Grow you.
Grow leadership.Grow community.Grow whenua.Grow Aotearoa.

When we grow, so does our whānau, whenua, community, and impact.

AWDT builds your skills, courage, and connections to lead with purpose, anywhere. We’re growing leadership, transforming New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.

It starts with you.

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Growing wāhine leadership

At the heart of AWDT is the fundamental belief that when women lead, industries and communities thrive. AWDT’s transformative learning programmes, connected communities and dynamic partnerships grow the leadership and influence of wāhine across Aotearoa. Together we are shifting mindsets, unlocking potential, and building new capability in the food and fibre sector.

Our story

Current programmes

Power Up

Leading for optimal performance

A one-day development programme focused on leading for optimal performance building self-awareness, navigating challenging conversations, and understanding the employment frameworks that support clear, fair, and confident leadership.

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It’s all about YOU

Foundational leadership

A two-day development programme for women to explore values, strengths, goals and experiences. Break away from routine, reconnect with yourself and explore new possibilities for positive change in your life.

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Next Level

Leadership Programme

A six-month leadership programme for women. Break through barriers to find courage, develop a leaders mindset, build your ability to influence and connect with like-minded women.

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Escalator

Leadership Programme

A 10-month programme combining best-in-class leadership, governance, and personal development with practical application — featuring blended learning, executive coaching, and inspiration from established leaders.

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Success stories

Realising a vision

“You don’t have to have it all figured out; just taking the first step can take you forward in a new direction.”

Wendy Coup

Understanding how your potential benefits others

“First Steps not only gave me a new awareness of my skills, but permission to start my own personal journey as a respected industry professional.”

Cathy Cotter

Life-changing new pathway

“The move north was a catalyst for reinventing myself as I’d been away from Northland for so long I didn’t know many people.”

Eloise Neeley

Course identifies leadership strength

“I’d had a successful career prior to leaving my job after the birth of my second child and had become a bit lost and disillusioned that I’d lost my identity.”

Emma Hammond

Blogs / 07th April, 2026

From safety net to strategic partner

Insurance has always been an important safeguard: there when you need it and traditionally focused on responding after something has gone wrong. While necessary, it has become increasingly evident that this is no longer sufficient. Climate risk is intensifying with more frequency of floods, droughts, storms and increasingly uncertain seasons. And farmers are asking deeper questions about the future of their businesses, their families’ security, and their place in the food and fibre system of Aotearoa.

The discipline behind a life of impact – Justine Kidd

Justine Kidd’s story isn’t built on a single defining moment. It’s built on something far more powerful – showing up, again and again, especially when it’s hard. She didn’t wait to be ready. She backed herself, did the work, and kept learning. And over time, that discipline became her edge. Because real influence doesn’t come from titles or big plans. It comes from being good at your craft, staying open, and having the resilience to keep putting one foot in front of the other

Beyond Succession: Building a family farm that thrives

Karen Penfold’s story reminds us that succession is not a transaction at all. It’s a life choice, and a relationship choice, and a culture choice. Most importantly, if we treat it like paperwork, we may miss the thing that actually determines whether a farm business survives a generational shift. People.

When numbers talk : Confidence, conversation, and the quiet power of understanding your farming business

When the numbers talk, confidence follows. Understanding Your Farming Business isn’t about turning people into accountants — it’s about giving wāhine the confidence to participate fully in the conversations that shape their farm’s future. Through practical insight and supportive learning, participants begin to see financial statements not as compliance documents, but as stories about performance, decisions, and opportunity. With greater understanding comes stronger collaboration, better decision-making, and the quiet power of knowing you have a voice at the table.

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Grow you.
Grow leadership.Grow community.Grow whenua.Grow Aotearoa.

Growing wāhine leadership