Last month, Girls Mean Business went global when UoA research associate Dr Susan Nemec delivered the programme in Uganda’s remote Moroto district, working with orphaned girls supported by the Alakara Home. Hosted by Project Moroto founder Jayne Bailey, the workshop navigated the challenges of delivering entrepreneurship education in a low-resource environment—limited internet, minimal market exposure, and daily survival pressures. Despite these hurdles, the girls developed powerful business ideas grounded in their local context, including a mobile Sno-Freeze ice cream venture.

Last week, our team returned to Manurewa Intermediate School to deliver the GMB 202 workshop, deepening students’ entrepreneurial thinking beyond the GMB 101 foundations. The session centred on idea generation linked to real-world challenges such as homelessness, bullying, climate change, and food security. Students selected issues that resonated with them, developed business solutions, and brought them to life using an ‘Idea to Opportunity Canvas’—exploring purpose, customers, value creation, risks, and uniqueness. The day concluded with one-sentence pitches, with a standout idea proposing secure, stocked tents for people experiencing homelessness.

At our event in November of 2023, we were lucky enough to have Dame Teresa Gattung and Breakfast TV come along and share our story, click the button below to watch.

Last Thursday, we kicked off our GMB 101 workshop at Manurewa Intermediate School, introducing students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship through an engaging, hands-on learning experience. The day began with stories of New Zealand women entrepreneurs and an exploration of the entrepreneurial mindset, followed by sessions on business finance and marketing’s 4Ps. In the afternoon, students applied their learning in the Lemonade Cup Challenge—designing and pitching products tailored to specific target markets.

At the recent Manurewa Intermediate Kai Market, two groups of Girls Mean Business participants brought their entrepreneurial ideas to life—and their success was truly inspiring. Tylah-Jane’s Sweet Treats sold out within hours, while the Sweet Dreams Lemonade team impressed with a well-branded stall and steady sales. Both teams demonstrated creativity, confidence, and business acumen, turning classroom learning into real-world impact. Their achievements are a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young girls are empowered with the right tools and mindset. Congratulations to these rising entrepreneurs—you’ve made us incredibly proud.

Just before Easter, Girls Mean Business delivered a full-day workshop at Manurewa Intermediate School, engaging 75 Year 7 and 8 students in an immersive introduction to entrepreneurship. The workshop covered key topics including entrepreneurial mindsets, profit and loss, business costs, prototyping, and pitching. Students worked collaboratively to develop product ideas and marketing strategies, resulting in creative pitches for reusable cup concepts tailored to specific market segments. This workshop marks the start of an ongoing collaboration with MIS, with plans to develop a follow-up ‘GMB 201’ course to continue the students’ entrepreneurial learning journey.

This term, we had the privilege of running a weekly Girls Mean Business options class with a fantastic group of Year 7 girls at Manurewa Intermediate School, alongside MIT teacher Jo McIntyre-Brown. Over several weeks, the students explored what it means to be an entrepreneur—developing business ideas, working in teams, and crafting thoughtful, creative pitches. Their enthusiasm, collaboration, and commitment culminated in a final pitch competition, where teams presented their business ideas to the GMB team. We were incredibly impressed by their innovation and growth, and we’re excited to see where their entrepreneurial journeys lead next.