Lisa King

Lisa King is an esteemed New Zealand entrepreneur known for her new social enterprise, Eat My Lunch. Her initiative has a noble mission: for every lunch purchased, Eat My Lunch provides lunch to a child in need. King's original business model has significantly impacted child hunger and redefined social entrepreneurship's role in addressing societal issues.

King's journey in creating Eat My Lunch began with her deep understanding of the challenges faced by underprivileged children in New Zealand, particularly the issue of food insecurity. She realised the critical role nutrition plays in a child's development and learning and was driven to create a solution that addresses this need and involves the community meaningfully.

Before launching Eat My Lunch, Lisa King had a career in marketing, working with some of New Zealand's leading brands. Her experience equipped her with valuable skills in business strategy, branding and consumer engagement, which were instrumental in the development and success of Eat My Lunch.

In 2015, King launched Eat My Lunch with chef Michael Meredith, with the vision of making a tangible difference in the lives of needy children. The concept was simple yet influential: for every lunch a customer purchases, a nutritious lunch will be provided to a child who may otherwise go without. This buy-one-give-one model appealed to the public's growing desire to support socially responsible businesses.

Under King's leadership, Eat My Lunch grew popular for its quality food offerings and social impact. The enterprise's success highlighted the public's support for models that contribute positively to society. King's original approach provided thousands of lunches to children. It raised awareness about child poverty and food insecurity in New Zealand.

Lisa King's work with Eat My Lunch has earned her numerous accolades and recognition as a leader in social entrepreneurship. Her commitment to addressing child hunger and her ability to create a sustainable, impactful business model demonstrates her original thinking and dedication to making a positive social impact. King's journey from a marketing professional to a social entrepreneur reflects her passion for making a difference and her belief in the power of business to drive social change.

King’s profile is noteworthy because Eat My Lunch proved that a commercially viable business could directly tackle child hunger in New Zealand, delivering over three million free school lunches and helping build the public case for the government’s own Ka Ora, Ka Ako free-lunch programme. Her work shifted how New Zealand businesses and policymakers think about food insecurity.

Lisa features in our look at what New Zealand's biggest founders did after the win.

Sources: Eat My Lunch · NZ Herald · Kiwibank NZ Awards