Jacob Fewtrell
Managing Director, Insight Media
Bachelor of Communication Studies in Digital Media and Event Management
His time at AUT helped him gain a strong foundation of practical, real-world experience, says Jacob Fewtrell who studied digital media and event management.
“In the second year of my event management courses, we worked through real-world scenarios for LSKD, and in the third year we took it a step further by planning and delivering an actual event for over 60 people as a team of 10. This included everything from financial planning and marketing to going out and getting sponsors. That experience gave me insight into what working in the industry is really like. On the digital media side, I developed a wide range of valuable technical and creative skills that I’m now applying in my own business. While I had some informal experience with these tools, studying them in a structured way helped me refine my abilities and understand the principles behind them. This helps me create more effective and thoughtful work that really stands out to clients.
“I really enjoyed the group projects throughout my studies. Collaborating with others, sharing ideas and working towards a common goal made the process both rewarding and enjoyable. But the most valuable part of my experience was bringing together everything I had learnt in my first two years of study and applying it to my final assignments. Moving forward, these hands-on experiences really helped solidify my skills and gave me confidence in what I could create. I was also very proud to be the top-performing student in my year for my digital media major.”
He says the lecturers were incredibly supportive throughout his degree.
“I saw them as a kind of guide, helping us navigate challenges. Their support made a big difference in my overall experience. A massive shoutout to Diego Malheiros Silveira, my event management lecturer for two years. He genuinely made my university experience memorable. His passion and energy were infectious, and he consistently opened doors to real opportunities and connections. For example, I volunteered at an event he organised, which was an incredibly valuable experience. Because he was also actively working in the industry, this really strengthened his credibility. What he was teaching felt current, relevant and directly applicable to the real world.”
Growing his own business
After graduating from AUT at the end of 2025, Jacob now focuses solely on running his own media business, offering photography, videography, digital marketing, websites and social media to clients across multiple industries and regions.
“I really enjoy entrepreneurship, I started this business in my first year at AUT. When I was young, others were dreaming about being All Blacks and I was dreaming about running my own business. I enjoy the accountability and obviously the media side of things.”
He says his studies prepared him well for life as a business owner.
“You can learn and train for things as much as you like but nothing beats experience, which is what I got from the practical nature of AUT. This meant that I was able to be one step ahead which is very important when you're trying to grow a business.”
Advice for other students
Jacob – whose studies were supported by an AUT Welcome to Auckland Scholarship – has some great advice for other students who are just at the start of their own university journey.
“Always try your hardest and put forward the best work you can. You're never going to have the opportunity to submit work to industry experts – your lecturers – to give you feedback and grades without any massive consequences.”
He also has some guidance for those who are dreaming of running their own business one day.
“Be confident in yourself, anything can be achieved. And if you don't know something yet it can always be learned.”
