Dom Harvey

Hey, I'm Dom, and this is my podcast, the Dom Harvey Podcast.

Thank you so much for listening.

David Downes is a man with a wild CV.

He quit university to become a comedian, helped build the New Zealand comedy scene, co-founded the Classic and even found time to write a few books.

Then somehow he pivoted into tech, ended up working for Microsoft, running the show across Southeast Asia and is now the chairman of the Ice House and works in government, helping shape how the world sees New Zealand.

But there is so much more to the David Downs story than this wild career.

A few years ago, David was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.

What started as feeling a bit run down turned into being told he had less than a year to live and that there was no treatment options left in New Zealand.

And that's where things take a pretty wild turn.

Through a random LinkedIn message, he ends up getting access to a cutting-edge treatment in Boston.

Problem is, it costs about a million US dollars.

So in this episode, we get into all of it.

We also talk about what he's doing now to help bring the same life-saving treatment to New Zealand, so other Kiwis don't have to go through what he did.

There is a lot in this one.

There's laughter, there's tears, it's heavy in parts, but also funny, honest, and genuinely inspiring.

All told by a man with an incredible ability to tell a great story.

David is one of those people who's been through something huge, and instead of just drawing a line in the sand and moving on, has decided to use it to help others.

This was the first time we met, I thoroughly enjoyed his company, and I think you will too.

This is the Dom Harvey Podcast, and here is David Downs.

Kia ora, nice to be here, thank you.