Meet Esta Chaplin, Young Enterprise CEO of the Year!

Meet Esta Chaplin, the recipient of the Young Enterprise CEO of the Year award! Esta, an ambitious leader from Hawkes Bay, is an alumna of Karamū High School where she was the Deputy Head Student. Over the past three years, she has been the CEO of her team's businesses and has consistently demonstrated her passion for leadership through numerous community projects.

Their YES business was @posiepapers, which created handmade recycled paper cards from school paper waste. A unique feature of their product was the envelopes embedded with native flower seeds. These envelopes could be planted to grow a native plant, providing a gift that grows.

She believes that one of the most important qualities for a successful leader is being passionate. “The ability to adapt to challenges and guide your team can only happen if you are determined yourself. Yet I don’t think leaders can get anywhere by themselves, being able to work with others and allowing others to stand with you is so important”.

When asked for advice for aspiring young leaders, she responded, “I’m a big believer in ‘ask and you may receive’, often telling others that you are interested in giving a leadership position a go is the first step. However, lots of leadership happens naturally. There are so many aspects of your life which you are likely a leader without realising it and often these are the places you can make the most meaningful difference.”

As the recipient of the YES CEO award, she has been given the opportunity to attend a Pacific Student leaders Programme as her prize. “I must admit as a lover of fruit, travelling to a pacific island is super exciting, especially as I have never travelled out of New Zealand. The academy's ability to create the experience of facing new challenges and discovering different perspectives I think will create the most growth”. 

Congratulations, Esta! We look forward to having you join us in one of our upcoming courses!