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Desire To Use Business For Social Good Stands Out Amongst EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2023 Finalists
2 August 2023: Ernst & Young, New Zealand has revealed the finalists of its highly esteemed Entrepreneur of the Year competition and while they come from a range of backgrounds and industries, their common purpose to create positive change for Aotearoa is a stand-out theme.
Whether it is through closing the gender gap in STEM-related careers, transforming the culture of the scaffolding industry or democratising market research, this year’s finalists demonstrate the important role entrepreneurs play in our society.
The entrepreneurs from sixteen Kiwi businesses across the country that have been chosen as finalists, span industries including retail, construction, marketing, data analytics and education, representing the diversity of entrepreneurialism in New Zealand. These top entrepreneurs continue to innovate and forge new paths forward, despite numerous years of uncertainty.
Director of EY Entrepreneur of the Year at Ernst & Young Ltd New Zealand, Jason Macgregor, said this year’s finalists reflect the evolved landscape of entrepreneurialism in New Zealand; one that is just as focused on purpose, inclusivity and looking after our planet as it is on driving revenue and global expansion.
“Entrepreneurs have a job to do in being the change agents within our society, so it’s great to see the next generation truly stepping into that role and making a real difference. Today’s world presents us with many unique challenges, which will require new ways of thinking to solve, a skill that is a key part of entrepreneurialism.”
“Particularly as we face economic challenges, it is important that we encourage innovation and entrepreneurism in New Zealand to bolster the economy. The courage and resilience these entrepreneurs demonstrate is remarkable – and they will make great role models for other Kiwi entrepreneurs that want to take the leap and start a business.”
The finalists will now compete across a variety of categories for the ultimate title of EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2023. From there, New Zealand’s overall winner will go on to compete for the title of World Entrepreneur of the Year.
The finalists will be assessed by a panel of independent judges, including previous EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award winners across four core criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, impact and growth
The finalists are:
| Alexia Hilbertidou | GirlBoss NZ | GirlBoss New Zealand is New Zealand's leading network for young women. Its mission is to close the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths, Leadership & Entrepreneurship. | |||
| Angus Brown | Ārepa Holdings Ltd | Ārepa Holdings Ltd is a brain food technology company pioneering the space of a clinically proven brain drink that aims to reduce our reliance on caffeine and sugar and improve brain performance. | |||
| Connor Archbold, Matthew Herbert | Tracksuit Limited | Tracksuit is a software start-up known for its radically affordable, always-on brand tracking dashboard used to measure and communicate the value of your brand building activities. | |||
| Jamie Beaton | Crimson Education | Crimson Education is New Zealand’s leading university admissions company. It has supported students to gain admission to the world’s most competitive universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT and UCLA. | |||
| Graeme Clegg | New Image International | A NZ founded, globally recognised direct-selling company specialising in health, wellbeing, and nutrition. | |||
| Hannah Porter | Bear and Moo | Bear & Moo is an online baby and kids store, with a focus on sustainable nappies/clothing. | |||
| David Yu | VeVe | An Entertainment Providers company that sells NFTS but is more widely known for its app VeVe, that enables customers to buy and interact with digital artworks and virtual models. | |||
| Emily Rutherford | Kiwi Water Park | Founder of New Zealand’s largest inflatable water park a place of enjoyment for 1000’s of NZers. | |||
| Chris Warren | NZS Group | New Zealand's largest provider of scaffolding, formwork, height access and related infrastructure services. | |||
| Carmen Vicelich | Data Insight | A data analytics agency on a mission to enable data-driven decision making for businesses. | |||
| Levi Fawcett | Partly Group Ltd | Database development company that matches buyers and sellers in the auto parts sector. | |||
| Mark Edwards | Edwards & Co NZ Ltd | A brand that offers strollers, prams and baby travel systems that are designed to make parenting easier | |||
| Samuel Wiffen | Reveal Group LTD | ANZ underground utility locating experts. | |||
| Sarah Balle | Supie | Online grocery start-up on a mission to ensure all Kiwis have access to affordable, healthy food. | |||
| Tim Howe | Central Park NZ LTD | Christchurch owned and based car park operating company that aims to deliver safe and secure street level car parking for the community and visitors | |||
| Tim Pointer | Reason Agency & Rescue Metrics | Reason Agency is a full-service digital marketing agency and Rescue metrics is a technology solution that tracks and fixes conversion issues to save marketing spend. |
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