Speaker Series 2025
Unstoppable: Owning Your Story
25 June 2025 | Baycourt Tauranga
Tauranga’s inspiring women’s event with some of Aotearoa’s most iconic faces alongside high-profile speakers.
Held at Baycourt Theatre on 25 June 2025, this powerful event celebrates bold storytelling, leadership, and the courage to own your journey.
Designed to ignite ambition and spark meaningful connections, the series is a must-attend for business professionals and change-makers across the Bay of Plenty and beyond.
Secure your tickets via eventfinda and select your allocated seating preference!
Thanks to our key event partners:
Your Speakers
Robyn Malcom
Robyn Malcolm is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated actresses, with a distinguished career spanning more than three decades across stage and screen. Her breakout role came as the formidable Cheryl West in the iconic drama Outrageous Fortune, a performance that not only made her a household name but also earned her 14 acting awards and cemented her status as a cultural icon. Robyn’s talent and tenacity have taken her far beyond New Zealand’s shores. She starred in the Emmy-nominated Top of the Lake, created by Jane Campion, and played a pivotal role in Apple TV’s Blackbird alongside Ray Liotta. Most recently, she stepped into a new leadership role as co-creator, producer, and lead actress of the internationally acclaimed drama After The Party, for which she received Best Actress at Series Mania Festival in France.
Toni Street
A seasoned broadcaster with the human touch, Toni Street is one of New Zealand’s leading TV and radio personalities. Warm and vibrant, she relates easily to her audiences, and enjoys not only sharing in their everyday experiences, but also keeping her two errant Coast Breakfast co-hosts Jase and Sam in check. Some might say she’s their “voice of reason”.
Toni’s diverse range of interests span beauty, fashion, fitness, music, gardening and more, but interiors and home improvements come top of the list. Describing her dream client as a homeward company and her dream promotion as completely doing up someone’s house, interior styling and DIY are clearly her gig. You only need to take a peek into her own abode to realise she’s got a natural knack for it.
Cassie Roma
Cassie Roma is a vibrant force in the world of leadership, media, creativity & business. She’s a storyteller, keynote speaker, and advertising executive who blends her passions for data, design, and empowering communities to drive equity for women and girls across all aspects of life, career, leadership & beyond.
Her projects and passions (ranging from executive leadership to entrepreneurship, to documentary films & primetime TV) captivate audiences and spark meaningful conversations that create space for change. With an infectious enthusiasm for life and a commitment to making a positive impact, Cassie Roma is a trailblazer on a mission to inspire and uplift others!
Kiri Nathan
Kiri Nathan is a leading voice in Aotearoa’s fashion industry, known for her dedication to Māori design, values and storytelling. Her work has gained international recognition, having dressed Jacinda Adern, Michelle Obama, and other prominent figures. She was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2020 for services to Māori and the fashion industry.
Kiri made history in 2023 as the first Māori designer to open New Zealand Fashion Week, with a collection that honoured the evolution of Māori garments and culture. Her ongoing influence is seen in her commitment to cultural authenticity, sustainability and lifting others as she leads — shaping the future of indigenous fashion in Aotearoa and beyond.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Principal Partners
Craigs Investment Partners
“Craigs Investment Partners are proud to sponsor the BWN Speaker Series. The series consistently presents us with first-class speakers who possess an unrivalled ability to ignite inspiration and impart invaluable wisdom. Their captivating stories and expert insights empower attendees to reach new heights in their personal and professional lives.
Creating an inclusive environment where individuals from all walks of life can resonate with our speakers key messaging, fostering a sense of belonging”.
Cooney Lees Morgan
“We’re looking forward to another great year ahead with BWN functions and events. We are so excited to see the amazing speakers at this year’s BWN Speaker Series in June, and we’re delighted to take a range of our team along.
As a principal partner, Cooney Lees Morgan is excited to help bring to you this not-to-be-missed experience.”
Event Partners
King Street
We have been proud sponsors of the Tauranga Business Chamber BWN Speaker Series for the past four years now. It’s been an honour to be part of such an inspiring event for our community and we really enjoy bringing our design concepts to life across all the event collateral. It’s a great opportunity for the women in our agency to connect with likeminded women within the local business community and be empowered by the stories the speakers share.
Coast 97.4 FM
NZME’s Coast FM is delighted to partner with the Chamber on the BWN Speaker Series. From our radio and podcast hosts, to our media & business specialists, we champion the growth, development and inspiration of female professionals throughout the Bay of Plenty.
If you haven’t already, check out the ‘We need to talk’ lifestyle and wellness podcast with Coast FM’s host Toni Street – an extension of Toni’s segment in her Breakfast show with Jase & Sam.
Supporting Partners
Port of Tauranga
“Port of Tauranga is delighted to support an event that is always inspiring, uplifting and educational. It showcases high-performing, dedicated and resilient women working in businesses across the Bay of Plenty and beyond.”
Kale Print & Design
“Kale Print are proud to once again support the BWN Speakers Series. Celebrating Women in business and all that comes with it. Allowing others to learn through hearing the journeys to success. Always such an amazing event that leaves attendees beaming with inspiration”.
Hatch Consulting
Hatch Consulting is proud to sponsor the 2025 BWN Speaker Series, celebrating the power of Owning Your Story. As an award-winning Quantity Surveying firm founded in Mount Maunganui, we’re passionate about the story of our town, our people, and our community. With a fresh, strategic approach to construction cost management, we empower our clients to make informed commercial decisions. From the Tauranga waterfront to national energy and infrastructure projects, we’re committed to supporting sustainable development that fosters a strong future for our community.
Rentlink – Property Management
At Rentlink, we believe in the power of women. As a female-founded, female-led property management company, our wāhine team brings empathy, strength, and professionalism to every relationship.
Our values guide us: Transparency through honesty, Communication through respect, Business-focused for long-term success, Proactive service anticipating needs, and Positivity in every challenge.
We’re proud to support the BWN Speaker Series, celebrating women who lead with purpose and uplift others, building a stronger future for women in business.
Toi Ohomai Insitute of Technology
“Toi Ohomai are proud to be a long-standing supporters of the BWN speaker series. We are passionate about supporting the growth and aspirations wāhine ākonga (students) and wāhine kaimahi (staff), as well as wāhine within our communities.
This is a fantastic event for wāhine to attend, providing opportunities for learning, inspiration and networking.”
Westpac
“The Business Women’s Network Speaker Series shares remarkable stories of women who are making a difference in business and to the lives of New Zealanders.
“Westpac is both proud and excited to be a Partner Sponsor again this year. This event gives local women a unique chance to connect and hear the inspiring stories from the speakers. We are really looking forward to the 2025 Event – ‘Unstoppable’”
Stay Connected
Everyone is welcome to stay up-to-date with the latest event announcements, business news, and local insights by subscribing to the Chamber’s e-newsletters below:
