Lisa Er

Background

Lisa is mostly known for being the founder of Lisa’s Middle Eastern Foods ( Lisa’s Hummus). She began the business in her kitchen at home and grew it considerably before selling it to Sanitarium. Lisa is entrepreneurial, positive, practical and principled. She says that the success of her business could well be put down to operating within a strong ethical framework. Before the business, Lisa was a teacher for 14 years, specializing in music. She ran an orchestra, the school library, and worked with a ‘peaceful relationships’ programme.

Achievements

Lisa was named the ASB Bank Business woman of the year for Auckland in 2000, and ‘Her Business’ Business woman of the year for North Island 2001- 2.

Community involvements

In 1983, Lisa formed the Waiatarua Nuclear Free Group. From 1986 to 1991, she was an active member of the Turkish New Zealand Friendship Group. Lisa was a founding member of ‘Businesses for Social Responsibility’, initiated by Dick Hubbard, which later merged with the Sustainable Business Network. Lisa co- facilitated the Take Five Campaign against Genetic Engineering in 2003 and was a committee member of Diversity Trust, which provides migrants and refugees with a range of culture specific services. From 2004 to 2005, she was a committee member of Anew NZ Business Well Being Indicator Project.

Interests/Hobbies

Lisa runs a weekly forum, organising a speaker about a range of spiritual and health systems. She shows movies on alternate Wednesdays on the same subject, and political issues. Lisa works with Health Freedom to have natural remedies classified differently from pharmaceutical drugs or food, and resisting Medsafe’s attack on the natural health industry.

Additional

Lisa believes that in order to cope with the inevitable challenges of peak oil, climate change and food shortages, New Zealand needs to build communities in harmony with the principles of nature. She does not believe that this is a return to the past, but instead is about progressing in a sustainable way.

Contact

Mobile: 021777473
Email: lisa@greens.org.nz