Healthy school lunch providers win 2017 Pitch Night

Nourishing the next generation with healthy and affordable school lunches has won the hearts and minds of the judges and audience at the Rotorua X 2017 Pitch Night.

Ka Pai Kai Rotorua won both EPIC Pitch and People's Choice Award at the event held at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology last night. Jasmin Jackson and Pollyanne Taare delivered an impressive pitch to the 100-plus crowd showcasing their social enterprise that sells and delivers school lunches either at cost or at a subsidised rate.

Alia Ryan, from Boost Fundraising and Events, was runner-up with the launching of Melt: Festival of Chocolate, to be held in Rotorua over Easter weekend next year.

Both organisations took a share of the $13,000 prize pool of business support services, mentoring and training.

Ka Pai Kai's passionate pitch highlighted that many children are "being overfed and undernourished". Through funding, grants and sponsorship Ka Pai Kai is making nutritious food that the kids love, cooked fresh every day and delivered to the schools.

It services five primary schools in Rotorua and has ambitious plans to grow.

This was the event's fourth year and provided an opportunity for local commercial and not-for-profit organisations to practise their pitch and showcase what they are doing in the business community.

Head judge, mayor Steve Chadwick, said she absolutely loved the night.

"There is so much happening and going on here [Rotorua] but it is the heart in this community and the heart of business that you're really putting back and that's why we love you."

She said Ka Pai Kai's presentation blew the judges away.

"Often as judges it doesn't press emotional buttons but it was a very, very good presentation. You covered off the financials, you covered off the marketing, we felt confident in the expertise that you developed around you.

"It was a very compelling presentation, beautifully presented from the heart and your experience shone through."

Ms Jackson and Ms Taare said they were humbled to walk away as the EPIC Pitch winner and the People's Choice Award.

"As a new social enterprise, Pitch Night seemed a really good opportunity to raise our profile, particularly to businesses. It was a first-time experience for us, and we appreciated the opportunity to pitch Ka Pai Kai Rotorua in a positive environment.

"We feel honoured to have won and extremely lucky to now have access to a range of much-needed business support, that will assist us improve. Our mission is to ensure all tamariki can have access to good food and we believe that with the amazing support that we have won we will be able to continue what we started."

Ms Ryan said Pitch Night gave her a deadline to launch the fundamental layout of Melt: Festival of Chocolate.

"This was the best Pitch Night yet with a great range of businesses putting themselves outside of their comfort zone and sharing their big ideas in front of a supportive audience.

"Being named EPIC Pitch runner-up is pretty cool. It's not so much about the award itself or the prizes, those are great too, but it means that people are genuinely excited about this new event and that means we are on to a good thing."

Prizes:

Best EPIC Pitch - $9500 value
Firestation Programme
(Choice: Activate / Incubate / Accelerate)
Woods Brand Innovation Brand Audit
Fairfax - Rotorua Review half page ad
Firestation Co-working - 1 month
Strategic Self Awareness - Leadership Benchmark 360 Evaluation
Mark Copeland Lawyers 90 mins advice
Aquaplus Branded bottled water
EMA BoP HR Advice 90 mins
Firestation Boardroom Hire (8 hours)
Runner-up - $2300 value
Firestation Co-working - 1 month
Firestation Business Coaching 2 hours
Dubbz Facebook Course
Firestation Marketing Review 2 hrs
Firestation Boardroom Hire (8 hours)
People's Choice Award - $1500 value
Firestation Co-working - 1 month
Firestation Mastery Sessions x 3
Firestation Boardroom Hire (8 hours)
Business book: Simon Sinek's book Start with Why