Frances Valintine CNZM

Frances Valintine CNZM is a passionate educator and technologist focused on developing educational opportunities that connect professionals with the knowledge they need to succeed in today’s rapidly advancing world. For 25 years, she has been dedicated to shifting education and business practice to develop the capabilities, knowledge and mindset needed to respond to the future of work, changing societal expectations and the protection of the planet.

 

She is the Founder and Board Director of academyEX, a postgraduate institute focused on professional development and knowledge in the fields of technological advancement, education, sustainability, and leadership.

 

In 2013, she founded The Mind Lab, earning the title as the Best Start-Up in Asia Pacific as judged by Steve Wozniak and Sir Richard Branson in 2014. Frances went on to found Tech Futures Lab and academyEX to focus on the future of work and AI.

 

A Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her lifetime contribution to education and technology (2018), Frances has received numerous awards recognising her passion and commitment to helping young and more mature people seek opportunities and reach their potential. In 2022, Frances was inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs and in 2020, Frances received the lifetime award for her Outstanding Contribution to Technology and Business at the CIO Awards.

Her past accolades also include:

2017: Frances received the NZ Flying Kiwi Award, and she was inducted into the New Zealand Hi-Tech Hall of Fame and named one of the top 3 NZ Innovators of the Year at the NZer of the Year awards.

2016: named one of the top 50 EdTech Educators in the World by EdTech International; awarded a Sir Peter Blake Leader Award.

2015: awarded the Westpac New Zealand Woman of Influence (Innovation) and the Next New Zealand Woman of the Year (Education)

 

Driven by a strong sense of purpose to support positive growth for Aotearoa, Frances is a selection adviser to EHF (Edmund Hillary Foundation), a judge on the Hi Tech Awards, and the National Expert for the global World Summit Awards and a board member of the University of Silicon Valley, the NZ Hi Tech Trust and the Committee for Auckland. Frances is also a mentor to a number of global female technology leaders and a Director to On Being Bold.

Frances is the author of Future You, a book dedicated to shifting perceptions about learning as an adult and promoting the need to stay connected, relevant and informed throughout our life. Frances holds a Master of Education Management from the University of Melbourne and is alumni of the Singularity University in the US.