Unlocking Your Potential this International Women’s Day 

As a way to say thank you for your support of the Catalytic Foundation, we invite women in business to join us for a special morning tea this International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March, 10-11.30am at Huami, SkyCity, Auckland.

This event will be a celebration of women in business and a morning of inspiration as we delve into the topic, “Unlocking Your Potential”.

Teresa Moore our CEO will be facilitating a lively discussion with four exceptional women over refreshments, coffee and specialty teas.  Our guest speakers are leaders of community organisations that are making an outstanding impact in their fields: 

• Michelle Blau, Fair Food General Manager (Food rescue) 
• Tamara Grant, Xabilities CEO (Neurodiversity and inclusion advocacy) 
• Barbara Williams, Kindred Family Services Executive Director (Women’s refuge and support services) 
• Cat Percy, Crescendo CEO (Supporting rangatahi through music) 

This event is our special way of saying thank you to 40 of our supporters, donors and friends, and is hosted by Catalytic Foundation and proudly supported by SkyCity. 

Please click here to RSVP by Tuesday 5 March for you and your colleagues to attend.  

Guest Speakers discussing 'Unlocking Your Potential'

Teresa Moore – CEO of Catalytic Foundation (Facilitator) 

Teresa has been at the helm of the Catalytic Foundation since 2018. Her work with the Catalytic Foundation sees her supporting youth charities and social based services from Northland to Invercargill. She plays an active role in obtaining and managing large donations to ensure smaller charities, who may not have the capacity or skills to access larger grants, are given financial support, mentoring, and any other help they may need. In addition to this, Teresa and her team work closely with companies to help them meet their sustainable development goals and attract and retain the best staff by involving them in bespoke volunteering opportunities, as part of the quarterly Catalytic community support campaigns. 

Michelle Blau - Manager of Fair Food 

Fair Food nourishes our community by increasing access to fresh food that would otherwise go to waste. More than 2000 volunteers prepare delicious food from scratch using ingredients collected from supermarkets and food producers. They hunger for a world where everyone has what they need and gather a diverse team around the kitchen table to change lives one bite at a time. In 2023, they provided food for 1.7 million meals (a week’s supply for 81,500 people) through a network of 60 community organisations while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1587 tonnes. 

Tamara Grant - CEO of Xabilities 

Tamara Grant started Xabilities seven years ago, to help neurodiverse people find their voice in society. Her company is currently establishing the first Neurodiversity Centre in Aotearoa (NZ), made for and by Neurodivergent people. Xabilities mission is to create a world, starting with Aotearoa (NZ), where all differences are celebrated, and people can live in an inclusive world where everybody can move, think and feel without fear of judgement, so individuals are able to reach their full potential. 

Barbara Williams – Executive Director of Kindred Family Services 

Barbara's career in the charitable sector has been marked by purposeful leadership and heart-led choices, and an aim to make a real impact on people's lives. Currently, Barbara is the Executive Director at Kindred Family Services in Helensville, which provides family support services, a women’s refuge and expert, supportive interventions for individuals and families. Their services cover rural and urban areas in Northwest Auckland and South Kaipara.  

Cat Percy – CEO of Crescendo 

Crescendo is a music and recording studio specialising in sound design services for local and international productions. As a social enterprise, all their profit goes back into their mentoring and wellbeing programmes for rangatahi/young people aged 15-24 years. Led by industry experts, rangatahi gain technical skills in a high-quality studio environment, as well as develop positive self-esteem, self-confidence and resilience to achieve their goals. Crescendo's Pathway Programme meets rangatahi at every stage of their creative journey, empowering them to discover their own potential and thrive in our communities, and providing pathways for youth apprenticeships and employment.  

We welcome online donations for the charities involved in this years International Women's Day Event.