We need more rooms like that.
If there’s one thing we took away from Money Moves in Wellington… it’s that we need more rooms like that.
More rooms where wāhine feel safe enough to be honest. More spaces where people can share the messy middle parts, not just the polished highlight reel. More conversations about money that feel human, relatable and actually connected to real life.
On Sunday 3rd May, Wahine Wanawana’s Money Moves speaker series, brought to life by R&P Insurance, filled a room in Wellington with exactly that energy and honestly… we’re still thinking about it.
Reading through the feedback afterwards absolutely filled our cups. Words like “empowered”, “safe”, “authentic” and “phenomenal” came through again and again and it just confirmed what we already felt sitting in that room ourselves. There’s real magic in wāhine coming together to learn from one another without judgement, pressure or pretending to have it all figured out.
Our queen MC Janelle Riki led the day beautifully once again. Janelle has this incredible way of making everyone feel comfortable, connected and seen, all while holding the room with so much warmth, humour and mana.
First up was Te Kahukura, who had the room hooked from the moment she started speaking. Te Kahukura shared her upbringing, struggles and journey so openly and honestly, reminding everyone in the room that where you start doesn’t have to define where you end up.
Then came Sarah Brown, whose storytelling honestly had us all trying not to ugly cry in public hehe. Sarah spoke so beautifully about hope, healing and courage through the lens of the “She Is Not Your Rehab” movement, reminding us all how powerful it can be to simply back ourselves and take the shot.
Courtney Sowman, aka Manu, brought the raw honesty we’ve all come to love her for. She spoke openly about the pressures households and businesses across Aotearoa are feeling right now, while also sharing practical and relatable insights around managing pūtea in tough seasons. There were so many nods around the room during Courtney’s kōrero because honestly… a lot of it hit home.
Then we had Tegan Yorwarth, who had the room laughing within minutes. Tegan shared stories about the money habits and disciplines she grew up with and how those lessons still shape the financial decisions she makes today. If you weren’t already a fan walking in, you definitely were walking out.
And finally, we were lucky enough to close out the day with Brooke Roberts from Sharesies. Brooke brought such an infectious energy to the stage and spoke so honestly about her upbringing, split families and growing up quickly. Hearing the story behind one of New Zealand’s biggest investment platforms through such a human lens was incredibly special.
We wrapped the afternoon with a panel discussion and honestly… we could’ve kept going for another few hours. The questions from the audience were thoughtful, vulnerable and incredibly real, which pretty much summed up the whole day.
A huge thank you to Fidelity Life for being the major sponsor of this year’s event and helping make the day accessible for wāhine to attend in a way that felt welcoming and pressure-free. Thank you also to Chubb Life New Zealand and Asteron Life for your support.
And finally, to every speaker who stood on that stage with no walls up and no perfectly polished version of themselves… thank you. Your honesty, vulnerability and willingness to share your stories is what made this day what it was.
Safe to say Wellington… you were pretty special x
