Brooke Roberts and Sonya Williams: The Sharesies Story Is Bigger Than Two Founders

Brooke Roberts and Sonya Williams helped build Sharesies, but the company’s own history recognises a broader founding team behind its approach to accessible investing.

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Making investing feel more approachable

Sharesies was founded in Wellington in 2017 with a goal of making investing more accessible. Brooke Roberts and Sonya Williams are two of the best-known co-founders, and both remain identified by the company as co-founders and directors. The platform’s proposition challenged the idea that investing was only for people with substantial sums or specialist knowledge.

Credit the whole founding team

An accurate account should not present Roberts and Williams as the only founders. Sharesies and its early investor Icehouse Ventures list a wider founding group: Brooke Roberts, Leighton Roberts, Sonya Williams, Richard Clark, Ben Crotty and Martyn Smith. Recognising that broader team is part of getting the history right.

Access brings responsibility

Making investing easier to access also makes clear communication, risk disclosure and financial literacy more important. A profile of Sharesies should consider both the democratising ambition and the responsibility that comes with helping people make investment decisions. This is a business story about product design, trust and the long-term work of building financial capability.

Sources and further reading

• Sharesies: About and founders
• Icehouse Ventures: Sharesies company profile and founding team
• Crunchbase: Sharesies

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