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The Secret to Surviving and Thriving in Business
Having survived twenty five years in the fashion industry, Annahβs leadership journey is a powerful narrative about disruption and continuous reinvention.
From her start-up days as a wholesaler to New Zealand fashion chain stores, to the successful designer, manufacturer and nation-wide retailer that she is today, Annah knows what it takes to survive and grow through all stages of the business cycle. But it didnβt stop there. An entrepreneur well known for both her business acumen and her philanthropic heart, Annah set up her own foundation in 2012 as part of her succession plan. This enabled Annah to identify new challenges and look for new solutions for some of New Zealandβs more pressing social and fiscal problems.
Annahβs widely recognised achievements in the social ventures space once again showcase her ability to connect, lead and empower through new thinking and adaptive processes.
Generating profit with a purpose -
The Stretton Foundation, RAW and Kia PuΔwai.
Right from the beginning, Annah has been an active supporter and contributor to many of New Zealandβs well-loved charities. Back in 2012, however, Annah took her philanthropy to a whole new level with the establishment of the Stretton Foundation as a vehicle to drive social change. It was time to take advantage of all that the fashion industry had taught her to generate real outcomes for some of New Zealandβs largest challenges.
Her first social venture was RAW (Reclaim Another Woman) which is focused on breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage by helping female offenders transition from a life of crime to a life of promise through education, employment and intensive peer support. Her second, Kia PuΔwai, is focused on redefining the road to better health and wellbeing in the workplace, and in the community, by introducing simple, seamless and sustainable edits to your lifestyle. Her third, The Good Collective, aims to supercharge the effectiveness, community impact and long-term sustainability of the Waikato charitable sector through the creation of our one-stop-collaboration hub.
Annah's story is one of success and failure, trial and error and disruptive and adaptive leadership, as she challenges the status quo and embraces new normals to drive social change in this country.
Fill out the form below for your request for Annah Stretton to speak at your next event. We will respond to your request as soon as possible.
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I saw Annah, Charlotte and Kylie speak today in Tauranga. You were all very busy afterwards but I wanted to thank you Annah for your amazing and inspiring work you are doing. My business partner and I talk all the time about giving back and what a lofty inspiration you provide for people like us. But most of all, I wanted to thank Charlotte and Kylie. Your bravery absolutely blew me away and the change you have made is such an inspiration for me. The ability to overcome adversity is such a skill. And you both have not only overcome it, you have smashed it. Thank you. Your stories will stay with me for a very long time.
Bernadette, 6th December 2018
On behalf of the Friendship Club of Glenview would you please pass on to Annah our thanks for the wonderful presentation she and the girls gave to us on Monday. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed learning about RAW and the amazing support it gives to our disadvantaged and less fortunate young female population - what an innovation and passionate project to set up, we all applaud this initiative.
Max, Kylie and Charlotte gave us very moving accounts of their journeys in life - they deserve every success now after embracing Annah and her RAW team's programme. It's not easy to share your difficult past with a room full of strangers but they all spoke so well.
We will certainly support the RAW Op Shop and give items to help fund the foundation.
Diana Preece,
Friendship Club of Glenview
14th November 2018
You are truly amazing with the work you are doing! I just wanted to let you know once again how thankful I was for being given the opportunity to speak to the young mums at Fraser, and for the opportunity to meet you and read your amazing book! I know your book has set the wheels in motion for changing my life, and hopefully the lives of many others through the work I intent to do! I will encourage everyone I meet to get a copy of it β it is something I know I will refer to over and over.
Levarna Wolland, Owner/Manager,
Belles & Brides
24th September 2018
I was privileged to attend a RAW presentation recently. Annahβs passion for RAWβs vision and participants was absolutely stimulating. The women themselves and their stories, inspirational. I was left with many thoughts including the following:
Kia hora te marino, Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere te KΔrohirohi i mua i tΕu huarahi
May the calm be widespread, May the ocean glisten as greenstone, May the shimmer of light ever dance across your pathway.
Tracey-Lee Perry,
Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour,
Cluster 16 , Fraser High School
11th September 2018
It was so lovely to get to work and see your email. I really enjoyed your presentation yesterday and have been thinking about it a lot. Mostly I have thinking about how culturally appropriate your model is. Thatβs one of the reasons you are getting the ladies to commit to the programme and why so many are successful. βYou believe in them and value their thoughts, opinions and ideas. Some of them may not have had this before. The authenticity of the ladies sharing their own stories and hope took so much courage. These stories will have opened the eyes and hearts of many in the room. Celebrating their success will just give them more and more reasons to keep on going in the right direction. My thoughts yesterday came directly from my heart.
Thank you for believing. It really does make a difference.
Nga mihi
Tracey-Lee Perry,
Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour,
Cluster 16 , Fraser High School
7th September 2018
We would like to sincerely thank you for your support of the Mental Health Luncheon with Annah Stretton and the RAW women yesterday. There was barely a dry eye in the house and itβs fair to say that all of us who attended were deeply affected by the women who presented. Thank you on their behalf for your generosity and the offers for practical help β all very much valued by the team at RAW.
Yours in health,
Mel, Trisha, Glenn, Nika, Lucelle, Greg & Megan - Farm Source Health and Safety Leaders β 20th August 2018
Ma te huruhuru, ka rere te manu (adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly). The RAW organisation is a true reflection of this proverb and Waikato Police Womenβs Advisory Network were very privileged to recently hear the journeys of Annah Stretton and the women of RAW, who have defied the statistics and the low expectations placed upon them by society, instead they have started to fly. For many of the police women and RAW women present, it was a mutually significant interaction, each letting go of stereotypes and stigma, to move towards a place of trust, understanding and support. To Annah and the women of RAW we really appreciate you giving of your time and sharing of your experiences. We wish you the very best for your exciting futures. βMauria te ponoβ Believe in yourself!!!!
Sergeant Renee Leth - Supervisor, Investigation Support Unit, Hamilton City, Waikato Police District β 7th August 2018
Please pass on our sincere thanks for the great presentation that she did this morning for our Riverside Rebus Club. Our members were so impressed with the wonderful outcomes that she & her RAW foundation are achieving. It was a pleasure to meet her & to hear the heartfelt life stories of Charlotte, Max, Maddy & Melissa. We wish them well for their futures. Our members are happy to donate goods to the RAW shop to assist this life changing cause. Hopefully too to help with the visiting supervisor roles. My grateful thanks to you too for helping me finalise the arrangements for Annahβs talk.
Susan Seath - Riverside Rebus Club β 18th July 2018
Inviting Annah and Ina to speak for us once again was a non-negotiable. The work that is tirelessly being done β with an ever evolving RAW model β to manifest change here in NZ is not only extraordinary, itβs a game changer. RAW is working with an often uncompromising demographic whose beliefs stem from generational traits that have gone before it β lifestyles and circumstances that dictate unimaginable outcomes many of us will never truly be able to comprehend. Yet the combination of Annahs incredibly engaging, factual and visionary delivery, combined with the raw reality of hearing directly from Ina β someone who has broken the cycle of being incarcerated no less than 7 times β is a powerful speaking combination that is unrivalled on the speaker circuit. To appreciate the enormity, impact and scalable change RAW is making, you need to hear and witness it direct from a duo that is unprecedented in its content and delivery. We all need to play a role here in NZ and open our eyes beyond our very safe and somewhat sheltered lives. Their message is one that we cannot ignore, and one that needs to be heard across the country.
Kate Webb β Founder RISE Events β 6th September 2017
Please extend our appreciation of Annahβs time last week. Her talk was excellent and so well pitched for the audience of girls and their mums. We are very happy that she came to visit us. In addition to an interesting and inspiring talk, we raised a few hundred dollars for our local Breast Cancer Foundation.
Julia Beaumont β Havelock North Intermediate School
Annah Stretton & Ina; so powerful and inspirational. All women had great stories but Annah has used her influence (and financial success) to make real social difference. Best of luck to Ina; so hope she can find and achieve her dream.
Gillian Patterson β Attendee at RISE 2016 Wellington
Good morning Annah, It is us that has to say many thanks to you, Ina and Gina for being part of our conference as keynote speakers. You and the girls were amazing. As I was told there would not be a dry eye and there wasnβt. Comments I have heard included β βthey lifted the level of speakers at our conferencesβ, βinspirationalβ, βI will look at people in a different light nowβ. You and the girls were certainly a highlight of our conference. Your message has now reached another 320 people. In friendship, Evelyn
Evelyn β Inner Wheel Conference: Christchurch, April 2016
What an emotional but inspiring start to the day! The work Annah is doing with the RAW foundation is obviously having a positive effect. I felt incredibly privileged to hear Gina and Ina stand and tell their stories in such an articulate way and I thank them sincerely for their courage. I suspect they never realized they would ever inspire so many women.β Many thanks Liz.
Liz Mills β Ballantynes, April 2016
Annah brings enthusiasm and pragmatism in speaking about why RAW is important, and how she has got the programme to achieve concrete outcomes for the women it works with. Gina and Inaβs stories were honest (and brutal); they gave us a real understanding of how difficult it is for a recidivist offenders to break the cycle of crime if they have no other option but to return home a toxic environment. I really admire the strength these woman showed revealing their difficult pasts and the hope and excitement they have for their futures. I think everyone in the room was left pondering how we can contribute to something bigger and wider reaching than a profit margin. What amazing ladies!
Jess Fiebig β Constituent & Community Liaison, April 2016
Danielle and I absolutely loved the event this morning. All 3 speakers were brilliant, relatable and spoke from the heart. There were numerous times where we were both fighting back the tears! As a woman, I really feel that this is a positive step in the right direction and really commend Annah for her success with the programme to date. We will definitely be actively supporting R.A.W. from this point forward.
Pip Bradford β Prestige Property Management, April 2016
Annah provided us with an outstanding key note address for our conference. Her sharp mind and her business acumen was strongly evident and very inspirational for our audience. It is not an exaggeration to say that everyone was hanging off her every word for the whole of her presentation. After she left, many people commented to me that they wanted more time to ask questions, further proving the extent to which she engaged the audience. Annah also did a fantastic job at crafting her presentation so that it paired perfectly with the topics we had asked her to talk to and which were relevant for our audience. Annahβs story is fascinating and her presentation for us was top notch.
Vanessa Frost β Lumino, April 2016
Annah Stretton was a panellist at the Auckland Women Lawyersβ Association (AWLA) Criminal Justice Forum on Domestic Violence held in March 2016. Prompted by the Governmentβs release of the public discussion document titled βStrengthening New Zealandβs legislative response to family violenceβ in 2015, AWLA assembled leaders from different areas of the criminal justice sector to share their opinions and experiences on how to address this multi-dimensional problem.Annah was joined on the panel by the Manukau Crown Solicitor Natalie Walker, Chief District Court Judge Jan-Marie Doogue, newly-appointed Solicitor-General Una Jagose, Police Superintendent Tusha Penny, and Labour MP Jacinda Ardern. Panellists spoke to the topic from various perspectives β be it prosecutorial, judicial, policy, police, or social justice β and touched on proposed legislative changes, the approach of the courts, and new initiatives targeting domestic violence.Annah is a confident and powerful speaker who inspired the audience by describing how her charity βRAWβ is making a huge change in the lives of the βinvisible demographicβ of recidivist female offenders.Ms Stretton encouraged everyone to think about what they could do β to find something they are passionate about and do something towards making a change β and her own example is certainly proof that, with enough will, this can be done.Inspired by RAWβs maxim βIf you canβt help 100 people, then just help oneβ, AWLA has made a financial contribution to RAW and wishes Annah and the team at RAW all the best with the successful implementation of the second stage of the RAW pilot.
Anita Killeen, Barrister, and Chair of the Auckland Women Lawyersβ Association Criminal Justice Forum on Domestic Violence, March 2016
Live Life In Colour brings an unseen collaboration of inspirational stories brought together, triggering a realism that we are all so capable of making our lives that much more βcolourfulβ. From self-belief through to distinguishing stereotypes, do not make the mistake that this is just another fashion event β Itβs not!From business start-up through to the undeniably thought provoking stories from previously incarcerated women that are now a part of RAW, Live Life In Colour is an event that makes you stop and take action.RAW is the most single-most impactive step, in giving recidivist female criminals a pathway forward, that NZ has ever seen and itβs a privilege to get to hear the stories of these women.
Kate Webb, March 2016
I was so impressed with the RAW work. I was privileged to sit next to Awhea. She blew me away how beautiful she was in every sense of the word. To come into that environment and converse so competently, through dinner, with people who would be right outside her comfort zone was astonishing. I nearly fell of my chair when she said she had been out of prison for 4 months, I had expected so much longer. I have been to some of our prisons, not the womanβs prison, as part of my work and it is always disturbing. I always come away thinking we will NEVER rehabilitate anyone from this environment. RAW is the proof that, provide a different environment, and miracles happen. I noticed a few of the woman were wiping away tears when speaking to the girls that Anna brought with her. It is certainly incredibly powerful seeing and hearing Annaβs guests as part of her presentation. I have a number of brochures and will certainly be spreading the word and trying to get furniture etc directed RAW way.It is truly inspiring work that you are all doing. I have talked about it today and everyone is very interested.
Margaret Cain, March 2016
Interest generated about RAW (Reclaim Another Woman) at the presentation given by Annah Stretton to Women on Boards New Zealand Waikato last night was overwhelming. Annah is clearly passionate about supporting women caught up in the prison system to make life changes. This is not only beneficial to the women involved but for all New Zealand as, through education, they harness their skills and abilities to once again become contributing members of our community. However, as Annah said in her presentation, RAW needs the support of all of us to fund the project and the incubator houses. I highly recommend RAW as a valuable and worthwhile organisation to support, whether that is through donations to givealittle.co.nz/org/reclaimanotherwoman, furniture for the houses β contact ktstace@xtra.co.nz, or by visiting the In Excess store at 92 Commerce Street, Frankton, Hamilton.
Linda Noble Chief Executive β Governance New Zealand & Women on Boards, November 2015
We had the absolute pleasure of Annah Stretton addressing the Newmarket Rotary Club earlier this year to educate our members about the RAW programme. She a confident and passionate speaker and what she and her team are achieving with vulnerable and abused women is nothing short of outstanding. A great nationwide support initiative is something that really resonates with Rotary and we hope to have Annah keep us updated on RAWβs progress in the coming months.
Richard Holden, President, Newmarket Rotary, December 2014
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