Frances Valintine
Through innovative thinking, courage and perseverance, Frances Valintine delivers learning programmes that prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s digital world. Her ability to understand the impact of the digital age and technological advances on future generations has made her a transformational leader, determined to make a difference in schools, in the workplace and in the community.

Driven to transform learning from the inside, Frances has established two leading education programmes. She recognises that with the right form of education and leadership, New Zealand has the chance to be at the forefront of empowering students to succeed in the new digital economy.
Working in the often-challenging
education sector, Frances has had to consistently persuade, and influence those
resistant to change. As a natural
entrepreneur, she is adept at assembling teams of talented people to help her
take a vision and breathe life into it.
Frances began her career in education
in 1991, promoting New Zealand export education to South East Asia. She then co-founded and led the Media Design
School – which became the world’s third highest-rated film school and the
largest contributor to the New Zealand creative technologies sector. When it
was sold to the world’s largest university group, Laureate International,
Frances stayed on as CEO, where she was able to research global impact
initiatives benefitting education.
From observation and formal research,
she began to question how prepared the education sector was for the future. She
recognised science, technology and innovation were key elements of the changing
world, and children would be the drivers of change.
Frances began collaborating with global
leaders across technology and education to develop a new way to deliver
contemporary education for the next generation.
After completing a Master of Education
Management from the University of Melbourne as an adult student, Frances self-funded
her education model, The Mind Lab.
Launched in Auckland in 2013, The Mind
Lab brings together passionate technologists, scientists and educators to lead
workshops in creative and digital technologies for children. It encourages
students to explore robotics, electronics, gaming, design, coding and
animation, and builds their collaborative skills.
Through the success of The Mind Lab,
Frances now contributes to a new education model with the education agencies in
New Zealand and around the world. There are now 12 Mind Lab locations
throughout the country.
Broadening her education focus to
include teaching the teachers, she formed a public-private partnership with
Unitec in 2014 and developed a postgraduate certificate in digital and
collaborative learning. Teachers now
receive financial support from the NEXT Foundation to undertake postgraduate
studies with The Mind Lab by Unitec.
Since it began, more than 60,000
students and 1500 teachers have been involved in The Mind Lab; many
representing the most challenged education regions and demographics. This makes
The Mind Lab the largest education facility in New Zealand.
In 2016, Frances founded a sister
initiative - the Tech Futures Lab - in Auckland, designed to help technology
professionals and business executives upskill to stay relevant in a rapidly
advancing world.
Her vision for the future and the
implications for education and the evolution of business are highly-regarded
and sought-after by leaders and organisations around the world. She contributes
to the US-based Talentnomics think tank, developing female leaders in
developing nations, and sits on the boards of Education New Zealand, Callaghan
Innovation and NZTech, as well as chairing both her education institutes.
A mother of a busy home of teenagers,
she also finds time to mentor young Kiwi businesswomen to help them establish
new businesses and grow their potential, and has generously given her time to
not-for-profit organisations like the Salvation Army, SPCA and the Computer
Clubhouse in Otara.
Frances’ work has earned numerous
accolades. In 2014, The Mind Lab won Best Engagement of Youth in ICT at the NZ
CIO Awards; the Social Innovation prize awarded by the NZ Innovation Council;
and Best Start-Up in Asia Pacific, judged by Sir Richard Branson and Apple
co-founder Steve Wozniak. In 2015 she won the Education category of the Next
Women of the Year Awards, and the Innovation category of the Women of Influence
Awards, where judges commended her “vision, passion and results in creating a new
approach to education”.
Most recently Frances was recognised
globally as one of the top 50 “Movers and Shakers” by London-based EdTech
Global, along with education legends including Salman Khan (Khan Academy) and
Sugata Mitra (School in the Cloud).
And now in 2016, Frances Valintine is befittingly recognised as a Blake Leader.