Our wonderful guest speakers for the 2024 event.

Guest Speakers


  • "I grew up in Porirua, urbanised, and ended up a single mother of two on the benefit, depressed and broken. After dying for one minute and 26 seconds because of complications from my son's birth, I woke up and realised I had a second chance at life. And this time I was going to find the courage to live my purpose, for the betterment of my people.

    Finding myself in the bush, my mana in the bush, and my purpose in the bush, I went on to become the founder of Wahine Toa Hunting, a kaupapa that teaches women how to hunt to feed their babies and to heal within the bush.

    A lot of people didn’t believe in it, but nearly 5 years on we have a waiting list of over 4000 women, waiting to get out there - I think we may be on to something whānau!"

    Pania is also hosting a workshop at The Muster.

  • Jen was born and bred on an East Coast sheep and beef farm. She married her high school sweetheart, and now they manage a farm in Te Karaka. Jen is also a Treasurer of Farming Women Tairāwhiti and an Agribusiness Associate at BDO Gisborne. Jen and her partner have lost three of their children, not including miscarriages, and at The Muster she will be speaking to us about her story of hope through grief.

  • Jo has a Master’s of Science in Medicine specialising in Sex Therapy. She has had 15 years of experience working in sexual health, through education and counselling. Jo has a private therapeutic practice specialising in female sexual dysfunction and relationship breakdown due to infidelity/betrayal. She has trained therapists and other professionals about sexual trauma and female sexuality. She is also the Research and Training Lead for The Light Project, a charitable trust researching media influences on youth sexual culture and how to have positive conversations about it. She did a TEDx talk in 2019 titled ‘Why we need to talk about porn’ and speaks internationally on the topic of “youth and porn”.

    Jo is also hosting workshops at The Muster.

  • Emma hails from a sheep and beef farm near Nelson. She is a Senior Analyst at Rabobank and is a passionate ‘agvocate’ and is widely regarded as a leading voice in local and global dairy markets.​​​​​​​​


  • Fiona, an indigenous artist, specialises in Māori traditional textiles: raranga, whatu, and whiri. She skilfully extracts and prepares materials to create durable and intricate objects and garments, whilst preserving ancestral knowledge and practices.

    Raised on a farm in Tolaga Bay, Fiona attributes her weaving skills to her grandmother, who was her first teacher.

    Fiona also showcases her love for contemporary design through colorful installations using modern materials and concepts. In 2023 she contributed to the branding identity for the FIFA Women's World Cup by creating a taniko design, celebrating indigenous cultures and global diversity.

    Fiona is also a workshop host at The Muster.

  • Sarah grew up on a farm between Hastings and Taihape on the Ngaruroro River not far from the Kaweka Ranges. She studied a Bachelor of Commerce, Management and Marketing at Lincoln University, and lives in Wellington with her partner, two children and their guinea pigs. Sarah is a freelance writer who creates content and copy for good sorts doing good things, and is also a guest speaker and facilitator of conversations about menopause/ruahinetanga in workplaces, on social media and in her community.

    While she is not a doctor, Sarah has been exploring, writing and talking about menopause since 2019 when perimenopause impacted every aspect of her health and wellbeing in a significant way. On World Menopause Day 2020, she launched Menopause Over Martinis* as an invitation for people to talk about menopause over dinner (martinis are optional). Her grassroots project has since grown into a movement to make menopause less taboo.

    One conversation at a time, her mission is for everyone to feel informed, understood, supported and celebrated during this normal, inevitable and important stage of life.

    Sarah is also a workshop host.

  • Claire Edwards, co-founder of Tora Collective, is a passionate advocate for sustainable fishing in Aotearoa, harvesting kaimoana in her backyard and sharing it with local communities. Alongside her partner Troy, they embarked on this journey in 2019, driven by the vision of keeping the unique delicacies from our shores in Aotearoa, to be enjoyed by Kiwis. Their sustainable catch-to-order approach ensures that the seafood is seasonally and sustainably harvested with their own hands, from the nutrient-rich salt waters of Tora, arriving to the customers overnight, overnight in eco-friendly packaging.

    ​​​​​​​​Claire is also a workshop host at The Muster.

  • Nicki has been with FMG for more than fourteen years and has worked closely with Farmstrong over this time. She has held a range of senior roles including Area Manager, Head of Agribusiness Centre, Head of Claims and, most recently, leading our response to Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Weekend Flood events as Chief Recovery Officer.

    Nicki joined FMG’s Executive Leadership Team in October 2023 as Chief People Officer, and her collaborative leadership style and ability to influence others have seen her become a central figure in leading large operational teams, business change and building people capability across FMG.

    On behalf of Farmstrong, Nicki will be facilitating a discussion where you can share about the challenges of the past year, post-cyclone, and ways you are supporting yourself, your team and your farm.

  • Rural roots are a big part of who Robyn is today. Born on a dairy farm in eastern Bay of Plenty, Robyn grew up around kiwifruit orchards and a packhouse in Te Puke. At university, she met a farmer - the rest is history. Married and with two young daughters, she now lives in rural Manawatu on a lifestyle block with an assortment of animals.​​​​​​​​

    Robyn graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Business Studies and Arts, majoring in Human Resources. After some incredible opportunities and experiences saw her working in places like Siberia and Sweden, one of life’s curveballs resulted in the family’s decision to move to Palmerston North where Robyn then started her own HR consultancy business, RYHR.

    Some eight years later, RYHR is a team of six (-ish) working with clients of varying sizes, from Auckland to Queenstown, across a wide range of industries. "People say that we have a great team, and my standard response is well, why wouldn’t I have a great team - it’s my area of expertise and it would be concerning if we didn’t!"​​​​​​​​

    ​​​​​​​​Robyn is also hosting workshops at The Muster.

  • A former Southlander now living in the Wairarapa, Lucy Griffiths has extensive experience marketing premium New Zealand food and beverages both locally and internationally. She has run her own business, Innov8 Aotearoa, for the past 14 years while serving as a Professional Director on various boards in both the private and local government sectors. Lucy is also a Nuffield NZ Scholar, a member of the Institute of Directors, Ministerially appointed to the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Independent Advisory Panel (MPI) and the Waste Minimisation Fund (MFE), a Director of Trust House, Brackenridge, Tu Mai Ra Investments and Chair of local charity Hokai Tahi.

    ​​​​​​​​Lucy is also hosting a workshop at The Muster.

  • Introducing Jemma Brackebush, our emcee for The Muster!

    Jemma’s career began in broadcast journalism working for RNZ as a reporter based in Christchurch before moving to Wellington and becoming a Rural News reporter and presenter. She then moved to New York, USA and was a reporter for Digiday, covering how fashion, luxury and media companies were adapting in the digital age, while also producing the publication’s two weekly podcasts. Since returning to New Zealand she has worked in communications and freelanced for RNZ and Shepherdess.

    In 2022, her most important role began - becoming a mum to daughter Isabella who is now eighteen months old. Today, Jemma works in communications and, together with her husband, leases his family’s sheep and beef farm in Rangiwahia, Manawatū. They also run an Airbnb in Āpiti after renovating a former Sunday school and church, and they love welcoming visitors to the beautiful Manawatū region

Business & Entrepreneurship Panel

As part of our Business & Entrepreneurship pillar, on the Sunday morning we hosted a panel discussion with three entrepreneurial women on making innovative, thriving business and work opportunities for yourself, whilst living in provincial Aotearoa.

Panel members:

For more information, head to our FAQ page.