Why the change?
Read the news.
We’ve seen some mind-blowing advances over the years. But so far they’re not stacking up to the Aotearoa New Zealand, or world, we want to live in.
So we’re digging deeper, for the gold of true transformation.
From this year on, the call is going out to the visionaries and innovators. Those bringing truly ground-breaking new ideas, or rapidly scaling sustainable ways of working.
And that call's been heard.
This year, the first in this new format, we only had two flagship categories: Disruptive Innovation and Transformational Leadership. We normally have nine or 10.
We were hoping for about 60 entries.
What we got was a record. More entries per category than in the entire Awards' history.
Rachel Brown is our CEO and founder. She says: “I’m always heartened when the entries come in. This year, when we’ve raised the bar, I’m blown away. The message is clear. We need the disruptors and change makers. We need to shove business as usual into a new phase. To focus on regenerative actions. To be inclusive. To right the wrongs of extractive, polluting and linear business models.
“We’ve got entries from business sectors we’ve not seen represented before. We're capturing the very best this country has to offer on technology, innovation and systemic change. I can’t wait for the wider business community to see what we have in store. It's set to inspire all of us to take more courageous leaps forward. That’s what I set SBN up for. That’s who we are.”
To top it off, this year’s judges include experts from overseas as well as Kiwis who’ve made waves. It will ensure these Awards stand up at a global scale.
They are:
- Brianne West. Environmentalist, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Incrediballs, and founder/former CEO of Ethique.
- Ken Webster. Visiting Professor, Cranfield University. Fellow, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Head of Innovation, Ellen MacArthur Foundation from 2010-18.
- Paul Johnston. Co-founder, Bean Supreme. Supply Chain and Distribution Manager, Life Health Foods.
- Barry Coates. Founder and CEO of Mindful Money, former head of Oxfam Aotearoa and former Green MP
- Jacqueline Farman. Co-founder of The Purpose Business, former CEO of Colmar Brunton
The finalists will be announced in late October. The winners will be revealed at an Awards ceremony on 27 November. Tickets are now on sale.