EHF Fellow: Lisa King
Helping Kiwi kids in need
About four years ago, Lisa King was confronted with a very disturbing statistic. Nearly 27% of children in New Zealand are currently living in poverty and it is estimated that at least 25,000 kids go to school without food.
Lisa was shocked and horrified to learn how many children were going hungry every day.
“When I realised we had this huge issue in New Zealand, I wanted to do something about it.”
-Lisa King
It was a pair of TOMs shoes that gave her the idea to replicate a “buy one-give one” model with lunches.
“I thought, well why can’t we do this for lunch? I mean, we all eat lunch every day, anyways.”
-Lisa King
Lisa imagined an online food delivery business that delivers fresh, healthy lunches to individuals and corporates and for every lunch someone orders, one is given to a Kiwi kid in need. That same night she came up with the name, Eat My Lunch, and she registered the company the next morning.
Though Lisa had 15 years in FMCG marketing experience, she had never run her own business before and she was pushing her vision up a steep hill.
Several banks denied her loans because they did not believe her business plan was viable. But Lisa was sure it could be a profitable business, and as a single mother of two, she couldn’t afford for it to fail.
After seven months of planning and investing her personal savings, Eat My Lunch (EML) launched out of Lisa’s own kitchen and it grew quicker than even she expected. In 12 weeks it reached its three-year forecast.
While Lisa celebrates that her business model is successful in making money, that is far from her primary goal for EML.
“I believe that businesses cannot just be about money anymore. We all have a responsibility to help solve social issues.”
-Lisa King
Eat My Lunch currently feeds 2,750 kids every school day and in September 2018, EML gave out their 1 millionth lunch. Their ultimate mission is to ensure that no child in New Zealand goes to school hungry.
Studies have shown (and any teacher will tell you) that when a child doesn’t receive the proper nutrients throughout the day it is harder for them to learn and connect with other students. On top of the lasting health consequences associated with childhood hunger, kids who regularly miss meals growing up may develop emotional scars and trust issues from the trauma of having to go without.
EML has received outstanding support from people and organisations across New Zealand. This seems to be an issue that everyone cares about but that no one had a viable solution for until now.
Every morning 35 volunteers gather to make free lunches for the kids. To date, Eat My Lunch have had over 16,000 helpers and there is currently a three-month waiting list for volunteering opportunities.
There is also an option on the EML ordering page to give two lunches without purchasing one for yourself — but with a dozen, healthy and tasty options to choose from, you might not be able to pass one up. EML also offers morning and afternoon teas for company catering.
Having led the way for social enterprise in New Zealand, EML has shown that you can do good and do well at the same time.
For Lisa, the most important success is the legacy she is leaving for her children. She says that her kids won’t remember her for how much money she made, they will remember what she did to try to make the world a better place.
“One of my proudest moments over the last 3 years was when I heard [my kids], Ella and Toby, having a huge argument about who was going to take over Eat My Lunch when I die.”
-Lisa King
Lisa is excited to be joining the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, where she hopes to connect with people who can help expand Eat My Lunch to reach all of the hungry kids in New Zealand.
Are you a visionary entrepreneur, investor, or changemaker building solutions to global challenges? You can bring your vision to reality from New Zealand by joining the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. Apply here.
