Eva Chen MNZM — Leadership Through Being, Not Striving

Eva Chen arrived in Aotearoa in 1997 as a 17-year-old international student, the eldest of three siblings. She came to study at a high school in Whanganui, stepping into a new culture and way of life. Those early years of navigating difference, responsibility, and belonging would shape how she would later serve, not only within the Asian community but across cultures and generations.

I first met Eva while working at the Mental Health Foundation, coordinating the Chinese Like Minds media campaign for Auckland’s Chinese communities. At the time, she had just given birth to her second child and came to see me out of a deep personal passion — advocating for migrant mothers, especially Chinese women who often lacked extended family support in Aotearoa. Many were navigating unfamiliar systems with little support for their mental health and wellbeing. Eva wanted their voices to be heard and their struggles acknowledged.

I had been running the programme for a few years and was looking for fresh ideas to tackle stigma and discrimination in the community. Eva brought with her something unforgettable — not just stories and insight, but a fire in her voice and an unwavering compassion for the women who had confided in her.

At the time, Eva was working as a PR representative for SkyKiwi, one of New Zealand’s leading Chinese online platforms. Though not formally trained as a health promoter, she had a deep, intuitive understanding of what meaningful community engagement looked like. She said plainly: “If we want to connect with Chinese mums, we need to go to them, not expect them to come to us.” It sounds simple, but it’s something many still overlook, especially in work involving Asian, ethnic, or migrant communities. I’ve seen many initiatives fail — not for lack of care, but for not listening deeply enough. Eva always listened. She saw people as strengths, not as problems to fix.

That’s who Eva is — someone who brings heart, clarity, and courage into every space she enters. And all these years later, that hasn’t changed. If anything, it has grown.

We caught up recently over coffee and cake, reminiscing about the early days—from co-founding the Wellbeing Charitable Trust to her being awarded the MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) in 2024. That same spark is still there, along with the same unshakable commitment to justice, truth, and community.

Eva doesn’t just speak her values — she lives them. I remember back then, during holiday periods like Christmas and Chinese New Year, when services were often closed or overstretched, Eva would quietly visit migrants who had been injured in road or work-related accidents. She’d bring food, warmth, and a human presence. It was never about being recognised. I only knew about it because we were running the Trust together, and she needed help navigating referral pathways.

In our most recent conversation, she spoke about how her thinking has become more strategic, while her heart remains unchanged. She has turned down offers to expand the Trust or partner with institutions if it meant compromising the values she holds close. She knows the cost of being tied too tightly to government contracts — the risk that messages become diluted or censored. She also understands that many Asian leaders hesitate to challenge the system, often due to cultural reluctance or fear of risking their reputation. But Eva speaks up, even when uncomfortable, because the truth matters more to her than approval.

Her leadership has never been confined to one culture or community. What began as advocacy for Chinese mothers has expanded across sectors and identities. She’s worked closely with Māori organisations, helped build relationships between Taiwanese Indigenous and Māori communities, and stood alongside Muslim women during times of crisis. During the recent Auckland floods, she was on the ground again—gathering information, helping families, and making sure support reached the right places—not because it was her role but because it was the right thing to do.

Thanks to her generosity, humility, and collaborative spirit, Eva is often asked to represent or support organisations well beyond her own. She’s the kind of leader people trust — not because of a title, but because of how she shows up.

She often credits her grandmother as her role model — a woman known in her community for her generosity, strength, and honesty. “When you can help, you help,” her grandmother once told her. That teaching became a core belief Eva carries into everything she does: helping others is a privilege.

Because of her integrity and the deep respect she’s earned, Eva has been approached by local boards and political parties to consider running for office. But she’s always been clear-eyed about what that would mean. She knows that advocacy must remain grounded in people, not politics, and that truth-telling can be compromised when filtered through institutional agendas.

Today, Eva continues her work through the Wellbeing Charitable Trust, the Hawaiki Project, Auckland Council’s Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel, Kāpuia (the Ministerial Advisory Group responding to the Christchurch mosque attacks), and as a Community Engagement Advisor for the 2023 Census.

What sets Eva apart is that her work has never been about ethnicity alone — it’s always been about need. She supports Māori, Muslim, Asian, and refugee communities with the same deep care and commitment. Whether organising food relief during lockdowns or challenging public servants to rethink assumptions, Eva brings clarity, compassion, and action. She doesn’t wait for permission. She brings people together and moves things forward — quietly, consistently, and with integrity.

Through all her achievements — from grassroots organising to receiving her MNZM — Eva remains grounded, kind, and deeply authentic. She leads not by striving, but simply by being.

Even as we celebrate her leadership, Eva is quick to remind us that barriers still exist, especially for Asian women who are constantly navigating between cultures. She is passionate about mentoring young Asian and ethnic women, encouraging them to step into leadership, claim their space, and help shape a more just future.

Watch the Authentic Leadership Podcast (Parts 1 to 5) here.