Cecilia Robinson, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Tend; Co-founder of My Food Bag
Chair of Judges 2024

Cecilia Robinson is the Founder and Co-CEO of Tend. Cecilia founded her first business Au Pair Link, aged 21, with husband James Robinson. In 2012, Cecilia Co-founded My Food bag and in 2013, Cecilia won the EY Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award.

Today Cecilia’s primary focus is Tend which was founded in 2019, motivated by a vision that “our children and the children of New Zealand don’t deserve to inherit our healthcare system”. The Robinsons founded Tend Health to “make kiwis the healthiest people in the world”.

Tend is a full-service primary healthcare provider, offering GP services online and in clinic. Tend is reimagining healthcare as we know it, at Tend clinicians and world class engineers work side by side driving the best healthcare experiences and outcomes.

The founding team bring together formidable New Zealand leaders, including former PushPay Chief Product Officer, Josh Robb, and Harvard educated Dr Mataroria Lyndon as Clinical Director. Today Tend has tens of thousands of patients, three clinics across Auckland and employs over 100 people.

She is also the founder and former CEO of My Food Bag. In 2016, the founding team sold 70 percent of the company to Waterman Capital. In 2018 Cecilia and James retired as CEOs. Waterman Capital subsequently listed My Food Bag in 2021. Cecilia returned as a Director in August 2022.

Brianne West, Founder of Ethique

Brianne is a New Zealand entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Ethique – a regenerative beauty brand now sold in over 22 countries, in more than 8000 stores.

She was named a ‘Top 100 Global Thinker’ by Foreign Policy magazine in 2016, the 2019 NZ EY 'Young Entrepreneur Of The Year' and One Young World's Entrepreneur Of The Year in 2020.

Brianne is passionate about protecting and restoring our environment and I believe that business should benefit everyone involved, from suppliers, to the team - not just shareholders.

Brianne is also the co-founder and co-managing partner of Nous, an impact investment fund launched in 2021.

Grant Straker, Co-founder and CEO of Straker Translations

A mechanical engineer by trade and former elite paratrooper Grant is the co-founder(with his wife Merryn) and CEO of the Straker Group, a company that they built from startup to an IPO in 2018.

Of Maori decent from the Ngati Raukawa Iwi Grant grew up in New Zealand and moved to the UK as a teenager and joined the British Army in the mid 80’s. After leaving the Army in the 90’s he taught himself computer programming and founded Straker as a technology company, eventually using the technology they developed to become leading players in the 50 billion translation industry.

The Straker’s had a vision that they could build a global technology company from New Zealand, and over the past two decades have accomplished this with more than 240 staff, offices in 8 countries and still head quartered in New Zealand where the majority of their R&D takes place.

Grant has 3 teenage boys, still plays masters rugby, does competitive age grade crossfit competitions and enjoys sailing his catamaran at the weekends.

Phil Thomson, Co-founder and CEO of Auror

Phil is a co-founder and CEO of Auror, a crime intelligence software platform, After spending four years as a commercial lawyer specialising in Privacy and IP, Phil was part of the founding team at Auror along with James Corbett and Tom Batterbury who were named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year New Zealand winners in 2023.

Phil now leads the global organisation as its CEO. Auror has spent the last 12 years on a mission to empower retailers with the intelligence and solutions they need to stop crime, for good. Phil’s focus as CEO has been centred around building a trusted and diverse company with a global outlook, driving Auror from NZ into Australia, the US, and now the UK.

Sonya Williams, Co-founder, Director and 3EO (Co-CEO) of Sharesies


Sonya Williams is the co-founder, director and 3EO (co-CEO) of Sharesies. The Sharesies vision is to give someone with $5 and $5m the same money opportunities. Sharesies is a wealth app with over half a million investors who’ve collectively invested billions of dollars. Sharesies also provides services to NZX and ASX listed companies so they can gain valuable insights and communicate directly to their retail investors, as well as support with capital raises and provide staff share schemes. 

Sonya has built a career in technology and global marketing and product management and is passionate about using technology to solve big problems, and create a more equitable society. Sonya was the co-winner of the 2020 Women of Influence—Business award, alongside co-founder Brooke Roberts, and 2022 NZ Services Entrepreneur Of The Year, alongside co-CEOs Brooke and Leighton.