Kiwi in the top 30 under30 Asia list – Forbes magazine

Otautahi - A leading young New Zealand tech businesswoman has been named in the Forbes magazine 30 under 30 Asia list.

Forbes released the list yesterday and GirlBoss New Zealand chief executive Alexia Hilbertidou 30 is on the list which started with 2500 nominations.

Criteria for making the list includes demonstration of leadership, impact, potential of success and the embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit synonymous with Forbes.

Other factors such as innovation, disruption — as well as size and growth of their ventures in some categories — play a role in making the final decision.

GirlBoss NZ runs workshops at secondary schools to encourage young girls to work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Hilbertidou was inspired to start the organisation in 2015, when she was 16 years old, because she was the only girl in her digital technology class at school.

So far, GirlBoss New Zealand has presented at more than 100 schools across New Zealand, Australia and the Cook Islands.

In 2018, Hilbertidou received a Queen's Young Leaders Award for her work encouraging young women in New Zealand to become leaders in STEM. She also received the Business and Entrepreneurship Award at the 2019 Prime Minister's Pacific Youth Awards.

Next month she will be part of NZTech’s Tech21, a programme of activity and events in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to help inspire young ākonga (learners) into tech careers.

Tech21, a key part of Techweek2021,  will begin with a summit in Auckland on May 24. It will showcase tech innovation, creativity and the opportunities for technology career pathways leading into New Zealand’s fastest growing and highest paid sector.