Five inspirational female entrepreneurs will pitch their business to a high-profile judging panel and online audience on 23 November 2021 as they vie to win $10,000.
Created by Hamilton-based business growth ecosystem, Soda, Rise Up aims to encourage, support and celebrate female entrepreneurship in Aotearoa.
“Women are heavily underrepresented in entrepreneur statistics – only 20 per cent of high growth startups in Aotearoa have a female founder. Yet every day at Soda we work with incredible female founders and business mentors so we know first-hand that women have the talent, innovation and grit to become successful entrepreneurs,” says Soda CEO, Erin Wansbrough.
“We created Rise Up to encourage more women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career, remove some of the barriers to starting their own business and to champion female entrepreneurship in Aotearoa,” she adds.
The five Rise Up finalists are: Billie Jo Hohepa-Ropiha, founder of BDÉT; Chloe Van Dyke, co-founder of Chia Sisters; Gaelle Thieme, founder of Dust & Glow, Wendy Quach, founder of &Again; and Dr Angela Lim, co-founder of Clearhead.
Rise Up is an online event being held from 3-5pm on Tuesday 23 November 2021. The event is free and open to the public. Register for your free ticket here.
Rise Up features Taaniko Nordstrom from Soldiers Rd Portraits as MC and guest speaker Kendal Collins from Sisters United. The online audience will have an opportunity to vote for their favourite business which will be awarded the People's Choice winner and there are spot prizes from Good George, Remedy Kombucha and Raglan Food Co.
Rise Up is proudly sponsored by Callaghan Innovation, Wintec and Chow:Hill Architects.