Chefs for Compassion is a Charitable Trust with Five Trustees
Marty Smith - Founder and Associate Chair
Marty Smith is the Founder and Associate Chairman of the Chefs for Compassion Trust.
What began in 2010 as cooking with his six year old twins to honour and celebrate families who had overcome adversity has grown into a kaupapa: helping young people build practical compassion, confidence, and upstander leadership through the Trust’s Champions for Compassion programmes in schools. The Trust’s work is strengthened through collaboration with the University of Auckland’s Centre for Arts and Social Transformation (CAST). Marty is also the owner of Connexus Interactive (est. 2005). A Ritchies Transport bus driver and De-escalation Trainer, he is a certified Health & Safety Representative. A former Toastmasters National Speech Champion, he is passionate about strengthening student voice. Marty is a two-time New Zealander of the Year – Local Hero recipient (2017, 2020). |
Marvin Yee - Chairman
Marvin Yee is Chairman of the Chefs for Compassion Trust, providing governance leadership as the Trust grows its Champions for Compassion work with schools and community partners.
Founder and owner of Crown Capital, a New Zealand–based private investment firm with operations across New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and the United States, Marvin brings significant experience across entrepreneurship, investment, and governance, with a practical focus on sustainability, clear accountability, and measurable outcomes. In his role as Chairman, he supports a “quality-with-growth” mindset: protecting programme integrity while enabling more young people to champion compassionate communities — including the skills to perform with compassion when under pressure. He is an active Rotary Birkenhead member and past President, and is focused on ensuring volunteer contributions complement (and never compromise) professional-led school programme delivery. |
Adrianne Leslie - Treasurer
Adrianne Leslie was born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore and brings a strong background in finance, governance, and community service to her role Treasurer. After many years working in corporate environments, Adrianne founded her own accounting firm, which she successfully grew and recently sold.
She now focuses on supporting a number of local non-profits in treasurer and governance roles, guided by the Rotary ethos of “Service Above Self” and “Givers Gain,” which strongly reflects how she lives and works. Outside of her professional and community commitments, Adrianne is married to a fitness trainer and is a busy parent to two children and two dogs. In her spare time—when it appears—she enjoys dreaming about having a little more of it. |
Bigson Gumbeze - Secretary
Bigson Gumbeze (MBA, MProfStuds (Hons) Human Rights & International Relations, PGDipBus, BSW) is a registered social worker and social entrepreneur with a practical philosophy: while problems are part of life—at work, at home, and in our communities—they should be confronted head-on and solved. His career spans social entrepreneurship, human rights advocacy, humanitarian and offender management, youth work, and child protection.
Bigson is an in-demand guest speaker, recognised for his contribution to not-for-profit marketing at NZIE and as a motivational speaker in postgraduate Community Leadership at the University of Auckland. He is the founder and Managing Trustee of the No Bullying Initiative Trust, and serves as a Conference Director with the New Zealand Bullying Prevention – Stakeholder Engagement Group. Bigson supports the Chefs for Compassion Trust as a Board member and Trust Secretary, bringing clear governance, strong values, and a wellbeing lens grounded in real-world experience. He is also involved in the University of Auckland’s Leadership and Wellbeing Project. |
Vicky Menezes - Trustee
Vivek (“Vicky”) Menezes is a founding Trustee of the Chefs for Compassion Trust, based in Birkdale, Auckland. He brings a blend of scientific training, business leadership, and practical community perspective to the Trust’s governance and growth.
Vicky holds a BSc in Microbiology and Biochemistry, along with an MBA in Marketing. His professional background includes roles with Alcatel and the TATA group of companies, and he is currently a Director at Woodstock Intl Ltd. As a parent and community-minded supporter, Vicky is valued for his steady, “roll-up-your-sleeves” approach — supporting strong governance, backing the team behind the scenes, and keeping the Trust focused on what matters most for rangatahi and schools. Vicky became involved with Chefs for Compassion after seeing first-hand the good it did for children, and how it helped inculcate an ethos of compassion. He is proud to help build a community where kindness is active, skills-based, and lived out every day. |
Position Vacant - Trustee
Trustee appointments are by invitation and as needs arise. Expressions of interest are welcomed from individuals with a solid commercial background and a passion for the development of young adults. If you have a history in youth ministry and similar charities, please reach out as we shall welcome having a conversation
|
Associates, Partners and Inspiration
Dr Dougal Sutherland
Dr Dougal Sutherland is a registered clinical psychologist and CEO of Umbrella Wellbeing. In Champions for Compassion, Dougal leads the “Compassion Under Pressure” session — giving students (and the adults supporting them) practical tools for staying kind, clear, and accountable when emotions run hot and things don’t go to plan. His approach is grounded in evidence-informed psychology and real-world experience: simple, repeatable strategies that help people pause, regulate, communicate respectfully, and choose “no blame—improve” responses under stress.
Dougal’s work bridges wellbeing, leadership, and performance, and he is known for translating complex mental health concepts into accessible, everyday language. Through the Champions for Compassion programme, he helps rangatahi build confidence in self-compassion, resilience, and compassionate action — at home, in the classroom, in friendships, and in future workplaces. |
Professor Selina Tusitala Marsh
Professor Selina Tusitala Marsh is an Auckland-based Pacific poet, scholar, and creative practitioner whose work helps rangatahi find language for identity, difference, and belonging. She is a Professor of English specialising in Pasifika literature, and was the first Pacific Islander to graduate with a PhD in English from the University of Auckland.
Selina is the inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate and served as New Zealand Poet Laureate (2017–2019). She is the creator of the award-winning Mophead series, with Mophead: How Your Difference Makes a Difference winning Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2020 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. In Champions for Compassion, Selina leads workshops that use storytelling, play, and creative writing to build self-compassion as the foundation for compassion in action. |
Dr Steven Stosny
Dr Steven Stosny, PhD, is an American psychologist and the founder of CompassionPower, a Washington DC–based practice and training organisation focused on helping people regulate strong emotion, reduce resentment, and build healthier relationships.
He is known for practical, values-based approaches that can be used “in the moment” under pressure, including the HEALS framework and his Core Value Workshop model—designed around brief, repeated practice so skills become more automatic over time. Dr Stosny is the author of widely read books including Soar Above and Empowered Love, and he has contributed to public and professional conversations on emotional regulation and relationship wellbeing through writing and media. His work informs Champions for Compassion’s focus on simple, repeatable values scripts that students can reliably access when stress or conflict shows up. |
Dr. Michael Webster - programme design and evaluation
Dr Michael (Mike) Webster is an Honorary Academic with the University of Auckland’s School of Counselling, Human Services and Social Work. A Registered Social Worker, Mike holds a PhD and Master of Business Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision.
His research explores organisational leadership and workplace wellbeing across education, health, and human service settings, drawing on both indigenous Māori and Western approaches. Within Champions for Compassion, Mike supports programme design and evaluation—helping ensure the skills being taught (self-compassion, compassion under pressure, and compassion-in-action) are grounded in real-world practice and can be meaningfully measured in school environments. |
Chef Eric Ripert
|
|
Eric Ripert is the chef and co-owner of Le Bernardin in New York City, one of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, holding three Michelin stars for many years. He is widely recognised for championing calm, respectful kitchen leadership — pushing back on the “angry, bullying chef” stereotype and modelling how high standards and human dignity can coexist under pressure. In our Champions for Compassion approach, Ripert’s example helps reinforce a core message: compassion is not softness — it’s a skill, practiced in demanding moments, that strengthens performance, learning, and teamwork.
|