Meet the 2019 SP Brewery Entrepreneur Award winner

Posted on Post Courier

A grade 10 school leaver who is also a big dreamer and does not give up easily, Vani K Nades, has taken the extra mile to make her dream a reality.
Vani’s story is one of perseverance and her journey is an inspiration to Papua New Guinean women.
Being educated in the village and falling short in her grade 10 marks did not deter Vani’s fighting spirit to succeed in life.
Vani worked hard, broke barriers and earned herself an international degree from Australia’s Southern Cross University.
Vani has led more than 100 employees with 12 managers of different business units during her time with one of the best institutions, now a university – the Institute of Business Studies. The institute focuses on giving a second chance to school leavers, creating competency training for corporate clients and youth empowerment programs.
Vani, an emerging female leader, has already made a difference and significant contribution to the business community and the nation.
She left her full time job five years ago to start her own business, Emstret Holdings Limited. It is an internet service provider in PNG focusing on giving access to rural schools and communities.
In just five years of taking the bold step to become an entrepreneur, Vani achieved the following:
– Founder and chief executive officer of Emstret Holdings Limited;
– Founder of Voices and Villages Foundation Inc – a charity arm of Emstret Holdings focused on impacting the communities through education, health, agriculture, clean water and solar solutions;
– Owned rental properties;
– Initiated Emstret School Challenge program that involves debate, spelling bee and poetry that have been running for 10 years;
– Initiated Melanesian school debate championships since 2014;
– Created history in PNG by sponsoring PNG’s first debate team to participate in world championships in Croatia in 2018;
– Became a TedEd club member in 2018, focusing on children from eight to 18 years;
– Established Little CEO Pizza Company Limited; and
– About to launch Emstret Space – a co-working space for startup SME and community space.
Growing up in the rural village, Vani experienced firsthand daily struggles. She was determined to make a change.
Vani started her charity foundation and her projects in the Central Province in collaboration with donors and partners included:
– Education: Building classrooms, providing text books and library books, stationeries and donating solar lighting to schools;
– Water and sanitation projects that were recently completed for Magautou village;
– Health: Providing free medical services to villages like Kalo, Hula, Kamali and Kerema in Gulf province; and
– Supplying food to flood victims;
Vani’s continuous work in various programs and her contribution to nation building in PNG has gained her the following recognition and awards;
– Southern Cross University Australia Annual Entrepreneur Award, 2018;
– PNG LNG ExxonMobil MSME Digital Innovation Award, 2018 (ABAC MSME Summit);
– NASFUND People’s Choice Award, 2018 (ABAC MSME Summit);
– ZUMBA Fitness Instructor;
– Professional Certificate in Marketing, Chartered Institute of Marketing UK (2017);
– Bachelors Degree in Accounting, 2000 (Southern Cross University, Australia); and
– Board member of POM Chamber of Commerce and PNG Institute of Directors.
Having demonstrated good governance, accountability and transparency in her work, Vani was named as a finalist, in a pool of three, in the Westpac Outstanding Women (WOW) Award in the SP Brewery Entrepreneur category.
On Friday, March 8, 2019, winners of the WOW Awards were announced as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.
SP Brewery managing director, Stan Joyce, announced Vani Nades as the winner of the SP Brewery Entrepreneur award.
Thrilled with her award, Vani said: “It’s a great privilege to receive this award from SP Brewery because SP supports SMEs and entrepreneurs.
“To be recognised by SP Brewery will go a long way to help support my business. With the support and recognition from a big company like SP Brewery, my business is motivated to keep striving.”
She said the win has given her the drive to push her boundaries to look for solutions and make an impact in the community.
“It is my dream to make the internet accessible to everyone in the community,” she said.
Mr Joyce said: “It’s important for big companies like SP to support local SMEs as this helps grow PNG’s economy.”
Vani’s entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas are guided by her personal values and beliefs that govern her actions daily.
This has earned her respect and integrity in the business community and has paved way for her businesses to prosper.

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