"I’m going to change the world."

They were the words which earned Otago Girls’ High School pupil Olivia Edmonds a place at the recent annual Young Enterprise Scheme Entrepreneurs in Action workshop in Wellington.

Olivia, a year 12 student, was the only representative from Otago in the 60-strong attendance from secondary schools from around the country. The workshop is an extension of the nationwide Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) which has been running since 1981.

Her sales pitch, used in the early-stages of the 2023 YES programme, led to her business studies teacher Duncan Trickey recommending her for the workshop — where Olivia learned a great deal about her personality.

The 60 attending were divided into 10 teams of six and to ensure there was a balance of personalities in each combination, a specific quiz was set where their characters and temperaments were identified as those of an eagle, a peacock, a dove or an owl.

Those with the traits of an eagle are assertive, confident and have the ability to lead like a CEO; peacocks are seen as social and excitement seekers; doves are friendly and empathetic; and owls are regarded as smart, wise, and logical.

Olivia was the only one of the attendees who scored identically in two of the categories — an eagle and a peacock.

The teams each presented two business cases using Maori trading principles — kaitiakitanga (management and sustainability), whanaungatanga (relationships) and manaakitanga (wellbeing, relationships and growing the integrity of others). Succinct business plans were put together, and a pitch delivered to both a live audience and a panel of specialist judges.

Pupils were supported in their challenges by industry experts, reflecting real-life scenarios where engaging with relevant and knowledgeable stakeholders to make accurate decisions is a business staple.

‍Read the full article on Otago Daily Times

EDITOR'S NOTE: The original article incorrectly refers to the programme as the "New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Entrepreneurs in Action". This has been amended here, with all other details remaining as published.