19 Year Old Kiwi Entrepreneur Takes on the World

Media release
13 November 2013

19 Year Old Kiwi Entrepreneur Takes on the World

At the ripe old age of 19, Andre Schellenberg has already racked up more than seven years of entrepreneurial experience.

He’s now setting his sights on global opportunities as the winner of the NZ Entrepreneurs’ Organisation’s (EO NZ) Global Student Entrepreneur Award (GSEA).

Andre first began his entrepreneurial journey at age 12, salvaging old computers to rebuild and sell them. He continued with his online trading – working part time jobs on the side – until he finally registered his first company at 18, providing him enough capital to start FLEXED.

FLEXED is a gym and bodybuilding lifestyle-oriented apparel and accessory brand, born out of Andre’s personal experiences with fitness and the positivity it brought to his own life.

Last Monday (Nov. 11) Andre presented his business and growth plan for FLEXED to a panel of leading entrepreneurs – including Tony Falkenstein, CEO of Just Water and communications chair of EO NZ.

It was his confidence and solid business plan for growth both here and abroad that impressed the panel and ultimately won him the title of Top Student Entrepreneur NZ Tony Falkenstein says.

“Part of our role as entrepreneurs and business leaders is to recognise and nurture young entrepreneurial talent in New Zealand; Andre showed great initiative and drive – his enthusiasm and maturity in business are certainly something to celebrate and reward,” says Falkenstein

As the winner of the New Zealand GSEA, Andre travels to Washington DC to compete against top student business owners from around the globe. While in the US, he has the opportunity to gain media exposure, win cash and a share in more than $150,000 in donated business services.

For Andre, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Coming from a single parent family, I was able to identify the value of money from a very early age and naturally I have always been quite an independent person, so going into business for myself was a bit of an inevitability,” says Schellenberg

“I’ve never felt hindered by age nor experience and so far I have achieved all the goals I set out to achieve.

“I am a big believer in personal motivation and self-belief so I have an important mantra that I live and run my business by: ‘Do not be afraid to do what other people tell you is not possible, because if you do listen to them, you have already failed’.”

Andre leaves for Washington DC on Tuesday 19 November to spend two days competing against other student business owners before the winner is announced on November 22.

About Entrepreneurs Organisation NZ:
Entrepreneurs Organisation NZ is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. EO NZ was founded in 1998 and is a chapter of a US-based Entrepreneurs Organisation, a dynamic global network of more than 9,500 business owners in 42 countries. There are 50 members of the New Zealand chapter with an average age of 46 employing more than 1,600 staff representing industries from accounting through to waste management. Globally, if EO were a country it would be in the top 25 nations ranked by GDP. Membership in one of EO’s 120 chapters is by invitation only. Find out more at www.eonetwork.org

ENDS

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