Tempted To Move Out Of The U.S.? New Zealand Wants To Help You Escape

Right after the presidential election, visits from U.S. citizens to the Immigration New Zealand website soared. Think 56,300 visits in 24 hours versus the usual average of 2,300. And New Zealand Now — a website about living, working, studying and investing in the country — experienced the same spike, with a 192% increase in U.S. visitors. Even Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joked before the election that she might move to New Zealand if Trump won.

While some Americans might not have been serious about their intent to leave the country, Wellington, New Zealand — also known as "Silicon Welly — is very serious about recruiting U.S. citizens to move there.

The city has launched an initiative called LookSee Wellington. The goal? To recruit 100 talented technology candidates from across the globe, with a focus on the United States. The program arranges meetings with prospective employers who have roles that match a candidate's skills, and flights and accommodations are covered.

But here’s the thing: Whether you work in the tech industry or not, Wellington is a great place to live. Diversity is celebrated, gay marriage is legal and the first female leader was elected more than 20 years ago. If you hold a work visa valid for two years or more, public healthcare is free or low cost. The city also has more restaurants, cafes and bars per capita than New York City. And New Zealand has been called an "incubation nation," a place where innovation thrives and where people can make a real change and have impact.

We interviewed one expat who has already made the move: San Francisco native Alanna Irving (formerly Krause), who is cofounder of both Loomio, an online tool for collaborative decision-making, and Enspiral, a social entrepreneurship network. Here, Alanna tells why she relocated to Wellington — and why you should, too.

Begley Bloom: What inspired you to move to Wellington?

Irving: I traveled and lived in different countries throughout my twenties, just sort of jumping from one opportunity to the next. It was great, but I eventually came to realize that I wanted to make more considered choices, connect to a community more deeply and find meaningful work that wasn't "just a job." When I discovered a thriving community of social entrepreneurs in such a fantastic city, I knew it was a place I could continually learn and grow, personally and professionally. I've been here over six years, and that's still true.

Begley Bloom: How did you find out about Wellington? 

Irving: I originally came to New Zealand on a working holiday visa, with no particular plan to stay long term. At the time, I was just hopping from country to country soaking up experiences. But once I got to Wellington, I pretty much knew I wouldn't want to leave after only one year.

Begley Bloom: Tell me about your companies. When did you start them? What were you doing before?

Irving: My resume before I got here was all over the place. I started a web design company in the U.S., was a translator in Japan, worked in IT in London, studied in Spain and volunteered in India. I didn't know how all these different experiences were going to add up to a career — or if they ever would. When I arrived in Wellington in 2011, I encountered entrepreneurs using the tools of business and software for positive social impact in exciting ways. All my different experiences actually prepared me perfectly to work at the intersection of people, tech, business and impact, so I jumped into Enspiral. It grew from just a few software developers to a network of over 300 people with diverse skills, who want to use their working lives to make the world a better place. A group of us founded Loomio in 2012, when entrepreneurs from Enspiral and activists from the Occupy movement realized we actually needed to solve the same problem: effective decision-making without meetings. We started a worker-owned co-op and built an online tool that's now used by thousands of groups around the world.

Begley Bloom: Wellington’s nickname is “Silicon Welly.” How does it compare to the real Silicon Valley?

Irving: When I visit California now, I'm really struck by its contradictions. There's so much money, but poverty is in your face at the same time. It seems like people work crazy hours, hustling for survival or trying to be the next unicorn. Honestly, Kiwis could learn a thing or two from Americans about claiming their strengths and putting themselves out there, but I love how down to earth and free from hype it is here. New Zealand has its problems, too, but it feels so much less intense. New Zealand has a strong social safety net, free healthcare and affordable education. That means more people can take risks for their ideas. Society is more equal, less materialistic and people seem to focus more on community, life balance and how they can give back. Kiwis do their best, but don't want to step on others so they can get to the top. It's a much smaller market, with a smaller investor pool, but I believe this unique ecosystem means we can develop innovative, humanistic solutions here and then bring them to the rest of the world.

Begley Bloom: Why do you think it’s easier to create a startup in New Zealand versus the U.S.?

Irving: People think it's funny that I'm from San Francisco and I came to New Zealand to do startups, but to me it was natural. It's very easy to start a company in New Zealand in terms of legal paperwork, but I also think there are things you can do here as an entrepreneur that you just can't do elsewhere. There's a lot of unoccupied market share, meaning you can enter a space already saturated in other places and introduce your new approach. The close-knit community is also a real advantage. You can go for a cup of (really good) coffee with CEOs, government officials or anyone you'd like to connect with. They say there's only two degrees of separation between anyone, so you'll know someone who knows someone. Kiwis treat everyone pretty much the same, regardless of their background or job title. It feels like a place with a lot of open doors and helping hands.

Begley Bloom: Why do you think it’s such a uniquely exciting place for innovation?

Irving: Kiwis in general are educated, open minded and up for giving new things a go (which is why Google and Facebook often release prototypes here first, for example). People call New Zealand an "incubation nation" because you can develop new products here and iterate and improve them in a forgiving market before going out to compete globally. Innovation is also enabled by the collaborative entrepreneurial community. We share ideas and help each other out — because we all benefit from a thriving local ecosystem. People tend to consider their work in terms of the wider society as well, as citizens, which I think is an important factor for innovation. At a recent conference for founders, the most retweeted quote was: "To create entrepreneurs, society has to support people properly so they don't have to worry about eating."

Begley Bloom: Why do you think New Zealand got so much attention after the election?

Irving: New Zealand has a utopian reputation, a fantasy island (with Hobbits) where they speak English and the culture's not too different, far away from worldly problems. It's not a utopia — New Zealand has plenty of problems and challenges. But I have the sense that if we work together a better society is actually possible here, and that I can contribute. In a large country, broken systems seem hopelessly entrenched and complex, but in New Zealand it feels possible to make real change and have impact.

Begley Bloom: Anything Americans need to watch out for?

Irving: If people want to leave America and come here, I think it's important they come with a bit of humility and willingness to listen. New Zealand is very welcoming to people from diverse backgrounds, and Kiwis are humble and not imposing. But if Americans interact in the same ways they did back home, they'll recreate many of the very problems they were trying to escape. People are also less outspoken here, so you might need to tone it down a bit and give them a chance to come out of their shells. 

Begley Bloom: What do you think of LookSee Wellington, the new plan to recruit tech stars from the U.S. and around the world?

Irving: Our tech ecosystem is ready to grow, so anything that increases opportunities is great. We'll never be first in market size or proximity to other countries, but on the internet distance doesn't matter. To me, it's clear that tech is our future economically. With the Edmund Hilary Fellowship / Global Impact Visa (a new visa category specifically for social impact entrepreneurs) starting up at the same time as LookSee, I can see a real trend toward welcoming fresh energy and entrepreneurial ideas from overseas.

Begley Bloom: How is your life in New Zealand different from your life in the U.S.?

Irving: First of all, I walk everywhere! When I visit California I feel like I spend most of my time driving, but here I often forget traffic and daily commuting is a even a thing. Wellington is so compact that you can easily get anywhere in the central city on foot. It's small enough that I pass friends on the street all the time, but large enough to have tons of restaurants, theaters, museums, conferences and cultural events. I've met tons of amazing people, but it's virtually never crowded, even at the most popular beach on the nicest day of summer. And incredible nature is right there at our fingertips, so I feel a lot more connected to the environment. My daily routine is a bit different right now because I'm currently looking for a new job. I feel like the local community really knows me and cares about me, and sees investing in me as investing in our collective ecosystem. That's pretty amazing for someone who's a relative newcomer. I've definitely found building strong networks and relationships easier here.

Begley Bloom: Are there any downsides to living in Wellington?

Irving: Living on an island with a population of just over four million means there are some things you just can't do. People who are climbing an ambitious corporate career ladder sometimes feel they max out and have to go overseas to keep leveling up. If you need something super specialized, like a doctor who is world-class at treating a rare condition, it might just not exist here. I'm hoping with better technology for connecting remotely, this will become less of an issue in the future. The weather here can be quite mild. It will rarely go above 77 F, but it won’t drop below 43 F. But they say you can't beat Wellington on a good day. Like San Francisco, it can be windy, and winters get chilly. It doesn't get to me (I've got a really cute raincoat!), but if you're the type that needs loads of sunshine, then Australia is probably more your scene.

Begley Bloom: Do you travel a lot outside of New Zealand? Does it ever feel isolating to be so far from home?

Irving: New Zealand is really far away from literally everywhere. So traveling can be a pain. You can't be at every friend's wedding or family event if those people are overseas. I am also mindful of the environmental impact of flying. I do know people that make it work very well, though, and treasure coming home to NZ as their peaceful break from the stressful wide world. I'm trying to find a balance.

Begley Bloom: Can you talk about how salaries and cost of living compare to America, from your perspective? 

Irving: Some life necessities are more expensive. But compared to the U.S., people pay so much less for health care, transportation and student loans that I think it more or less evens out. It really depends on the lifestyle you want to have. If your idea of a good time is a walk in a forest or a BBQ with friends, you'll spend a lot less on entertainment. If your lifestyle is very metropolitan, you'll spend more. Personally, I find I'm able to live a higher quality life on less money in New Zealand.

Begley Bloom: Do you know other Americans who have moved to Wellington? What is their experience?

Irving: I have a fair number of American friends here, and I find that people who emigrate here from the U.S. have a certain commonality. It's possible to be very successful here, but success is defined in a different way. You don't come here because you want to be the biggest, fastest or richest. You come here because you value things like community, nature, time with your family, solving problems at human scale and growing personally and professionally through genuine relationships. It attracts a certain type of person.

Begley Bloom: Are you ever planning to move back?

Irving: I've decided to put down roots in Wellington and I don't see myself leaving. I have lived in six different countries, and this is by far the best one (for me). I like going back to visit the U.S., especially the Bay Area where I'm originally from, and I still feel a special familiarity and appreciate the amazing people doing amazing things there. But Wellington is where I feel I can best contribute to my community, and receive so much in return.