Students named best young inventors in Hawke's Bay for wellbeing cards

The champion team behind Pūkare Cards. Pictured (from left) are Taradale High students Liv Fountain, Tom Little, Jasmine Paz and Elizabeth Raitaci. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Taradale High School team behind a start-up business and product helping youth better express their emotions has wowed the judges in a prestigious competition, resulting in the team being named best young inventors in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.

The four-student team behind Pūkare Cards won top honours at the East Coast Young Enterprise (YES) competition on Thursday night.

They will now represent the region at the national finals in Wellington in December.

The YES competition is held each year, unearthing young entrepreneurs and inventors in schools.

Eighty teams entered the competition across the East Coast this year, and the top six businesses took part in the regional final at EIT Te Pukenga in Taradale on Thursday.

Pūkare Cards, created by students Tom Little, Elizabeth Raitaci, Liv Fountain and Jasmine Paz, was named the champion business.

Their product includes 25 flash cards, each with a different emotion and scenarios on the back, weaving in te reo Māori throughout.

The cards are designed to help youth and young adults express their emotions. Photo / Warren Buckland

They are designed to help youth and young adults express their emotions.

Hawke's Bay YES regional co-ordinator Fran Arlidge said the calibre of the six finalists this year was extremely high.

"It is truly inspiring to see our rangatahi so passionate about making change in our communities," she said.

"We have seen this year's Young Enterprise teams develop such innovative products and services all with similar values, and I have no doubt that these young entrepreneurs will go far in the business world."

Taradale High student Tom Little, who is the CEO of Pūkare Cards, also received the East Coast Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

"When I was younger I struggled with ADHD and I would have benefited from something like this to help express my emotions," he said of the product.

The other finalists included Kiwiana Pataitai (Hastings Girls' High School), Naked Ears (Taradale High), Reed (Taradale High), Drive Flash (Napier Girls' High School), and Disconnected Youth Apparel (Central Hawke's Bay College).