At this year’s Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards, our very own Global Women member Cecilia Robinson was honoured as the Spark New Zealand Innovator of the Year, Te Pou Whakairo o te Tau.
The award acknowledges Cecilia’s prolific record of innovative entrepreneurship, and the work she has been undertaking as the founder and co-CEO of Tend — a primary healthcare service with a vision to transform healthcare for Aotearoa New Zealand.
“We would like to see New Zealanders be the healthiest people in the world. That is the legacy we want to leave behind,” says Cecilia.
As a devoted mother of three and committed advocate for women, children and families, Cecilia’s legacy vision of Tend is that of a 100-year New Zealand owned healthcare company that will serve our future generations.
“We are rebuilding our primary healthcare system from the ground up,” says Cecilia, during her acceptance of the award.
The work Cecilia and the Tend team have done towards bolstering the healthcare system is backed by a groundbreaking tech-backed approach, much needed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The digital-first health provider is now one of the largest primary healthcare providers in the country, having grown to represent over 130,000 New Zealanders since launching in 2020.
“I am passionate about our future generations — that’s what drives me and gets me up,” says Cecilia.
“We live in the best little country in the world… It’s such a phenomenal place to live and bring up my children.”
Having spent the first 19 years of her life in Sweden, Cecilia says that she never felt a sense of belonging until she came to Aotearoa New Zealand. Her love for the country and community is woven into the values of Tend, which is committed to improving healthcare outcomes for children throughout the country.
A visionary entrepreneur, Cecilia has been the dynamic force behind a number of values-based projects that champion sustainability, equity, and intergenerational success. She has previously founded start-ups My Food Bag and Au Pair Link, in addition to being a founding trustee of The Prince’s Trust New Zealand and a dedicated mentor for women in business and the community.
We are delighted to celebrate Cecilia and her team, and cannot wait to see what’s next for this innovative superstar.