The audaciously impactful graduate

Florals and weddings go hand in hand, but unbeknownst to many a happy couple, microplastics play a key role on their special day.

The culprit? The little blocks of non-biodegradable foam that florists use to support floral arrangements.

But what if there is a better, more sustainable way?

For entrepreneurship graduate, sustainability advocate, and self-confessed wedding aficionado Fasya Amasani Setiawan, this provided the perfect challenge to take on for her Masters’ project.

“I come from Indonesia, which registered 1.5 million weddings last year,” Fasya says.

“Even if only 10 per cent of weddings used five kilograms of floral foam each, that’s 750 tonnes going to landfill. The truth is it’s probably a whole lot more.”

Fasya’s project looked at the sustainable alternatives to floral foam and the market desirability for adopting these alternatives.

“Affordability is important as sustainable options may require more capital and this makes a big difference for businesses.”

Entrepreneurship is not new for Fasya, who used her architecture background and passion for weddings to start a sustainable wedding decorations business with friends back home.

“A few years in I realised that I did not know enough to run a business.

“We were trying to have a positive impact on the environment, but it was hard to make it viable because of the cost.”

This spurred her to explore options to study business, she says.

“I was awarded the targeted entrepreneurship LPDP scholarship for postgraduate study by the Indonesian Government.

“I chose the Otago Business School (OBS) to do my degree because they offered a paper in sustainable entrepreneurship, which aligned well with my goals.”

Another reason she chose OBS was the opportunities provided for interactions with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, Fasya says.

“This is where I was introduced to Startup Dunedin and the Audacious programme.”

Audacious is a programme for students to build their entrepreneurial skills, run by Startup Dunedin, a not-for-profit trust that supports and facilitates the growth of the Dunedin startup ecosystem.

Over the course of a semester, Fasya attended several sessions designed to hone her entrepreneurial skills and met with mentors and entrepreneurs from Dunedin’s startup scene.

“Audacious was the test ground for my idea of sustainable floristry and it gave me a head start on my Masters’ project.

“I learned a lot through Audacious, especially how to pitch my business.”

Her hard work paid off, and at the culmination of the programme Fasya was given the Audacious Impact Award at the 2023 Audacious Showcase.

“The award recognised the potential for my idea to have an eco-friendly impact on the floristry business in Indonesia and affirmed that I was on the right track.”

Exploring sustainable floristry was not the only thing keeping Fasya busy while at Otago.

She is also an international student ambassador, working with the International Office to share her experience of studying at Otago.

“It started out with me collaborating with the International Office on a social post, which inspired me to apply for the student ambassador role.”

Since taking on the role, she’s shared her story with a number of interested students back in Indonesia, participated in O-week events, been a part of Unibuddy, and featured in several professional photoshoots for marketing material.

“The unexpected benefit of becoming a student ambassador was how much more confident it made me.

“Before this I would have described myself as shy and not someone comfortable in front of the camera.”

The envelop of support, both from Otago and the community around her definitely helped, she says.

“As someone who had never lived overseas or alone, the regular interaction with Otago’s International team was very reassuring.

“AskOtago has also been amazing. They are very approachable, and I really can ask them anything,” Fasya says.

“So far, the hardest thing I’ve had to navigate is Dunedin’s winter and even that was made easier by the local Indonesian community’s support.”

Graduation is a “double celebration” for Fasya, who crosses the stage today to receive her Masters in Entrepreneurship*.

“It is also Indonesia’s Independence Day today, which makes this graduation extra special.”

Associate Professor Conor O’Kane, Fasya’s project supervisor, says her deep commitment to learning and developing her entrepreneurial skills was evident across her time at Otago.

“Fasya took every opportunity to apply her learning to sustainable entrepreneurship, culminating in a high-quality research project that explored the creation of more sustainable products that challenged entrenched industry practices,” Conor says.

“Her work ethic, entrepreneurial mindset and passion for the environment mean she is very well positioned to create positive change within any venture she participates in.”

~  Kōrero by Sandra French, Adviser, Internal Communications.

*For anyone wishing to follow in Fasya's footsteps, they will be able to take a Masters (MBus) in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from 2025.