The 2025 recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award for New Zealand is Ember Innovations.

In New Zealand, innovation is a team sport. Ember Innovations turns bold, lived experience-led ideas into real-world services, using digital technology to improve mental wellbeing and addiction recovery.

Their approach is collaborative and courageous. They connect founders and frontline teams with decision-makers, offer research grants, co-design pilot programs, and share learning so others can build on what works.

They stay involved from concept through to scale, supporting practical implementation and championing equity at every step. As a result, they have helped grow a national ecosystem of early-stage innovation that is rooted in community and real-world impact.

For leadership that grows movements, not just programs, Ember Innovations exemplifies vision, partnership, and lasting change.

Congratulations to Ember Innovations.