I Am
A life well lived
A Social Warrior
Entrepreneurialism was always about making more of a contribution than simply producing a healthy balance sheet, that would solely advance my material possessions. From the early days in business I have advanced many philanthropic connections. These amplified significantly when I set up my own foundation in 2013, and aligned with the Waikato Women’s Refuge. From this relationship a change model, RAW, was born, and today after 10 years of walking alongside some of New Zealand’s most complex incarcerated wāhine, I now have the privilege of knowledge. This knowledge when attached to correctional relationships, can be navigated to implement transformational inside the wire solutions, framed in educational and restorative care, to assist in pro-social life outcomes for some of our most marginalised wāhine.
A Fashion Designer
For 30 years I have passionately dedicated myself to the world of fashion. I have given birth to a well-known New Zealand fashion brand, Annah Stretton. This brand has stood the test of time in a sector that can be notoriously hard to navigate and survive. It is an incredible privilege to now be involved in an active succession plan with my daughter Sami, that will enable the longevity of a brand that I have loved, advanced and nurtured, as if every day was my first day in business.
A Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, Partner and Sister
There is no doubt that my greatest achievements are my two children, Sami and Edward. They have been my greatest teachers, my enablers and the reason that I strive to make a bigger contribution to community within the short framework of my life span. As a mum, I have ridden the emotional hurdles of pride and pain, knowing that these form the very foundations of being human. As a grandmother I take this wisdom and fall in love once more, knowing that the new additions to my life and our whanau, Lily, Violet and River, will be given the greatest of my gifts, my love and my time.
