Their company, Strap'n'Stroll, created an ingenious solution to a problem familiar to many students: how to wear comfortable Birkenstocks at school when only closed-back shoes are allowed. The answer? A detachable, adjustable back strap that transforms slip-ons into school-approved footwear.
The winning team includes CEO Lucy Cowie, CFO Georgia Kendrick, Production Manager Milla Rusbridge, and Communications & Marketing Manager Tamsin Autridge, who together identified a genuine market gap and delivered an innovative product to fill it.
Their efforts earned them not one, but two prestigious awards: Waikato Business of the Year and the Excellence in Innovation Award.
The success story doesn’t end there. Georgia and Tamsin will represent the school at the National Awards in Wellington this December, competing against the country’s best young entrepreneurs.
It’s a perfect example of creative problem-solving in action – turning an everyday challenge into a viable business solution.
Congratulations to the Strap'n'Stroll team on this outstanding achievement!
Head to their Instagram page if you’d like to order: strapnstroll
Read an article from Waikato Business News HERE