Inspired Students From Spark Tank Session

The Southland Business Chamber and the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) held a successful Spark Tank session in Invercargill on Friday.

Held at the Workingmen’s Club using local mentors to guide students with their ideas, head of strategic partnerships and marketing Abbie McKoy said she loved how young people were encouraged to lean into the opportunities that the new digital infrastructure will create.

“Moments like this remind you how important regional ecosystems are. When investment, local leadership and community ambition all line up, big things can happen.”

Spark Tanks are being held around the country from Auckland, Tauranga, Taranaki, Christchurch - with the final one in Southland.

It was designed to bring students together to pitch their business ideas, connect with mentors, and receive valuable feedback to help refine their ventures.

The goal is to inspire students, encourage entrepreneurial thinking, and provide valuable insights that support their business development journey.

Abbie said the ideas coming out of Southland were “seriously impressive. One in particular had the potential to be massive on the world stage.”

She said the moment that stuck with her the most was meeting the founder of MediGlow - a young man with diabetes who was struggling at night to find his medical supplies.

“So he built a simple but brilliant solution... a glow in the dark tray that holds everything he needs so it’s easy to find when it matters most.”

Abbie has seen first hand how the best ideas often come from lived experience, and said Southland is clearly a region on the move.