Full list of finalists:
Seventeen Kiwis have be named as finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards for 2017.
The finalists represent a diverse range of industries including education, law, agriculture, arts, real estate, and tourism.
Awards director Jon Hooper said the finalists were “inspiring entrepreneurs”.
“Their hard work and unwavering self-belief has contributed to a significant growth engine in our economy and their achievements deserve to be celebrated,” Hooper said.
The finalists include Jamie Beaton, Mai Chen, and Hamish Pinkham.
Beaton runs Crimson Consulting which helps secondary school students transition to Ivy League colleges in the United States. The entrepreneur raised $41 million from New York investors, putting the 21-year-old from St Heliers firmly on to the rich list and valuing Crimson Consulting at $220m. Rentals Crimson Education
Lawyer Mai Chen is the managing partner of the Chen Palmer firm. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Auckland law school and a director on the BNZ board. A finalist for New Zealander of the Year in 2014 and 2016, Chen is the chair of New Zealand Asian Leaders and the Superdiversity Centre for Law, Policy and Business where she advocates and advises on diversity policies and strategies for New Zealand.
Rhythm and Vines founder Hamish Pinkham has made partying profitable. The annual music festival held near Gisborne can attract over 30,000 revellers. Almost appearing on television as the first Bachelor, Pinkham loves to travel and check out music festivals and parties happening across the globe.
The finalists face a judging panel in August headed up by Anne Norman from CNZM and a number of former winners.
Five category winners will be chosen to compete for the title.
The winner will then represent New Zealand at EY’s World Entrepreneur of the Year event in Monaco in June 2018.