When Cyclone Waka tore through the Kingdom of Tonga at the end of 2001, John Ross and his family wanted to do something to help.

Now, 20 years later, Heilala Vanilla is a world-renowned brand sold online and in supermarkets, used by award winning chefs and as an ingredient to high end food manufacturers.

But how does a brand become successful while also navigating social responsibility and sustainability so brilliantly?

Jennifer Boggiss, from Heilala Vanilla, will be speaking about this and more at the upcoming Business Women's Network Speaker Series, hosted by the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce.

'Our purpose to this day remains providing sustainable livelihoods and employment,” says Jennifer.

But why vanilla?

'Vanilla grows 20 degrees either side of the equator and had grown in Tonga in the past,” she says.

'It's a long term crop, so you have to plant it and it takes three years before it will produce. It's the second most labour intensive crop in the world and it requires a lot of patience and tender loving care.

'Where we were looking to grow and support was very remote, so we couldn't grow anything perishable or that needed immediate freight or refrigeration, so vanilla was a natural fit.”

Heilala Vanilla has social responsibility and sustainability at the absolute core of their business, and Jennifer says these aren't things you can just ‘tack on' to the side of a business.

'Sustainability like this is something that you can't really force. In some ways, we're quite fortunate because we started with a desire to do something good for a village in Tonga and that's what remains, so it's nothing that we've had to try too hard at. It's who we are and how we operate,”says Jennifer.

'I think the only way you can do it genuinely is have it at the core of your business, not as a tack on.”

The upcoming Business Women's Network Speaker Series will be held at Trinity Wharf, Tauranga, on May 27 and July 8. Jennifer will be speaking at the May 27 event.

For more information, visit: www.tauranga.org.nz/bwn/bwn-speaker-series-2021

Tickets are now sold out, but those who haven't managed to get a ticket can enter online to win one.

The Weekend Sun has four double passes to attend the BWN Speaker Series 2021 (two double passes for day one on May 27 and two double passes for day two on July 8) for four lucky readers who can tell us when Cyclone Waka hit Tonga. When entering, please tell us what date you would prefer to attend.

Enter online at www.sunlive.co.nz under the competition section. Entries must be received by Tuesday, May 18.