Tailored Trading and Proactive Saving: Orchid Horizon’s Twin Finance Solutions For many female business founders, building a business means juggling paid work, startup demands, and family responsibilities – often all at once – which, without a financial buffer, can make committing to a new venture feel insurmountable. The Women Entrepreneurs Fund, founded by Joy Shivas in 2022, is working to upend the gender imbalance in the startup sphere by providing female founders with p

Back to Basics: Michelle Chim’s "Papercup" Phone In 2022, Joy Shivas turned her vision for a more diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem into reality. Her Women Entrepreneurs Fund, supported by Kura Tāwhiti – Canterbury Community Foundation, is an endowment fund that continues to grow, supporting female business founders year after year. Now, thanks to Joy’s generosity, three more extraordinary women have been given a lifeline. Speaking of lines, Michelle Chim, one of our lates

Syncing with your Cycle: Lizzy Leonard's Smart Meal-Planning Platform The Women Entrepreneur’s Fund is back with another round of $10,000 grants for female business founders – moving the needle ever-closer to an equitable startup system. Thanks to the continued support and vision of donor Joy Shivas, we have three more remarkable winners to celebrate. Lizzy Leonard has launched an innovative SAAS product you’ll want to sink your teeth into. Born out of her own experiments wi

February 2026 Storm Severe weather has affected communities across Aotearoa this year, but some have been hit far harder than others. The February storm was a stark reminder of how sudden and devastating these events can be, causing widespread damage across the motu. Close to home, torrential rain triggered flash flooding and landslides across Banks Peninsula and parts of Christchurch City. In just 48 hours, the Peninsula received nearly six times its average monthly rainfall

Storm recovery, wins for wāhine and major board news to kick off 2026

Tania Anderson helps people think better and differently – an immensely valuable skill she will soon bring to Kura Tāwhiti – Canterbury Community Foundation as our newest Trustee. Tania is a seasoned systems designer, evaluator, and governance professional focused on social innovation and outcomes. With nearly 20 years’ experience across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, she specialises in designing and supporting change in highly complex social systems, inclu

With sincere pleasure — and a measure of Cantabrian pride — we welcome Colin Mansbridge, Chief Executive of the Crusaders, to the Board of Kura Tāwhiti – Canterbury Community Foundation as co-Chair. Colin is an experienced senior executive with cross-disciplinary leadership experience spanning both the banking and sports sectors. Since becoming CEO of the Crusaders in 2018, he has led one of New Zealand’s most iconic sporting franchises through a period of remarkable growth

Impact100 Canterbury welcomes new member Rebecca Inch, sponsored by Seed the Change.

A trust transfer to your local community foundation allows your society or trust to wind up its structure while keeping its name, purpose, and story alive.

Featured in Business Canterbury's Bold Company series: How our renewed strategy, endowment-focused model and partnership programmes are working to build long-term community resilience.