Celebrating young entrepreneurs at YES regional finals

"Solving problems and building futures"

Ara Institute of Canterbury proudly hosted the 2025 Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) Canterbury Regional Finals on Friday night, celebrating a vibrant showcase of innovation, sustainability, and social impact from high school entrepreneurs across the region.

Erica Austin, our Acting Kaiwhakahaere CEO, was invited to be on the judging panel along with superstars Rachel Triplow(Duncan Cotterill), Ric Thorpe(Sidekick) Maureen Taane (HAPA Ltd),Jonathan Brooks(Schooled), and the amazing Idoia Alday Gonzalez and Regan Powell. They spent the day listening to the 12 finalists from Ōtākaro North and Ōtākaro South, before the final showcase event.

Congratulations to our two regional finalists heading to nationals in Wellington on December 4th!
🔹 Cattle Credit – Cashmere High School
🔹 Deluxe Auto Detailing – Rangiora High School

The regional celebration also featured the presentation of excellence awards, recognising outstanding achievements in business disciplines such as finance, innovation, sustainability, and social enterprise.

“This year’s cohort showed remarkable depth - not just in business acumen, but in values,” said Ara’s Idoia Alday Gonzalez, Canterbury Regional Coordinator for YES. “We’re seeing YES become a breeding ground for ventures with a strong community or sustainability focus and a place where young women CEOs are thriving. The future of business is being shaped right here,” she said.

As a longtime YES supporter and first-time regional judge Erica Austin praised the calibre of ventures: “These young entrepreneurs are not just solving problems - they’re building futures. The creativity, compassion, and commercial thinking on display tonight was truly inspiring,” Austin said.

As the regional finals concluded, Canterbury’s top teams now prepare to take the national stage, carrying with them the spirit of innovation, resilience, and community that defines YES.