Photos: Babiche Martens
Alexia Hilbertidou’s defining moment came at age 16 when she won a national coding competition. Male high school classmates told her she had only won because she was a girl. She was the only female in her digital technology class and, a year later, the only girl studying advanced physics.
Feeling isolated and impassioned about equality statistics, Alexia was galvanised to make a change. So the young trailblazer founded GirlBoss New Zealand, an organisation dedicated to empowering young females and closing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Chatting to the Weekly from her Hibiscus Coast, Auckland home, Alexia, 25, dishes up the best advice celebrity chef Jamie Oliver gave her and why her late Samoan nana is the original GirlBoss.
You made Queen Elizabeth giggle in public. How did that come about?
I was honoured to receive the Queen’s Young Leaders Award for services to the Commonwealth in 2018. It wasn’t until I got to the grand ballroom of Buckingham Palace and I marched down the aisle to meet the Queen that I thought, “What am I going to say?” I got to the Queen, did my curtsey and the first thing I said was, “Did you know there are more CEOs named John than CEOs who are women on the New Zealand stock exchange?” The Queen burst out laughing. Then I said, “But don’t worry, the young women who I work with are going to change that!” The Queen replied, “Very good.”
You’ve had other interactions with the royals…
Yes, I met Queen Camilla when she came here in 2019 and I had a high tea with her at Government House. I didn’t make her laugh like I made Queen Elizabeth, but she was very supportive of my work. Mostly we were just sharing macarons! Actually, I don’t think she ate anything because she probably didn’t want to be photographed mid-bite sticking a macaron in
her mouth.
Who’s the person who has influenced you the most?
My mum, Vicky Crawford. I feel really grateful to be raised by a Samoan single mum, who set such a strong example of female leadership and taking responsibility for your life. She had me in her early twenties and made the decision to study teaching while working multiple jobs.
What do you remember growing up?
I remember feeling like me and Mum were a team. Our household was financially constricted. Even little things, like losing a school jumper, would be a really big stress. I’m still the same person, but my experience has made me passionate about wanting other women to have the skills and financial literacy to walk away from any situation that does not serve them.
You’ve been mentoring 12-year-old female entrepreneurs in partnership with Lego NZ. Tell us about that.
Oh, they’re amazing. Elise Berndt from New Plymouth, whose business, Bud and Bloom sells organic plant food, is capturing attention far and wide. And Auckland’s Lola Pirie is well on her way to becoming the future CEO of Disney. I’ve been encouraging girls to stand out and innovate.
You’ve rubbed shoulders with many influential people. Who’s made the biggest impression?
Jamie Oliver is one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever met. I was lucky to be mentored by him when I was studying at Cambridge University in the UK. We had lunch together at Jamie Oliver HQ because I’m a huge foodie. He shared about starting his first restaurant at age 25 and how he made the decision to only employ people who had addiction backgrounds, had come out of prison or were homeless. And everyone thought he was nuts! But Jamie’s decision to do something different propelled him to global fame.
He gave me the best advice, saying, “When you walk into a room or a meeting, who is the person who holds the most power? It’s the one with the most hope. Be the one with hope.” Because when we believe in giving people a chance, we’re empowering both to live our best lives.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
