Lizhao Zhu: Breaking the Wall of Disability Isolation
Participant in 2025 Falling Walls Lab Aotearoa New Zealand.
Lizhao Zhu, Univerisity of Waikato
In New Zealand, disabled individuals face accessibility barriers in daily tasks like dining, cleaning or shopping, limiting their independence. Meanwhile, young people in the community are willing to help but lack a platform to receive nearby requests promptly. This disconnect hinders efficient support, leaving disabled individuals underserved, volunteers underutilised, and impacting community cohesion and quality of life for those with disabilities.
Before relocating to New Zealand, Lizhao honed over a decade of project management expertise at Fortune 500 multinationals in Shanghai, including Ford Motor, Porsche AG, Marriott International, and Group Lotus. He led complex, large-scale ICT innovation and business operation projects, aligning global strategies with local execution. His work has been pivotal in shaping how international companies localise project management, launch transformative initiatives and strengthen vendor partnerships in China’s fast-evolving market, ensuring sustainable success.