Pacific Youth in Bangkok: PCF x HEX Launch a New Era of Global Innovation Pathways

PMSA Thailand Interns attending the HEX Pitch Night to support Jesse Gibson and Benika Vandermeer in Bangkok, Thailand

In late 2025, the Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) took an exciting step forward in our mission to grow Pacific leadership, innovation, and global mobility. We officially launched our partnership with The Hacker Exchange (HEX) — an Australian organisation renowned for its world-class entrepreneurship and innovation programmes — and sent our first two Pacific youth delegates to join the HEX International Innovation Experience in Bangkok, Thailand.

This moment wasn’t just a programme milestone. It was a statement of intent.

For years, Pacific youth have told us clearly: “We want more opportunities to innovate, to build, to lead, and to see the world.” Through our Manaaki Scholars, internships, alumni engagement, and our Pacific Perceptions Report, the message has been consistent — our young people are ready for global exposure, and they want PCF to help open those doors.

The HEX partnership is one of the ways we are answering that call.

Why HEX? Why Now?

When PCF was introduced to HEX in 2025, the alignment was immediate. Their programmes are immersive, future focused, and grounded in real world entrepreneurship — exactly the kind of learning our Pacific youth have been asking for.

HEX specialises in taking students into global innovation hubs like Singapore, Osaka, Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok. Participants learn directly from founders, creators, and industry leaders. They build ventures, pitch ideas, and collaborate across cultures. They return home with new confidence, new networks, and a new sense of what’s possible.

For PCF, this partnership strengthens our growing portfolio of entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives — especially as we work with partners in Papua New Guinea, the PNG Chamber of Commerce, youth organisations, and our own alumni to expand opportunities across the region.

This is the kind of partnership that signals PCF’s place in the Pacific innovation ecosystem. We are not just observers. We are contributors, connectors, and champions for Pacific talent.

Meet Our First Delegates: Jesse & Benika

To launch this partnership, PCF selected two Pacific youth from very different backgrounds — a deliberate choice to show that innovation is not limited to one pathway.

Jesse Gibson — Creative Entrepreneur

Jesse is a young entrepreneur working at the intersection of creative arts, storytelling, and digital expression. His work reflects the boldness and originality that Pacific creators bring to the global stage. For Jesse, Bangkok was a chance to sharpen his entrepreneurial instincts, connect with other innovators, and explore how Pacific creativity can thrive in global markets.

Benika Vandermeer — Public Health Graduate

Benika, a Biomedical Science graduate from AUT, represents another side of Pacific innovation — one grounded in health equity, research, and community wellbeing. With aspirations in epidemiology and Pacific health, she joined HEX to build leadership skills, expand her global perspective, and explore how innovation can strengthen health outcomes for Pacific communities.

Together, Jesse and Benika embodied the diversity of Pacific excellence — creative, scientific, entrepreneurial, community driven, and globally ambitious.

Inside the Bangkok Experience

Bangkok is one of Asia’s most vibrant innovation hubs — a city where creativity, technology, and culture collide. Over two weeks, Jesse and Benika joined a cohort of international students to:

• Visit leading startups and innovation labs

• Learn from founders, investors, and industry experts

• Build and pitch new venture ideas

• Collaborate across cultures and disciplines

• Explore the city’s creative, tech, and entrepreneurial ecosystems

They returned home with new skills, new confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose — exactly what PCF aims to cultivate in the next generation of Pacific leaders.

Why This Matters for the Pacific

This partnership is more than a one off opportunity. It is part of PCF’s long term strategy to:

• Grow Pacific entrepreneurship and innovation capability

• Strengthen global mobility pathways

• Build a connected, empowered Pacific alumni network

• Support youth who are in the “startup phase” of their leadership journey

• Ensure Pacific voices are present in global innovation spaces

Our region is full of young people with ideas, ambition, and talent — but many lack access to the networks, resources, and global exposure needed to take the next step. Programmes like HEX help bridge that gap.

And as we continue to work with partners in across the Pacific, and here in Aotearoa, we know these opportunities must grow, not shrink.

A Call to Our Stakeholders: This Is the Time to Invest

PCF is committed to expanding this programme — but we cannot do it alone.

We are actively seeking partners and funders who believe in the potential of Pacific youth and want to help scale opportunities like HEX across the region. The demand is real. The impact is clear. And the momentum is building.

With continued support, we can:

• Increase the number of Pacific youth accessing global innovation programmes

• Strengthen entrepreneurship pathways in PNG and across the Pacific

• Build a thriving alumni network of Pacific innovators

• Support young people who just need that one push, one opportunity, one global experience to unlock their potential

This is how we grow the next generation of Pacific founders, creators, researchers, and leaders.

Looking Ahead

The Bangkok experience marks the beginning of a powerful partnership — one that aligns with PCF’s mission, our youth programmes, and the aspirations of Pacific communities.

We are proud of Jesse and Benika. We are proud of this partnership. And we are proud to stand in the Pacific entrepreneurship and innovation space with confidence, purpose, and momentum.

This is only the start.

To our Pacific youth: keep dreaming boldly.

To our partners and supporters: walk with us.

The future of Pacific innovation is bright — and it’s global.