Lisa Lopeti was born in Aotearoa and holds deep connections to her Chinese and Cambodian whakapapa.

A social justice advocate and social entrepreneur, she is committed to creating systemic change and advancing equity for underserved New Zealanders and marginalised communities globally. With over 16 years of experience across the non-profit and community sectors, Lisa’s work spans international NGOs, local charitable trusts, and cross-sector collaborations.

She has held leadership, management, consultancy, and governance roles throughout her career. Alongside SImpact, she is working with Foundation North to establish a microlending service for small businesses who lack access to mainstream finance, while also serving as Development Director of Alongsiders International and Executive Director of the Impact Open Source Software Trust. Previously, she co-founded and led the Iti Rearea Collective — a collaboration of six organisations working to remove socio-economic barriers for aspiring refugee and migrant entrepreneurs.

Lisa also founded Child Rescue, the New Zealand arm of an international organisation that rescues and restores children from sex trafficking and exploitation, and has worked in Cambodia alongside NGOs supporting at-risk and vulnerable youth. Having seen firsthand the challenges faced by non-profit organisations, Lisa believes the thoughtful use of AI can be a game-changer — enabling greater efficiency, insight, and impact across the sector.

A Leadership New Zealand Alumna and member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network, Lisa is proud to call West Auckland home.