Jerome’s a highly motivated and driven professional overtly passionate about helping young people achieve things that they never at first thought were possible.  This passion combined with over a decade of working with rangatahi in South Auckland saw him exit the corporate world and kick off South Auckland Young Entrepreneurs (SAYE) in October 2019.  Through SAYE, Jerome facilitates programs helping youth and young adults to increase levels of confidence, resilience and self-belief, seeing them succeed in launching their own business, or progressing through their careers.

Jerome’s not afraid to challenge the status quo – particularly when it involves advancing the livelihood of rangatahi and whanau across Aotearoa. He sees himself as a strong advocate for young people throughout the community wanting to do what he can to make sure their voice is heard, society understands their value and everyone knows what’s happening on the ground. 

The vision and mission of YEA is what gets Jerome most excited to be part of the Stewardship Group. It aligns perfectly with his passion, motivation and his why. Success is going to take a collaborative approach between organisations genuinely about the people they serve and Jerome looks forward to playing a significant part in this process.