Five Kiwi entrepreneurs shortlisted for Forbes 30 under 30 Asia Pacific list

Brothers Tim and Luke Burrow. Photo / Babiche Martens

Five New Zealander entrepreneurs have been shortlisted for an Asia Pacific list which aims to identify the top young people in their fields.

Logan Williams, Brittany Bryan and Nicholas Harlow, Luke Burrows and Latesha Randall have been nominated for the Forbes 30 under 30 list for the Asia Pacific region.

Williams said he was delighted to be nominated for the list.

"At the young age of 24, Logan Williams developed and successfully exited four revolutionary inventions, including polarised contact lenses to treat photosensitive epilepsy and a system to destroy methane gas produced in farms. He received several awards for his inventions, including a national merit award at the Eureka Science and Innovation Competition," Forbes said.

Williams is the director of technology and innovation at the New Zealand Merino Company, where he leads its research and development portfolio developing novel uses for low-value strong wool.

Williams said he had also founded Biome Innovation which turns the invasive weed Didymo into sustainable fabrics and plastics. Originally from Timaru, Williams said he had seen the impact didymo had on waterways in South Canterbury while he was growing up. He had spent time in the Mackenzie Country with his family and was inspired to clean up rivers and waterways.

He has also created and sold tramping kitsets for hikers and he wants to find a way of using spirilina to make dairy farms more eco-friendly.

Britteny Bryan and Nicholas Harlow founded Berkano Foods, the plant-based frozen and ready-to-eat meal manufacturer.

Forbes said their products were sold at supermarkets across New Zealand and online: "Berkano Foods' vegan meals include Thai chicken green curry, butter chicken, rigatoni b"olognese and golden peanut satay tofu, where meat is replaced with plant-based ingredients."

Last year, Berkano was the champion producer/manufacturer for small enterprise at the 2019 Westpac champion business awards, the publication noted.

Luke Burrows and his brother Tim founded plant-based vegan burger truck Wise Boys Burgers. That business has won awards for outstanding food and sustainable business.

Last year, they opened their first permanent outlet in Auckland. The brothers plan to establish a sustainable food and beveridge brand where they produce 100 percent plant-based homemade burger patties wrapped in zero-waste fully-compostable packaging, Forbes said.

Wise Boys won a silver medal in the last year's outstanding NZ food producers award and was a finalist in the 2018 sustainable business network awards.

Of Latasha Randall, Forbes said: "After discovering her partner couldn't consume yogurt due to allergies, she co-founded Raglan Coconut Yoghurt. Since experimenting in her home kitchen, Randall now boasts a line of coconut yogurt with seven flavors. As of 2018, the brand is available across 500 stores in New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Pacific Islands."

The yoghurt has also won a number of awards, the publication noted.

Around 2000 entries go on the Forbes list annually and it says and aims to identify the best young entrepreneurs in their various fields.