"At the end of the day, I think whether it is successful or not is kind of irrelevant. I am now able to take what I have learned and apply entrepreneurial thinking to whatever I do next."
UCE Involvement:
UCE Summer Startup Programme (2016/17)
UCE Intern (2016/17)
SDS Business Case Competition (2017)
Other:
PwC Tax Intern (2017/18)
Founder, Refreshed Kitchen
What other jobs have you had previously?
I was lucky to enough to be an intern at Strategy, Design & Advertising for a semester last year (2016) on a project related to the international growth of the business. For two years I was on the executive of entré here at UC and other than I have had just had a few small retail jobs.
What is Refreshed Kitchen and where did the inspiration come from?
Refreshed Kitchen started as a stall one summer at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market a couple of years ago. I saw a real a gap in the market for organic smoothies, acai bowls and fresh almond milk so just took the plunge and went for it. Returning to a busy year at University with other commitments meant that it only ran for one summer, though it was awesome to have such great success. I maintained a presence on the website and Instagram and when I saw the opportunity for the Summer Startup Programme, I thought it would be a great chance to relaunch the brand. I had the idea to bring a healthy drink product to market— the Refresh Tonic. I saw a real increase in demand for health drinks and thought I might as well give it a shot.
Where is your venture now and how has it progressed over the summer?
I started the programme with just the idea for the Refresh Tonic. The programme gave me the opportunity to put a lot of time and effort into the branding, marketing and product development. Now that the programme has finished I am hoping to complete the required paper work to gain Callaghan Innovation funding to assist with further product development.
How did you find being in the programme? What support did you get?
It was so fun to be in a small, close-knit environment for the summer with so many other students, all working on their own ventures. We had speaker sessions almost daily from some of the most incredible entrepreneurs from around Christchurch and New Zealand. It was amazing to be able to listen to, and ask anything you wanted, to these entrepreneurs and business leaders. We also had speed-networking sessions with people from the Christchurch business community as well as mentorship from Michelle and Rachel, it was good to be asked the hard questions. It all made for a challenging, but great summer!
What was your most memorable moment from the summer?
The most memorable was probably when I had a stall for a day at The Colombo Farmers Market. This was the first opportunity to put the Refresh Tonic in front of a large number of people. The thrill of bringing an idea to life is pretty exciting.
What advice would you give to a student considering starting up their own venture or getting involved with UCE?
Definitely do it, there is nothing to lose. I think that the time at University is the perfect time to take a chance and take advantage of these opportunities. Moreover, it definitely differentiates you and provides some good stories when it comes to interviews and recruitment season.
What do you find interesting or cool about being an entrepreneur?
I think it is really interesting to identify a gap in the market, take advantage of it and find a great solution. It is that niche that provides opportunities.
What are your aspirations for the future, both personally and for the business?
I want to give Refreshed Tonic a good shot but there may be too many restrictions and hurdles to tackle in the time that I have left at University to bring it to market. Regardless, it has been a fantastic learning experience to give product development and entrepreneurship a go through the Summer Startup Programme. Because of that, at the end of the day, I think whether it is successful or not is kind of irrelevant. I am now able to take what I have learned and apply entrepreneurial thinking to whatever I do next. I have no doubt that what I have learned through the Programme will benefit me in the future.
