IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VEUVE CLICQUOT
There’s a distinctive, optimistic effervescence found within the sunburst-yellow and bottle-green glass of Veuve Clicquot. After all, it carries the bright legacy of Madame Clicquot: La Grande Dame of Champagne, creator of the first-recorded vintage champagne, and the bold entrepreneur with big dreams. Inspired by its founding female, who revolutionised the champagne industry—at a time where women did not hold the right to work—Veuve Clicquot is committed to emboldening the entrepreneurial spirit of women worldwide.
Veuve Clicquot New Zealand has commissioned a local Women’s Entrepreneurship Barometer—a deep dive into the cultural and societal factors that influence female entrepreneurship in Aotearoa.
Research results and key findings were unveiled at Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot, with MC Carol Hirschfeld and a panel of like-minded female business leaders: Sarah Colcord of Chooice, Emma Lewisham of Emma Lewisham skincare, Victoria Harris of The Curve financial education, Maggie Hewitt of Maggie Marilyn, Shama Sukul Lee of plant-based meat company Sunfed, Reserve Bank of New Zealand assistant governor Juliet Tainui-Hernandez, and artist Grace Wright.
“You can tell when a business is owned by a woman. It has a special touch, more empathy, more creativity.”
– Victoria Harris
In New Zealand, women’s entrepreneurship ranks in the top six countries in the world. But despite this high ranking, as a nation, we still have a long way to go. While just over one in four New Zealanders call themselves an entrepreneur, only 39 per cent of these are likely to be female. Disparity aside, a great proportion of Kiwis (53 per cent) find female entrepreneurs more inspiring than their male counterparts, like Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot panelist Victoria Harris. “You can tell when a business is owned by a woman,” she says. “It has a special touch, more empathy, more creativity.”
Females are more likely to agree that it is more difficult for them to become entrepreneurs. Bridging the gap between being an aspiring entrepreneur and actually becoming one was deciding to “choose courage over comfort and walk down the path of entrepreneurship,” says Emma Lewisham. And while women feel like they have to work harder than men to achieve success (53 per cent female compared to 40 per cent male), more women feel inspired by female entrepreneurs (60 per cent) than male entrepreneurs.
This is where Veuve Clicquot’s work for greater inclusion, impact and visibility for women comes into play. While this research empowers Kiwi women to keep boldly proclaiming that everything is possible, there is still room for progress globally—and locally, in Aotearoa. Sharing Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot is just the beginning.
