Disrupting lending systems
After years of working within conventional financial systems, Sasha Lockley became disillusioned with the system’s apparent lack of empathy towards the people burdened by debt.
She wanted to help families and communities move through debt, and not be defined by it. After an epiphany while driving over the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Sasha founded Money Sweetspot, a NZ-based finance company with a human-centric ethos focused on creating social change within the financial system. Wanting to shift the focus from mere monetary transactions to fostering positive societal impact, Sasha knew finding the right investors was paramount to creating a sustainable finance model that would leave a lasting footprint on the community, and after robust discussion, Christian Savings, Tindall Foundation and Anglican Care Waiapu signed up as core investors.
By 2022, Sasha had raised capital and solidified a three-year partnership with BNZ, which involved a NZ$5m fund dedicated to realising her vision - a collaboration sparked through an EHF and BNZ meeting.
Money Sweetspot officially launched in March 2023, after a successful soft launch in December 2022, going on to deliver more than NZ$7m in financial resets to families all over Aotearoa NZ, saving an estimated NZ$3.5m for those families. After the successful soft launch BNZ committed to doubling its support to total NZ$10m. Money Sweetspot has also helped more than 1000 whānau (families) connect to financial education and support, and NZ$7k has been donated by customers to causes they care about through Money Sweetspot’s partnership with The Good Registry.
“The true impact that we create lies in offering Kiwi families the breathing room and space to dream. Money can be binary, dividing people into ‘have’ and ‘have not’ categories that then dictates the course of their lives. What sets Money Sweetspot apart is our commitment to actively listen to our customers, and grant them the opportunity to regain financial control. Because how can Kiwi families plan for a future filled with nourishment, education, growth, and learning if they’re in a state of financial stress?” says Sasha.
In July 2023, Money Sweetspot won the ‘Biggest Impact on Financial Health’ award at the Global Financial Wellbeing Awards.
Find out more at www.moneysweetspot.co.nz
