A student from Hiwa i Te Rangi (the Northland College School for Young Parents) has won the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme's Top Energy YES Northland Company of the Year title.
Santana Hobson created Peepi Packs, a comprehensive pack for new mothers with a distinctly Māori 'flavour,' achieving a variety of business milestones during the year, culminating in pitching her business to a panel of judges. They including Pete Gregory and Jules Smith, from Vinery Ltd, in Whangārei), Geraldine (Chook) Henare, from Mediaworks, Charlotte Rowe (Bluefix Boatworks), Ervin Mehta (Morgan Campbell) and Richard Gorrett (Crimson Education).
The job of 'wrangling' the judges went to Young Enterprise CEO Terry Shubkin.
Santana will travel to Wellington on December 4 to vie for the title of Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme Company of the Year in a dragon's den-style national final.
Twenty-one regional champions from across the country will be there, and attend the YES national awards dinner at TSB Arena the same day.