Speakers
For someone to make it onto our wish list of awesome speakers, they needed to be a little bit badass and be true to themselves.
Each of the speakers we have collaborated with are people who are showing us how to navigate this mental world with courage, grace and a wee bit of rebel.
Through their actions they are lighting the road less travelled.
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“Badassery comes from the inside. When women step into courage and become true badasses—in any aspect of their life, it’s because they know they are enough.”
Turia Pitt
Without doubt, Turia is one of Australia’s most inspiring, courageous and downright badass woman.
In 2011, age 24, Turia was an ex-model fitness junkie and successful mining engineer when she was caught in a freak firestorm while competing in a 100km ultramarathon in Western Australia.
She was choppered out of the remote desert barely alive, with full thickness burns to 64 per cent of her body.
Surviving against overwhelming odds is the least of her achievements. Turia has gone on to thrive in the ultimate story of triumph over adversity.
Widely hailed as one of the most adored women in Australia, Turia’s “never ever give up” attitude inspires others to conquer their fears and be their best.
Renowned for her pure grit, indomitable spirit and passion for humanitarian work, people from all over the world have taken Turia into their hearts and are deeply inspired by her.
LIzzie marvelly
Lizzie Marvelly may have gained notoriety as a singer, but she has since earned her stripes as an engaging public speaker, feminist and badass.
Lizzie is a passionate advocate for women and often speaks about female empowerment. In May 2015, Lizzie launched Villainesse, an online media project aiming to create smart, ‘no-filter’ media for young women. Winner of the 2017 Canon Media Awards Best Blog Site, Villainesse is on a mission to empower young women through its mantra of “badass do-gooding".
Her first major campaign, the globally-successful #MyBodyMyTerms, sparked a conversations about victim-blaming, revenge porn, consent and sexual violence. The #MyBodyMyTerms videos have been viewed over 500,000 times, and received press attention from the Huffington Post, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed US, Cosmopolitan US, Bustle, and the New Zealand Herald, among many others.
Lizzie is a columnist for the Weekend Herald and took home the award for Opinion Writer – General at the 2017 Canon Media Awards for speaking out on many divisive and controversial topics; she has passionately weighed in on abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, the pay gap, child poverty and rape culture, among many others.
PAULA GOSNEY
A writer, businesswoman, speaker and warrior. Fiercely honest, a passionate coach and a woman who knows we are much more capable than we allow ourselves to believe.
With a remarkable career, establishing her first of many successful businesses at the age of 21, it’s easy to think Paula has it all.
However, life threw some nasty curveballs her way. Sent to boarding school at eleven, never to live at home again and the victim of a serious sexual assault as a teenager, a decline into hard drugs and alcohol plagued much of her twenties. “I lived a double life, one of a successful entrepreneur, the other a woman in deep pain, relentlessly trashing my body like the worthless object the rape had taught me it was.”
In Paula’s pursuit of happiness, she spent hundreds of hours sitting at the feet of personal development masters, devouring anything that would help her through her personal pain. She believes if she had been exposed earlier to the principles that now define her life, she would have healed quicker, loved earlier and been able to contribute sooner.
ANIKA MOA
Anika Moa is clever, charismatic and very funny! She’s a badass and we can’t wait to hear her story of early fame, rebellion, love and motherhood - like it has never been told before.
She began writing pop songs at the tender age of 13 and was spotted by Atlantic Records in 1999; becoming the youngest Kiwi artist to be signed to a major American record company.
Anika has released seven albums so far, she’s one of New Zealand's most accomplished songwriters and is a dangerously funny chick to give a mic too.
Her career continues to evolve as a writer, entertainer and performer with the development of her ‘Face to Face’ series and ‘All Talk With Anika Moa’, interviewing celebrities and musicians with her hilarious and shameless interviewing technique.
Our CCB platform wouldn’t be complete without the quick wit of this badass Kiwi.
RICHIE HARDCORE
Richie Hardcore's fighting career spanned more than 20 years, from martial arts tournaments to Muay Thai titles. He’s hung up his gloves and he now fights for social change rather than titles.
A self-confessed pragmatic idealist, Richie channels his energy into doing his best to leave the world a slightly better, healthier and happier place.
Unafraid to talk about his difficult past, he is now an active campaigner and sort after educator and public speaker, dealing with many of the big issues that challenge today’s society: domestic and sexual violence, mental health, pornography and addiction.
Few men speak with the empathy and gentleness that Richie does on these subjects; which is surprising and heart-warming coming from a man who used to fight for a living.
Precious Clark
There is something about Precious Clark that makes you stop and listen. She is an extraordinary story-teller; a master of weaving our past into our future to help us understand who we are and what our purpose is.
Of Ngati Whatua, Waikato and Pakeha descent, she is the Managing Director of Maurea Consulting Ltd, an organisation that shares Maori culture globally to shape and inform a modern world and the creator of Te Kaa – a training programme that brings the Maori world to life in a fun, safe and exploratory way. Precious started her professional career as a lawyer who’s worked here and in the UK, she is now a sought after company director who sits on five boards and recently had the privilege of lunching with President Obama.
In parallel to her corporate career, Precious feeds her creativity as a singer, songwriter, performer and dancer. In 2011, Precious had the honour of performing the karanga at the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup held in Auckland, New Zealand, touching millions of viewers around the world.
It is this combination of creativity, wisdom and passion that is spell-binding and the reason we had to have her on our CCB Stage!
