The West Coast’s most famous entrepreneurial daughter, Dame Julie Christie, hopes to draw on her considerable business development know-how to help grow the region’s economy.
This month we cover the life and times of a remarkable self-made business woman.
Also, meet mumpreneur Debbie Parlakchief, who launched the country’s first personalised beauty bar; Rebecca Jones, who started her home-cooked meal delivery service in two stages – the second proving to be far more profitable, than the first; and Packaworld’s Peter Roberts is selling the joy of sport – using innovation to make the joy of sport real to more people worldwide.

The David Awards 2026 – Winners Presentation
Thursday 8 October 2026 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm
📍 GridAKL, 101, Pakenham Street West, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
The David Awards 2026 winners are revealed live at GridAKL on 8 October, followed by a panel on building small businesses that punch above their weight. Finalist or not, get your free ticket to this informative and celebratory event.

