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RISE UP

Seed grant and accelerator programme for ambitious female founders

At Soda we are passionate about supporting women in business, particularly those tenacious enough to start their own business.

We created RISE UP in 2021 to encourage more women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career, to lift the capability of female founders and champion female entrepreneurship in Aotearoa.

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RISE UP 2022

RISE UP is a seed grant for globally ambitious female founders. We will select 5-10 ambitious female founders to go through a series of founder-focussed workshops, culminating in a pitch night where the winner will take away $10,000 cash! Applications have now closed for RISE UP 2022.

RISE UP Finalists

Our 2022 RISE UP finalists are:

Becs Bartells - Outside the Box Caskets
Jane Allan - Finery Cocktails
Laura Nixon - Solid
Lauren Lulu Taylor and Clare Gallagher -Secret Kiwi Kitchen
Renee Bignell - Fundpay
Charlotte Greer - veto.

Important Dates

16 May 2022 Applications open

10 June 2022 Applications close

17 June 2022 Finalists confirmed

27 June 2022 Accelerator programme starts

17 August 2022 Pitch night

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RISE UP PITCH NIGHT

Our six finalists pitched their business to a public audience and panel of high-profile judges at Wintec House in Hamilton on 17 August 2022 to try to win $10,000.

The winner of RISE UP 2022 was Finery. Read more.

Check out all the event photos.

Watch our 2-minute highlights video.

Watch the recorded livestream of the event.

RISE UP JUDGING PANEL

Our RISE UP judging panel includes these incredible entrepreneurs:

Anna Mowbray
Kaye-Maree Dunn
Kelvin Soh
Maree Glading
Mike Jenkins

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Our Sponsors

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EVENT SPONSORS‍‍

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Apply for RISE UP - applications now closed

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What our clients say

What our finalists say

RISE UP enabled me to capitalise on the early potential of my business by connecting me with the right people in the industry and assisting me to identify strengths and weaknesses. Plus the cash has allowed me to cross some of the many expensive business hygiene tasks off my list.

- &Again founder and 2021 RISE UP winner, Wendy Quach

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