CPL Foundation Chairman, Sir Mahesh Patel hosted a CEO Wine Down meeting recently, where Small to Medium Enterprise owners and executives mingled and shared experiences with CEOs of larger corporate houses.
The SME owners were mostly members of Emstret, led by Vani Nades, COO of Emstret Holdings Limited.
Nades explained that Emstret E-Space was something that is really needed in Papua New Guinea.
She said the potential they have within SMEs and the pathways they want to collaborate together to enhance doing business and creating ideas and get moving.
“Emstret E-Space started in 2016 as a first time concept in PNG. Whilst the journey has been challenging it was great to have people who believe in the dream and the passion the objective in what they are trying to create, to bring SMEs and entrepreneurs together to collaborate, work and share ideas and connect in solving the problems of the country,” Nades added.
“One of the main aims is to how we can also bring CEOs that are in the province so they can be able to share the ideas because not everyone of them or everyone of us can meet CEOs and they’re always in their own space,” said Nades.
In bringing the CEOs together in such a meeting, it gives the SMEs a chance to learn from the CEOs, learning the best practices, investing their time in SMEs, mentoring and coaching and this is where Sir Mahesh Patel became part of the journey, where he became one of the mentors and coaches that support the SMEs in the hub.
“We had couple of our members who took part as well and they are now under his wings, being mentored and they are doing very well in the space and we very glad to work with everybody else to create the entrepreneur resources where our SMEs can come in, develop themselves, grow themselves and we also want to say thank you to Kina Bank who has also been part of this,” Nades said.
Sir Mahesh said, “Coaching and mentoring of our youths is one of the things I love most. That’s always been my passion and lately about two or three years when Vani and you guys started that’s when all the field heated up and all that stuff and we need to encourage our young Papua New Guineans to have a go like Loretta has done. It’s not easy to live a job with a constant fortnightly pay and say listen I’m going to take a punt because I believe in myself.”
The SME members where given a chance to ask questions to Sir Mahesh as well as the CEOs who were present.