Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono
22 September 2026
A group of New Zealand entrepreneurs is heading to one of Asia’s largest health and beauty trade expos this week.
The visit is part of the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI), delivered by the Asia New Zealand Foundation in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The beauty expo, Cosmobeaute Malaysia, will kick off in Kuala Lumpur from September 29 until October 1, hosting 400 exhibitors from 11 different markets including China, Korea and Japan.
The visit aims to give the entrepreneurs travelling product ideas and potential partnership opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Worldwide consumer spending on wellness increased by 35 percent from 2019 to 2024, and the global wellness economy is projected to reach NZ$17.1trillion by 2029.
Of that, Malaysia’s personal care and beauty sector was valued at NZ$20.6 billion in 2024.
Rawinia Rimene, founder of Girl Native Skincare, is joining the delegation after recently attending VivaTech in Paris, where she successfully secured new business partnerships.
After making connections in Europe, Rimene is looking forward to building relationships “closer to home” in Malaysia and says face-to-face is best.
“It’s very important to be on the ground, in person. You get a better understanding of each other, especially when there are different cultures and languages.”
Rimene is a trailblazer in Māori health and beauty, founding her company after rongoā Māori practices successfully treated her daughter’s skin condition. For Rimene, the opportunity to take her business overseas is also about showing her daughter what is possible.
Rosie Woodhams, who leads marketing and branding for BeauEver, is excited to learn from other businesses that have built from the ground up.
“For me, this opportunity is huge; I haven’t done anything like this before… I haven’t been to Malaysia before for work, so I’m looking forward to having exposure to the way they do things.
As well as the expo, the Foundation – led by our experienced entrepreneurship manager Lingy Au – will be taking the delegates on site visits and to meetings with leading businesses while in Kuala Lumpur.
Asia New Zealand Foundation director of business and entrepreneurship Tim McCready says the trip will “compress a year of market research into one week”.
“Delegates will meet distributors face-to-face and see what’s on trend, what’s selling on shelf and at what price point. This delegation will open doors that would otherwise take years to knock on.”
McCready also believes New Zealand has a lot to offer to Malaysia, and more broadly Asia’s health and beauty market.
“New Zealand has a great story to tell; provenance, natural ingredients and traceability are all things that consumers pay attention to and pay a premium for.”
Asia New Zealand Foundation chief executive Suzannah Jessep says experiences like this are important for building New Zealand’s long-term business capability in Asia.
“Southeast Asia is an increasingly important part of New Zealand’s economic future, and making the most of those opportunities requires people who understand the region, have trusted relationships and are confident operating there,” Jessep says.
“YBLI gives emerging New Zealand business leaders that first-hand experience, building knowledge and connections that can benefit not only their own businesses, but the wider networks they are part of.”
The ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI), formed in 2011, has facilitated visits for more than 130 ASEAN entrepreneurs to New Zealand and supported over 80 New Zealand entrepreneurs in exploring opportunities in Southeast Asia. In total, the YBLI Network numbers over 270 entrepreneurs.
Participants of the delegation
- Melitta Adam, Melitta Skin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Julia Juhasz, No Bad Days Skincare, Founder
- Emma Michelsen, Aggie New Zealand Limited, Founder
- Scott Glacken, Noody Ltd, Cofounder
- Rawinia Rimene, Girl Native, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Kimberly Tait, Hinu Ora, Founder
- Amelia Jory, Dulesè, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Shaleah Lawrence, Earthwoven, Founder and Director
- Rosie Woodhams, BeauEver, Brand and Marketing Manager
- Madeleine Patel, Delightable, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer
About the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono
Established in 1994, the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is a leading provider of Asia insights and experiences in New Zealand. Its mission is to equip New Zealanders to excel in Asia by providing research, insights, and targeted opportunities to grow their knowledge, connections and experiences across the region. The Foundation’s activities cover more than 20 countries in Asia and are delivered through eight core programmes: arts, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, media, research, Track II diplomacy, and sports.
About the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative
The ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) is a key part of the New Zealand Government’s ASEAN strategy. The aim of the programme is to facilitate trade and build connections between business leaders and entrepreneurs in New Zealand and Southeast Asia. This is achieved through short, targeted visits to New Zealand and Southeast Asia for ASEAN entrepreneurs and Kiwi entrepreneurs respectively.