Elisa Harley

I have always been the girl with the big dreams and the big smile. 

My mission is “To live a purpose-driven life that pushes the boundaries and inspires young people to understand their self-worth and value in life.“ I believe that everyone has something special to offer by just being themselves and doing what they love. There are so many things that I love but my biggest are entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation.

My entrepreneurial spirit became apparent when at just 12 years old “Elisa’s Succulents’ was born – I collected, propagated, and grew a few hundred plants to sell at my local fair. I made a $248 profit in just 4 hours the first year and doubled my profits the next year.

I then dug deeper into my love of the native flora and fauna of Aotearoa and learned about Kakabeak which are an endangered native plant on the cusp of extinction. So instead of waiting on activists or nurseries to do the job, what would stop me? Enivo Plants was established and I grew and sold over 300 Kakabeak and 400 dwarf Kowhai, gathering $2560 in profit. I sold these plants at my local fair, Mitre 10, and my local plant nursery. I also designed myself and built, with the help of my dad, my very own greenhouse.

Another big part of my life is dance and rhythmic gymnastics. I persevered through many injuries and I competed all around the country and placed top 3 in both Nationals 2021 and Nationals 2022! I was the team captain for the Wellington region at Nationals 2022 in Invercargill.

I love to learn! I have participated in many leadership and business courses; the Girlboss Edge Primary Industry, GirlBoss Edge CashFlow, Making It On My Own (MIOMO), Brave Thinkers Business Week, Entrepreneurs in Action, and now the Young Enterprise Program, and the Pinnacle Program! I have had great success in these courses and have been part of the winning teams in the Brave Thinkers Business Week and both Entrepreneurs in Action challenges. I am having the best time spending these valuable teenage years, learning and experiencing new things.

Being a part of the Pinnacle family is an opportunity of a lifetime. I cannot wait to see how I learn and develop along with the other students who are some of the most inspiring young people out there!