Erica Crawford started her career as a young scientist in cardiac medicine in her native South Africa, but it was her self‐taught skills as a marketer and exporter that saw her rise to business prominence in New Zealand. Thirteen years ago, with the second of two babies on the way, Erica and husband Kim put every cent of their $20,000 combined capital into their own wine brand. As Kim puts it, "I'm the inside of the bottle and Erica is the outside, responsible for the brand and business” – a brand that, in a unique deal, was sold as pure IP to Vincor International of Canada. That is,the brand only - not a single brick, vine, or sod of kiwi soil was sold, just the brand.

Erica is a member of New Zealand Trade & Enterprise’s Beachheads Advisory Board and is on the judging panel of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.