Who we are
Hegel & Fein was founded by Preston Hegel and Ben Fein. With complementary strengths and a shared passion for revitalising spaces and creative communities, they realized more needed to be done to help creative ecosystems become more resourceful and resilient. Together, they lead a hybrid collective of strategists, creatives, and systems thinkers whose aim is to be the bridge between philanthropy, property, and the creative industries; specializing in turning under-utilised spaces into dynamic cultural, social, and commercial hubs.
We connect the dots between creative vision and technical execution. From grassroots communities to institutional partnerships, we help deliver big ideas with measurable results. Our expertise includes venue development, event production, operational modelling, and digital transformation with a track record that spans everything from multi-use venue management, and immersive urban events, to logistical process mapping, staffing systems, and financial reporting dashboards.
With over a decade of combined experience, our work spans:
- Stakeholder engagement, surveying, and assessments
- Creative direction & event curation
- Operational strategy & business modelling
- Process documentation and workflow design
- Custom tech solutions — forms, reporting tools, dashboards, and apps
- Funding strategy and grant application support
- Marketing, audience development & community outreach
- Financial modeling, budgeting, and KPI reporting
We’ve worked with artists, NGOs, startups, councils, and global enterprises; tailoring our tools and strategies to the unique needs of each client or community. Whether we’re activating a heritage building, designing an incident reporting system, or building frameworks for scalable operations, we work at the intersection of culture, systems, and impact; helping others do their best work with clarity, confidence, and style.
Preston Hegel
Preston Hegel relocated from Asheville NC (USA) to Ōtautahi in 2015. Having always been drawn to Aotearoa’s beautiful landscape, it was the post-earthquake opportunities and activity that attracted Preston to Ōtautahi.
His passion for the creative industries first led him to his role as Exchange Operator (COO) of Exchange Christchurch; a multi-use production & showcase space and incubator that has facilitated over 2,000 events. Over the years, Preston contributed to a number of conferences and music & arts festivals across Aotearoa. Now, he specializes in bridging the gap between urban development and maximizing creative potential; designing models and strategies that raise the bar and help the entertainment and creative industries thrive.
Ben Fein
Ben Fein leads Hegel & Fein’s systems and analysis work. His background is in finding out how an organisation actually runs — as opposed to how it thinks it runs — and building the tools, processes and reporting that close the gap. He trained at BASF Business Services, the IT arm of BASF, and spent a decade there in cost reporting and financial controlling, including a global PC standardisation programme spanning 100,000 machines. In Aotearoa he has built SharePoint, Power BI and Power Platform solutions for a large disability provider, co-directed and restructured a Christchurch creative organisation, and founded Stadtmusik, a seasonal festival series designed from the start to be documented and handed on. Clients come to Ben when their information is stuck in spreadsheets, their processes live in one person’s head, or a system has been bought that nobody uses. He’s known for explaining technology in a way that works for the people who are anxious about it.
Contact us
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