Bianca Robinson, CEO of CEO Sleepout UK, and Victoria Armstrong, serial entrepreneur, attended a prestigious reception at St James's Palace, London, where the charity leader has asked the king for his support in solving homelessness.

Bianca Robinson, CEO of national charity CEO Sleepout UK, attended the prestigious reception hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla as “by far one of the most outstanding moments of my life.”

The event, which took place on 2 October 2024, served as a significant prelude to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa later this year.

In a remarkable coincidence, two of the seven New Zealanders invited to the reception are alumni of Samuel Marsden Collegiate School. Bianca Robinson and Victoria Armstrong, who attended Marsden just one year apart, are both making significant contributions in their respective fields, demonstrating the powerful impact of Marsden’s education, ambition, and community values.

Bianca Robinson has been leading CEO Sleepout UK since 2018, championing efforts to tackle homelessness and poverty by mobilising business leaders across the UK. Her work has brought together leaders from the SME sector to raise millions of pounds for frontline charities, directly impacting those at risk of homelessness. After meeting and chatting with King Charles, Bianca said: “I asked His Majesty for his endorsement on a project to bring business leaders, charities and policy-makers together to find a new roadmap towards solving homelessness. I’ll be excited to see if it happens!”

Bianca asks the king for his support in solving homelessness during a royal reception at St James’s Palace.

Victoria Armstrong, the year above Bianca at Marsden, is a strong voice for female founders in tech where they only receive 2% of venture capital funding in the UK. She chooses to also invest in women-led businesses having built and sold multiple herself. Her most recent project was with a cyber tech company committed to keeping children safe online. Victoria’s leadership and global experience are playing a vital role in harnessing technology for social good, sustainable growth for women-led businesses, and safety for children in the digital world.

Victoria Armstrong added, “Being invited to this event is not only a privilege but also an opportunity to highlight the importance of a balanced and fairer world for all. I love that we can use technology to change our lives for good as it has with our Type 1 Diabetic son, or crowdfunding for really meaningful causes. I’m committed to doing my bit in what I believe in, and technology enables me to do that alongside others everyday. It’s also wonderful to experience this with Bianca and see the positive impact we’re both making in different spheres.”

For both Bianca and Victoria, the reception is not just an opportunity to represent their respective causes but also a moment to showcase the importance of social impact leadership. They emphasise how technology, business, and purposeful leadership can address critical global challenges, shaping a more inclusive and compassionate world.