A 54-hour start-up weekend in Tūranga Nui a Kiwa, facilitated by Tāirāwhiti's impact house 'Taiki E' has helped East Coast entrepreneurs get one step closer to realising their goals of establishing their own businesses.

From Friday night through to Sunday night, entrepreneurs put their ideas to the test and raced against the clock in a three-day intensive start-up competition.

“There were tears… we only had 54 hours, a lack of sleep, many ups and downs, but those are the key lessons in this workshop. And they aren’t just ideas, they're embodying their dreams and chasing their ideas, and they pursue the knowledge within that,”, says Cain Kerehoma, who is the ‘ecosystem builder’ for Tāiki E.

Read the full story at Te Ao Māori News.