South Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year announced

Emilia Pirone has been recognised as the coveted South Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year at this evening’s ceremony held at the National Wine Centre. Emilia is the General Manager of Goodies and Grains. The business started from humble beginnings with a few bulk products in a small shop in the Adelaide Central Market in the early nineties. Since taking over the business, the range expanded to cater for more personalised requirements, and their products are sold in independent supermarkets and health food stores Australia wide.

Goodies and Grains is an artisan producer drawing on carefully selected ingredients to make diverse and beneficial foods. Goodies and Grains prides itself on accommodating specific dietary needs with integrity.

After graduating from the South Australian Business Chamber’s South Australian Young Entrepreneur Scheme ​‘SAYES’ program, Emilia was thrilled to receive the award recognising her hard work and achievements over the last 12 months.

The South Australian Business Chamber Chief Executive Andrew Kay acknowledges the incredible effort Emilia and all graduates have put into their entrepreneurial journey.

“These young entrepreneurs from across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia are setting the bar high for the future of South Australia.

“We are proud to present the SAYES program and our work with budding young entrepreneurs to help them realise their business goals.

“I can confidently say that the future is bright for everyone who graduated this evening.” 

Celebrating its 24^th year this evening, the SAYES program is designed to nurture, grow and scale start-up and early-stage businesses for South Australians under 35. The South Australian Business Chamber thanks the Department for Industry, Innovation and Science for their generous support of this program, which has supported over 700 young South Australians over the last 24 years.

Congratulations to all this year’s graduates. We look forward to seeing your businesses thrive in the years to come. 

Also awarded this evening: 

Business Plan Award: Nicole St Pierre (Love+Glory) — regional participant
Love + Glory is an exciting and delicious alternative to the traditional sugar-filled sparkling wine on most bottle shop shelves. Nicole and husband, James produce bright and vibrant, sugar-free bubbly that is celebrated by today’s health-conscious consumer striving to live their life to the fullest.

Growth Award: Frank Zhao (Kaide Real Estate) — metro participant
Kaide Real Estate, which specialises in property management and property sales, was established in 2018 by Frank. He has an ambition to achieve and a business philosophy to always fix problems, and to demonstrate loyalty. Frank has exceeded expectations and grown the Kaide Real Estate team.

Mentor the Year Award: Lisa Ireland, Project Procurement & Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd
Lisa has been working and lecturing in marketing and sales for over 25 years. She has worked in Australia and internationally, including South East Asia and the Middle East, in the healthcare (pharmaceuticals and medical capital equipment), education, mining and community service sectors. She has a strong focus on complex sales cycles typical of business-to-business (B2B) marketing and excellent strategic planning skills and expertise. In addition to her own hands-on experience, she has taught across all levels of university and vocational sectors in Australia and abroad.