More than 60 women entrepreneurs, business leaders and researchers came together on 21 August for our first Ethnic Women Entrepreneurs Roundtable.
The engagement was organised by our Ministry and hosted at KPMG’s headquarters on Auckland’s waterfront. A sincere thank you to KPMG and KPMG Partner Bineeta Nand for hosting this engagement.
It was an opportunity for ethnic women in the business community to connect, share stories and get advice and tips from one another. Building on our inaugural Ethnic Xchange business symposium, held in October 2024, the roundtable discussions focused on themes such as access to funding, cultural and language barriers, representation, and education and skills gaps.
View all the photos from the engagement in our photo album.
Insights from Ethnic Xchange 2024 had highlighted the need for deeper engagement with and targeted support for ethnic women entrepreneurs. The roundtable discussions were designed to unpack some of the issues ethnic women entrepreneurs experience, provide a platform for women to discuss practical strategies and actions to overcome barriers, and enable networking to facilitate relationship-building.
Panellists Nimeesha Odedra and Hamilee Repasa, both entrepreneurs, shared their journeys of founding their respective businesses, including some of the obstacles they came up against. They encouraged participants to seek advice and support from others, build a community, and to keep striving for success even in the face of rejection.
The panel also included two funders, Kiwi Bank Head of Business Banking Jane Brice, and social enterprise impact investor Laina Raveendran Greene. They spoke about the importance of finding a funder who aligns with your business objectives and bringing together all the different elements to present a strong business case. A Question-and-Answer session provided participants with an opportunity to share some of the challenges they have experienced and to seek advice directly from the panellists.
Some key insights shared were:
- “Know your community” – network, network, network
- “Be very careful who you take your money from” – every funder is different, make sure they are aligned with your business goals
- “Don’t let rejection hold you back” – keep on trying
- “Ask everyone for advice, but only trust yourself”
- “You don’t have to do it alone” – know your limits and ask for help
The panel session was followed by table discussions, with each table addressing a different topic. Taking turns, representatives from each table shared reflections and insights with the room. These included various experiences of gender and racial bias, especially relating to securing funding, lack of access to mentors and professional networks, and the importance of looking after one own’s mental health.
Several women raised how important engagements, such as the roundtable, are to connect, inform and support them in their business endeavours. They shared how they want to make bigger contributions to New Zealand’s economy but felt more support could help them to achieve their goals. They suggested a one-stop online hub of business resources would be useful, as well as ongoing opportunities to connect with one another, share resources and advice.
A highlight of the night was the creation of a WhatsApp community where all the women could continue to engage with one another. Announcing the group to the room, public sector and business leader Ziena Jalil, stressed it would be a valuable space for people to support one another by sharing insights, resources and advice. The community has already been actively sharing information.
A sincere thank you to KPMG and KPMG Partner Bineeta Nand for hosting this engagement.
The roundtable is part of our ongoing work programme connecting Ethnic Communities, including entrepreneurs and business leaders, exploring what they need to succeed and supporting them to achieve their goals. One of our priorities as a Ministry is to improve economic outcomes for Ethnic Communities. Engagements, such as this one, provide valuable insights into the challenges ethnic people experience when trying to grow their business and achieve their business goals. These insights inform our work and advice to other government agencies.
Another business roundtable focused on the tourism, hospitality and screen sectors is planned for Christchurch in September, and our second annual Ethnic Xchange business symposium will be held at the Cordis in Auckland on 14 November. Follow our website and social media for more updates and insights from these engagements.
