Talei Tora, co-founder of GingerLei Fiji, Fiji’s very own ginger beer company emerged victorious in winning the best pitch at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator Regional Pitch Finals. GingerLei Fiji, based in Wailoaloa, Nadi, Fiji with their small batch brewery, is committed to addressing plastic pollution through sustainable packaging, reducing imports, and providing a healthy, all-natural, low-sugar beverage for the Fijian non-alcoholic ginger beer market.
“Our ginger beer is an all-natural probiotic good for gut health, which is made with locally sourced ingredients [including ‘moli’ (citrus), lemongrass, guava, sugarcane, and ginger], which benefits both the local economy and the environment. We hope to inspire other businesses to adopt sustainable practices and reduce their environmental impact. We are taking small steps towards a healthier and more sustainable future for Fiji, our Blue Pacific, and our planet,” stated Talei.
GGGI’s Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network, a three-year regional project funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), hosted the Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator Regional Pitch Finals (Demo Day) as part of the first-ever Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo, held on the 30th – 31st of August 2023. The Demo Day featured seven national finalists representing five Pacific Island countries (Fiji, PNG, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati) pitching their businesses in front of a four-member judging panel, investors, interested stakeholders, and over one hundred attendees.
The Guest of Honor, Hon. Filimoni Vosarogo, presented the awards to the participants. In his congratulatory message, Mr. Vosarogo remarked, “Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Entrepreneurs in Fiji and the wider Pacific are vital to our economies as sources of jobs, growth, and innovative service delivery. Their very presence enriches our economy and helps build resilience and sustainable livelihoods.” He thanked GGGI and QFFD for their support for green entrepreneurs in Fiji and the region.
When asked what the win meant to her and her business, Talei said “It has been a beautiful journey of labor and love. It was quite an emotional moment for me to win and I am grateful for all the love and support towards our business.” She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to be part of PGEN’s Accelerator program and pitch her business to investors and other entrepreneurs.
Kaiea Ribanataake Awira of Clean Spatial Solution (CSS) from Kiribati secured the first runner-up spot. Kaiea established his business to offer sustainable waste management solutions through waste collection, recycling, and repurposing, and also perform consultancy work in other technical areas including geospatial science.
Talei and Kaiea both won an all-expense-paid study trip to Qatar jointly organized by GGGI and QFFD alongside green entrepreneurs from the Pacific and Caribbean regions, to connect with relevant market actors from Qatar and on a global stage, exchange knowledge and inspire their fellow Greenpreneurs to reach new heights.
Obed Timakata, co-founder of Organic Fish + Farm Mariculture Enterprise from Vanuatu, took away the second runner-up award, winning a 1-year virtual membership of Greenhouse Coworking. His business focuses on the development of sustainable, profitable, and scalable livelihood initiatives by growing high-potential marine species (sea cucumber, green caviar, sea urchins, etc.) in support of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). “We use a market-based approach in breeding high potential marine species for grow-out in the MPAs to restock our oceans and to maintain its ecosystem services as a carbon sink and its ecological balance,” stated Obed.
The remaining Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator Regional Pitch Finalists were awarded a 6-month virtual membership for Greenhouse Coworking community, connecting them with a wider regional network and learning and coaching opportunities.
- Esther Sione Daniels, Te’hine Trend (PNG)
Te’hine Trend creates a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion by training women, girls, and people with disabilities in textile hand printing, garment designing, tailoring, and jewelry-making to empower them to earn income to sustain their livelihoods.
- Masa Kawaguchi, South Pacific Mozuku Tonga Ltd (Tonga)
South Pacific Mozuku sustainably farms and supplies coveted mozuku seaweed to overseas customers in food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetics industries.
- Jonathan Inapelo, Daulo Commodities Cooperative Society Limited (PNG)
Daulo aggregates and sells onion bulbs and coffee from member farms, increasing production and enable rural farmers who mostly rely on inherited subsistence farming to grow into commercial farms, addressing poverty and building resilience to environmental, social, and economic issues through climate smart agribusiness.
- Watesoni Nata Jr., The Merch (Fiji)
The Merch is an online retail market for local homeware that stocks general second-hand, good-as-new household products such as furniture, bedding, power tools, kitchen appliances and more imported from Australia and New Zealand.
The Demo Day is part of the Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator program which provides capacity-building towards investment-readiness and access to finance for growth-stage green enterprises across the region.
Watesoni Nata Jr. from The Merch, Fiji expressed how accessibility to finance in Fiji is a huge issue for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises that want to start or scale up. For that, he thanked GGGI for its Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator and Incubator programs supporting enterprises that want to scale their businesses.
Jonathan further remarked, “GGGI’s Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator program has built my capacity in terms of training, knowledge, networking, and writing business plan.” He shared how he wants to be a model to other green and blue enterprises in the Pacific by creating employments, sharing knowledge, experience, and networking skills. “I want to thank GGGI and QFFD for establishing such platform for us struggling businesses in the Pacific so that we can come together, be part of a networking ecosystem, strengthen our capacity building and learn from one another.”
The Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo, held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji was jointly organized by GGGI, United Nations Capital Development Fund, United Nations Development Programme, International Labor Organization, Asian Development Bank and ygap. This two-day event gathered around 300 in-person attendees and 50 virtual participants to facilitate networking between entrepreneurs, investors, and other like-minded stakeholders and showcase innovative entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship ecosystem players through booth displays.
The Chief Guest, Fiji’s Acting Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, Hon. Filimoni Vosarogo, hailed entrepreneurs as catalysts for economic growth and social development, who combine creative spirit, courage, and business acumen to overcome significant odds and help improve standards of living in the country and region.
In the opening session, Ms. Katerina Syngellakis, GGGI Regional Managing Director for the Pacific remarked, “this event is not just about acquiring skills and knowledge, it is also about fostering a sense of community and collaboration among our entrepreneurs. I am confident that the bonds forged here, and the connections made will be catalysts for future partnerships and collaborations that will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of businesses across the Pacific Islands.”
United Nations Resident Coordinator to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu & Vanuatu, Dirk Wagener, stated in his recorded remarks, “The Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo is not just about individual businesses. It is about regional cooperation, meaningful impact and a shared commitment to shaping a brighter future. Increased collaboration harnesses the potential of entrepreneurs, empowering them to address environmental concerns and social impact and economic growth simultaneously.”
The Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo included workshops and panel discussions on business modelling, access to finance and investor-readiness, and explored ways to incubate ideas into active projects that prioritize green growth and the inclusion of more women in entrepreneurship. It also provided a platform for Pacific entrepreneurs to engage directly with government and development partners on issues that matter to them the most.
Jonathan Inapelo, Founding Chairman & Director of Daulo Commodities Cooperative Society Ltd (DCCSL) from Papua New Guinea explained that his Cooperative aims “to reduce poverty and create sustainable livelihood programs in our communities, giving equal opportunities to women farmers and connect disabled farmers into the market so they get equal opportunity in terms of income”.
Jonathan further remarked, “GGGI’s Pacific Greenpreneurs Accelerator program has built my capacity in terms of training, knowledge, networking, and writing business plan.” He shared how he wants to be a model to other green and blue enterprises in the Pacific by creating employments, sharing knowledge, experience, and networking skills. “I want to thank GGGI and QFFD for establishing such platform for us struggling businesses in the Pacific so that we can come together, be part of a networking ecosystem, strengthen our capacity building and learn from one another.”
The Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo, held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji was jointly organized by GGGI, United Nations Capital Development Fund, United Nations Development Programme, International Labor Organization, Asian Development Bank and ygap. This two-day event gathered around 300 in-person attendees and 50 virtual participants to facilitate networking between entrepreneurs, investors, and other like-minded stakeholders and showcase innovative entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship ecosystem players through booth displays.
The Chief Guest, Fiji’s Acting Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, Hon. Filimoni Vosarogo, hailed entrepreneurs as catalysts for economic growth and social development, who combine creative spirit, courage, and business acumen to overcome significant odds and help improve standards of living in the country and region.
In the opening session, Ms. Katerina Syngellakis, GGGI Regional Managing Director for the Pacific remarked, “this event is not just about acquiring skills and knowledge, it is also about fostering a sense of community and collaboration among our entrepreneurs. I am confident that the bonds forged here, and the connections made will be catalysts for future partnerships and collaborations that will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of businesses across the Pacific Islands.”
United Nations Resident Coordinator to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu & Vanuatu, Dirk Wagener, stated in his recorded remarks, “The Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo is not just about individual businesses. It is about regional cooperation, meaningful impact and a shared commitment to shaping a brighter future. Increased collaboration harnesses the potential of entrepreneurs, empowering them to address environmental concerns and social impact and economic growth simultaneously.”
The Pacific Islands Entrepreneurship Expo included workshops and panel discussions on business modelling, access to finance and investor-readiness, and explored ways to incubate ideas into active projects that prioritize green growth and the inclusion of more women in entrepreneurship. It also provided a platform for Pacific entrepreneurs to engage directly with government and development partners on issues that matter to them the most.
For up-to-date information on related entrepreneurship support for socially and environmentally impactful green businesses, visit pacificgreenpreneurs.com
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