Reinventing societal care: How the founder of Tee Care Agency redefined disability support

The founder of Tee Care Agency and co-founder of the North Foundation didn’t just build a business – he redefined disability support by fusing personal struggle with a strategist’s touch. His business philosophy – blending purpose with perseverance – reflects both a strategic mindset and a human-centred mission.

Ramneek Wayne’s life began with upheaval. Born into a family torn apart by the Hindu-Sikh conflict in the late 1980s, he grew up in Ludhiana, India, surrounded by the aftermath of the conflict. His father, with no safety net, sold their home to give Wayne a shot at a future far from violence. At 18, he found himself alone in New Zealand, navigating a foreign country with no visa, community, or family. 

The hardship was immediate and profound – betrayed by a host family that exploited him for labour, Wayne found himself fighting to stay afloat. “Have you seen Slumdog Millionaire? It shows you don’t have to let yourself be beaten by the whims of fortune,” he says. This stark reality check shaped his ethos of resilience and refusal to surrender to circumstances. He chose not to be a victim but the navigator of his own destiny. 

After earning a Diploma in Business and a Graduate Certificate of Psychology, Wayne’s entry into social services came through observation. Having worked at Centrelink as a security guard, he witnessed first-hand the systemic failures that trap vulnerable families, especially those dealing with disability and domestic violence. The experience ignited a passion in him – to do better and create something radically different. 

That something became Tee Care Agency. Founded in 2022, Tee Care didn’t emerge as just another disability service provider. It grew from a deep conviction that disability services should fit individual people’s needs. “We’re not here to tick boxes. We’re here to find solutions that others might not see because they aren’t asking the right questions,” Wayne says. 

According to Wayne, Tee Care now supports over 150 clients with a team of 53 casual caseworkers, offering personalised disability services that go beyond the transactional. It’s a phenomenal business success story of rapid growth. His guiding framework? The 4Ps – Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. A classic marketing tool, yes, but Wayne turned it into a blueprint for building lasting relationships and the north star to building his business. “Marketing’s about people first. That drives results, and it’s the same in support work. You don’t push a service – you craft it for the person you’re there to help,” he says. 

In 2024, Wayne co-founded the North Foundation, expanding his vision. The organisation promotes co-construction support models that put people with disability in control of their own narrative, championing self-determination as the core of support. 

Alongside his work in social services, Wayne pushes his ideas into public conversation and the broader community. His Million Dollar Podcast debuted in October, featuring guests like Darebin’s Mayor Susanne Newton, explores the power of personal stories in driving social change. Driven by success in providing the foundations to being able to do good, Wayne doesn’t shy from suggesting his own story might inspire young entrepreneurs to earn their first million. Wayne has just released his first book – The 4Ps of Business – to an audience of more than 400 people in Melbourne. It is an essential guide for SMEs and start-ups who want to take their businesses to the next level. 

In a few months, Wayne will release his entrepreneurial memoir, The Illegal Immigrant, written in an astonishing 45 days. “People kept telling me I couldn’t do it – so I did,” he laughs. 

As he prepares to launch his life story, one is reminded of the line from Wayne’s frequently referenced movie, Slumdog Millionaire: “What the hell can a slumdog possibly know?” His book may indeed be the mic drop moment that shatters the scepticism of doubters. 

Read more about Wayne here:  ramneekwayne.com