Judges

Inspiring the next generation of innovators

Our judging panel includes celebrated local innovators and international guest judges from diverse backgrounds. yia! is judged by renowned New Zealand and international innovators from brands including Nike, Google, Apple, WETA Workshop and Google. Give back to the community in a meaningful way, inspire the next generation of innovators, and meet like-minded peers.

Call for 2024 judges now open

“Participating in the Young Innovators Awards as Head Judge was a highlight in 2023 for me!

It was Beca’s seventh year sponsoring YiA! and we were incredibly proud to continue supporting young people within the Tauranga region to develop design and innovation skills that will be invaluable in their future employment, and will make an impact in their lives and the communities we live in.”

Jeannine Walsh - Head of New Ventures, Beca Engineering.

Judge, yia! 2023

Jeanine Walsh Headshot

Judge FAQ

Tauranga’s yia! Awards celebrate the young talent in the Western Bay of Plenty and inspire them to become the future innovators of Aotearoa.

What is yia!

The yia! programme empowers the future workforce by building young minds
through innovation. As a business owner, your support of the programme can help
shape the future of the Western Bay of Plenty region by investing in the talent of
tomorrow.

Read more on our About page.

What experience should I bring?

You don’t need specific innovation experience to judge! We value your professional experience, and your creativity and expertise are valued enormously by our students. Our judges’ network is diverse and from a range of industries.

What’s the involvement?

As a judge, you’ll be tasked with helping us mark the innovation submissions from students. This will help us create the finalist list. It’s a 2-4 hour commitment and judges will mark against provided criteria. The submissions are written and in video format. We also would appreciate your attendance at the awards night. We also have some great opportunities to grow your innovation network with some social activities for judges.

What are the benefits of being a yia! judge?

Being a judge can offer many benefits for your personal and professional growth. You’ll get exposure across all the Priority One platforms, and have the opportunity to give back to the community in a meaningful way.

yia! Past judges

  • Erik Hay Headshot

    Erik Hay, Creative Strategy Director, Weta Workshop

    Erik Hay is the Creative Strategy Director at Weta Workshop. Previous clients include Paramount, Adam Savage-Tested, and Nike.

  • headshot Carol Ward

    Carol Ward, Head of Innovation, Zespri

    In charge of a 35 million global budget, Zespri’s esteemed Head of Innovation brought years of experience to yia!.

  • headshot Jono Jones

    Jono Jones, CEO, Bluelab

    Bluelab technology is changing the way the world grows food by supporting hydroponic growers.

  • Headshot Rob Bensley

    Rob Bensley, Digital Advisory Practice Lead, Cucumber

    Rob is an experienced business innovator across commercial and strategic roles.

  • Maru Nihoniho Headshot

    Maru Nihoniho, Managing Director, Metia Interactive

    Maru is the MD and designer of award-winning video games. Her first title won a United Nations World Summit Awards Special Mention.