About WAKCO
WAKCO / AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
One name. Several worlds.
WAKCO is the hub for Leon Coertze’s practical, digital, creative and event work — bringing hands-on problem solving, technology, storytelling and people-first operations together.
From practical work to immersive technology.
Before returning to formal study, Leon worked across fields including IT, sales, real estate, aviation-related work, drain unblocking and CCTV inspection, while also taking on laser cutting, engraving and website projects. That broad background now feeds directly into the way WAKCO approaches problems: understand the job, learn what is needed, and build a practical solution.
Yoobee, game development & Life of Tim
Leon studied the Bachelor of Animation at Yoobee College of Creative Innovation and continued into Honours, focusing on interactive media and game development. His Honours project, Life of Tim, is a VR experience in which the player becomes a baby sea turtle, using play to explore the turtle life cycle, environmental dangers and perseverance.
Jakarta — WIR Group / Nusameta
In 2022 Leon was one of ten Yoobee students selected for a 12-week Metaverse Mentored Internship in Jakarta, Indonesia, supported through the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme. At WIR Group he contributed to the initial phase of the Nusameta metaverse, working in an environment combining augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, including avatar-focused immersive technology.
The UP 100
Leon was also selected for The UP 100, a showcase of 100 students and graduates achieving success across Australasia and beyond. The profile highlighted his career reinvention, animation studies and international metaverse internship.
Featured by Yoobee & The Spinoff
In 2024 Yoobee published an in-depth interview, originally produced with The Spinoff, about Leon returning to study as a mature student, developing Life of Tim, learning from industry tutors and moving from a varied working background into games and immersive technology.