Meet the team

Sam Morgan, Founder and Chair

Sam began his career at Deloitte Consulting and is best known for founding the online auction website Trade Me which became New Zealand’s biggest Internet business when it sold in 2006.  Sam spends his time investing in businesses (mainly software) as well as social enterprises. Sam failed to achieve any tertiary qualification but, nowadays, is okay with that.

Nina Gené, CEO

Nina oversees Jasmine’s investment strategy, guiding the team in identifying and supporting the next generation of outstanding social entrepreneurs. A strong advocate for providing unrestricted, long-term funding, she works closely with a tight-knit network of social investors to exchange insights and promote trust-based practices. Originally from Barcelona, Nina began her career in investment banking in New York before settling on Waiheke Island.

Jack Kelsey, Investment Principal

Jack works closely with entrepreneurs, delving into the economics of impact and the transition of the philanthropic subsidy over time. He helps investees enhance their financial sophistication as they prepare to scale. Jack joined Jasmine from PwC, where he specialized in financial due diligence for mergers and acquisitions. He relocated from the UK and holds a BSc from Loughborough University.

Owen Woodhouse, Investment Principal

Owen works with early-stage ventures to develop the core metrics that quantify how their intervention will scale. He also enjoys interrogating their impact data to understand how they are building a body of evidence that validates their theory of change. Owen is a reformed structural engineer and venture capital investor.

Lidia Taylor, Program & Office Coordinator

Lidia supports operations at Jasmine, ensuring everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. She manages our diligence process, facilitates partner coordination, and helps share our insights with a global network of funders. Lidia is studying law and finance at the University of Auckland, where her academic interests align closely with her work at Jasmine.

Richard Abbott, Trustee

Richard was Chair of Trade Me at its sale and has been part of the Jasmine family since the start. He is a private investor and philanthropist supporting initiatives that track and maximize the humanitarian impact of every dollar spent.

Ruby Morgan, Trustee

Ruby brings a wealth of experience from New Zealand's tech startup ecosystem. Once an analyst, she now builds and funds tech ventures and is known as a dynamic and optimistic leader. Her journey equips her with unique insights on entrepreneurship and scaling for impact.