, skills that continue to serve him well.

Even before heading to Singapore, Harry was already pursuing innovation by developing a web-based tool to help small businesses in construction and manufacturing communicate with clients and track project progress, much like tracking a parcel. “’Collabgo’ started as a simple idea and evolved into fully functioning software,” Harry explains. “Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, I always dreamed of starting my own business. The idea began in high school when I noticed poor communication during family renovations. Later, working at a CNC manufacturing company, I saw updates scribbled on cardboard and phoned through manually. There had to be a better way, “ he thought. Today, ‘Collabgo’ is live and being tested in the industry, with early interest from venture capital firms. “More than anything,” Harry says, “the journey has been an education, teaching me how to validate and refine a product, and understand that success is measured not just by revenue, but by the lessons learned.”

Harry is now focussed on what the future holds for him: “Looking ahead, I’m preparing to finish university this year and am actively building a pathway that will take me internationally next year. I’m excited for what’s ahead and the opportunities that will fast-track my growth in the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds.” Harry’s time on exchange in Singapore, surrounded by students from Ivy League universities and travelling through countries that have endured adversity, profoundly changed his perspective. It reminded him of the diversity of human experience and reinforced the value of stepping outside one’s comfort zone in order to grow.

Reflecting on his own time at Lindisfarne, Harry encourages current students to embrace an attitude of action, urging them not to overthink their next move, but instead to try things, learn, and adapt. He believes that going the extra mile is always worthwhile, as giving your best effort inevitably pays off. Harry has always tried to visualise his goals by calling to mind the whakataukī “Titiro ki Rehua,”(Look to Rehua, a guiding star for Ngāi Tahu) as a metaphor for setting a clear vision and working backwards to create the steps that lead there. Harry encourages Lindisfarne boys to be bold. “You are so young, take some big bets,” he says. “Apply to your dream university, start a business, pursue life abroad. The world is much bigger than you think, and the opportunities are endless if you’re brave enough to chase them.”

Harry is obviously taking his own advice and we wish him great success with whatever the future holds for him. It is certain to be exciting!