The Wellington Gold Awards, which celebrate the excellence and enterprise of businesses in the Wellington region, were held on Thursday 29 July at the TSB Arena.
The New Thinking Award is awarded to an individual who has demonstrated new thinking that is relevant and impactful in the current environment, is inspirational and motivating for our Wellington community, and is reflective of a future we can all be proud of.
Jessie was selected because she not only embodies the ethos and values of the Gold Awards, but is also active and highly successful in the Asia-Pacific region, in keeping with the APEC theme of the 2021 Gold Awards. Jessie incorporates sustainable practices into Yu Mei by using deer nappa/leather that would otherwise be destined for landfill. She has also partnered with Wellington City Mission to raise over $50,000 for the charity through her business.
Professor Jennifer Windsor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Wellington Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Wellington Faculty of Education, who presented the award, said: “At Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, we believe in inspiring critical and creative thinking, particularly in partnership with the next generation. We are delighted to be presenting an award that recognises the kind of ‘new thinking’ needed to drive sustainable and inclusive growth in our economy and communities, especially as we recover from the challenges of COVID-19.”
Professor Stephen Cummings, director of entrepreneurship programmes, said: “Te Whanganui-a-Tara is the birthplace of many of New Zealand’s iconic innovative companies: Xero, Sharesies, Icebreaker, Allbirds; but Yu Mei’s vision of building a luxury global fashion brand from Wellington is next level inspirational for our students and wider community.”
The University became a sponsor of both the Wellington Gold Awards and the Wellys, which were held in March, this year.
Connections made at the Gold Awards will be further developed as part of the popular Entrepreneurial Breakfast Series at The Atom—Te Kahu o Te Ao innovation space at the Wellington School of Business and Government.