After the great success of our Adult Shark Tank earlier this year, we wanted to extend the opportunity to Franklin’s young people aged 15–18 to showcase their business ideas in our very first Youth Shark Tank.
We believe the young leaders of tomorrow deserve opportunities to step outside their comfort zones and into spaces that encourage learning, growth, and confidence. Franklin is rich with emerging talent, and this initiative was created to give our youth a platform to showcase their innovation and creativity — with the added incentive of a prize pack designed to support their business journey.
For a first-time event, we were thrilled with the response. We received eight submissions, with two teams making it through to the in-person pitch finals. Thanks to the generosity of our community, the finalists competed for an incredible prize package, which included a 30-minute Career Kickstart Session from Katie Lander at PeopleInk Ltd, one hour of accounting advice from Jessica Stebbings Chartered Accountant, one hour of tailored legal advice from Daniel Overton Goulding, and a $1,000 cash prize sponsored by Innovation Franklin.
The two finalist teams represented both the creativity and entrepreneurial drive we know exists in Franklin’s youth. Patched Up, a Young Enterprise team from Pukekohe High School, developed a sustainable business that upcycles thrifted clothing by sewing on fabric patches. Bombshell, a Young Enterprise team from Waiuku College, created bath bombs designed to promote relaxation and positive mental well-being.
Both teams presented their businesses confidently to a panel of six judges, sharing the inspiration behind their ideas, their target audiences, sales plans, costs, and approaches to sustainability. Standing before a panel of experienced business professionals is no small feat, and we are proud of how both teams rose to the challenge.
And the Winner Is…
After careful deliberation across criteria such as clarity of the business idea, creativity and innovation, market understanding, impact, and values, the judges agreed it was a very close call. In the end, Patched Up came out on top as the first-ever winners of the Innovation Franklin Youth Shark Tank!
Thank You
We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors and supporters who helped bring this event to life.
Our thanks go to prize pack sponsors PeopleInk Ltd, Jessica Stebbings Chartered Accountant, Daniel Overton Goulding, and Innovation Franklin.
To our judges Mike Marr (TPT Group & Innovation Franklin), Tracey Kay (Counties Energy & Innovation Franklin), John Martin (Counties Energy), Kirsty Bullen (Campbell Tyson), Shawna Coleman (Pukekohe Business Association), and Catherine Tafto (Loom Shared Space).
Campbell Tyson for generously hosting the in-person pitches; and Monique from Columbus Coffee Mitre 10 Pukekohe for providing our judges with a delicious afternoon tea.
We are so proud of Franklin’s young entrepreneurs and cannot wait to see the Youth Shark Tank grow even bigger in 2026!
