Idealog.co.nz | The Transformation Issue
075
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women in tech
co-founders of Sharesies
Investing. It can conjure up images of men in suits,
skyscrapers and New York, so let’s consider the opposite of
that: a woman with a baby on her hip, co-working spaces
and, let’s say, Wellington.
Great, we’ve described start-up hero, Sharesies. The
investment app founded by a group of friends has smashed
ceilings, walls, barriers and expectations after bursting
forth from the Kiwibank Fintech Accelerator in 2017.
Co-founders Brooke Anderson and Sonya Williams
talk enthusiastically about making investing easy, and
it’s easy to see how these two have changed the fintech
game. By avoiding jargon-laden industry phrases and using
inclusive, playful communication to tell their story andworked in finance, I knew then that this is what I
wanted to do.”
When the Kiwibank FinTech Accelerator provided
the opportunity to satisfy their curiosity and learn
and build together, as a team, the prospect of such a
significant change didn’t even cross their mind. Williams
had moved from Xero to Kiwibank, where she learned
about money and the customer, and said she had to
follow her gut instinct.
“I knew I couldn’t let other people’s version of what’s
possible guide mine. I knew I had to be myself, do the
work and see what happens. If you’ve got an inkling, see
it through.”
As a mentor to young social entrepreneurs for the
Live the Dream programme, Anderson was learning and
supporting social enterprises, but was itching for more, so
started taking design-thinking courses.
“I loved working with purpose-
driven people and learned so much
at Kiwibank, you’re working with
people who want to make a difference,”
Anderson says. “That’s what made it
easy to start Sharesies – there was a
commonality. We wanted to have an
impact on lives and align the business
with our values. It would be hard to be
this passionate if we left gaps.”
As Sharesies’ growth accelerated, Anderson was
balancing a house renovation, getting married and having
a baby, alongside her role as CEO of an organisation that
was smashing targets.
“After I had my first baby, Elle, I experienced some
complex emotions I wasn’t prepared for. I wasn’t sure
where I should be spending my time. It impacted me, and
I thought, ‘Is my brain working?’
“I had an awesome support in [husband] Leighton
and the Sharesies whanau, and I realised, okay, it’s
cool, it’s just hormones and sleep deprivation- it’s not your time anymore, it is shared
with someone else.”
A couple of years on, Williams
said the experience and leap of faith
had changed her life, and she finally
feels herself.
“You just have to get over
yourself and ask questions and
tear things down, seeing things
differently or from your context
lead to great things and innovation,
and that is a special skill — value what
you bring to the table. Listen to yourself
and when that one voice telling you to do
something is the loudest, do it. I was shit scared
of public speaking; now it doesn’t even bother me,”
Williams says.
“Life is short, time is the only thing you can’t buy. Try
to use that perspective and think, ‘Why wouldn’t I want to
use my time the best way I can?’ I wish we’d started this
earlier, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Life is short, time is the only
thing you can’t buy. Try to use
that perspective and think, ‘Why
wouldn’t I want to use my time
the best way I can?’ I wish we’d
started this earlier, but where
there’s a will, there’s a way.Brooke Roberts and Sonya Williams,
educate Kiwis about their finances, it is safe to say they
have created a movement.
The duo, alongside four other founders, have amplified
their beliefs and values in such a way that it has translated
into a company that balances purpose with profit. As of
April, Sharesies investment platform was the first financial
company nationally to qualify for the B Corp certification,
joining just 22 other New Zealand B Corp certified
businesses. These companies meet the highest standards
of social and environmental performance, public
transparency and legal accountability.
As two former Kiwibank employees,
Anderson and Williams worked with
each other and flirted with the idea of
something bigger.
“I felt like my whole career was
aimed towards owning my own
business, and I honestly can’t say
what planted the seed. It was like
making little choices and decisions to
get me closer to that,” Williams says.
Anderson, however, had already
experimented with ideas and starting
businesses while still at school.
“I knew from school that owning my own business
was what I wanted to do, and I needed a super fascinating
job to help me learn – you don’t know what you don’t
know. At the time, for various reasons, I was hustling
for money, but I never compromised on opportunities or
where I wanted to go. I met Paul Brock (former Kiwibank
CEO) and discovered he had a marketing background but »