The Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) in Hawke’s Bay is a movement that embodies innovation, forward-thinking, and solution-based reasoning. In a world marked by rapid change and uncertainty, youth get to work shaping the local business landscape. YES offers students the opportunity to ideate and operate their businesses while they are still in high school.
Teams who scored at the top of the table in four challenges across the school year pitched their big ideas at the YES Regional Awards in Hawke’s Bay.
Posie Papers, Company of the Year
Posie Papers, from Karamu High School formulated a plant-able, handmade, and sustainable byproduct of paper waste, able to be used for multiple purposes including greeting cards, envelopes, drawing paper, and floral wrap. These students used incredible initiative to solve a problem they saw around themselves at school every day – the sheer volume of paper wasted daily in their school. They turned this by-product into beautiful products with purpose which can then be planted in a customer’s garden at home to give waste new life.
Posie Papers were awarded the 2023 Hawke’s Bay Young Enterprise Scheme Company of the Year Award and will be heading to Wellington to represent our region at the YES National Gala in December.
Finalists for 2023:
- Cochlear Tracker, Hastings Christian School
- Deorganic, Napier Girls High School
- DOOM, Hastings Boys High School
- Posie Papers, Karamu High School
- Pūkare Cards, Taradale High School
- ZIXY, Havelock North High School
Regional YES Awards 2023
- Company of the Year: Posie Papers, Karamu High School
- Sales and Marketing Award: Posie Papers, Karamu High School
- Best Farmers Market Award: Zixy, Havelock North High School
- Innovation Award: JinJu, Taradale High School
- Māori & Pacific Company of the Year: Coconut candles, Hastings Girls High School
- Entrepreneur of the Year: Katya Gardiner, Cochlear Tracker, Hastings Christian School
- Teacher of the Year Award: Jo McDowell, Napier Girls High School
National Excellence Awards
- CEO of the Year: Esta Chaplin, Posie Papers, Karamu High School
Posie Papers will represent Hawke’s Bay at the YES National Gala in Wellington on Tuesday 12 December.
