Monique Kelly

Monique is co-founder and General Manager of Wao Aotearoa, a charitable trust based in the Queenstown Lakes District. 

Winner of the Ignite Wānaka Business Awards Outstanding Individual in 2019 and finalist in the Sustainable Business Network Sustainability Superstar Awards in 2022, Monique leads with passion and purpose. Wao operates on a whole of community level taking a strategic approach to accelerate systems shift working by with groups in the building sector, tourism and services industry as well as on impact funding, food resilience and with youth to drive transformative change. Wao aims to inspire, educate and enable communities to shape the future from the grassroots up. It’s focus areas are climate and ecosystems action, exploring regenerative economics, building community resilience and strengthening collaboration and partnership. 

Prior to setting up Wao Aotearoa, as a trained lawyer, Monique worked with the International Labour Organisation on international employment policy and standards setting including in the areas of occupational safety and health, migrant workers and child labour. She is the co-founder of Wānaka based Revology, curator of the Revology Concept Store and currently a Director on the board of New Zealand Functional Foods looking at future food opportunities for New Zealand.

Monique will be speaking throughout the Wao Summit 2024, as well as running the How to Shift a System masterclass.