Aotearoa's premier gathering for women who
want to connect, learn, grow, and be inspired.

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Connect · Inspire · Celebrate · Empower · Grow · Collaborate · Belong · Connect · Inspire · Celebrate · Empower · Grow · Collaborate · Belong ·

Our Story

Built around
the table.

Women Who Lunch began with a simple idea — to create a space where women could connect, hear powerful stories, and leave feeling genuinely inspired.

What started as a small gathering has grown into one of Aotearoa’s most anticipated events. Not because it’s fancy or exclusive — but because it’s the opposite. This is a space to feel real again.

Women Who Lunch sits somewhere between a boujee lunch date, a sold-out girls’ trip dinner, and a therapy session with better lighting. At its heart, Women Who Lunch is about bringing women together to share stories, spark ideas, support one another, and celebrate the power of connection, conversation, and community.

180

Women at our
last event

Sold-out
events

Days to sell
out in 2026

The Growth

Event One

→

Event Two

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Event Three

→

180

Event Four

Four events. Eight times the room. Still the same energy.

Next Event

Women Who Lunch
No. 5

DateComing 2026 — date to be announced

VenueOak & Ivy, 42 Alfred Street, Blenheim Central

FormatLunch · Speakers · Connection · Goodie Bag

TicketsSold out in 9 days last year — join the list early

Join the Waitlist

"At its core, Women Who Lunch is about women showing up and backing each other — through conversation, connection, education, honesty, and shared awesomeness"

From the Room

Every year,
a full house.

Our Speakers

Women who have
changed the conversation.

It’s all about real women speaking openly about business, life, confidence, burnout, ambition, identity, reinvention, and everything in between.

Morgan Penn

Somatic Sexologist

Dr Jordan Gibbs

General Practitioner

Dr Rachel Thomas

Physician & Aesthetic Medicine Specialist

Dr Bex Bell

Psychologist & Performance Specialist

What Women Say

They leave
inspired.

"I left feeling genuinely energised and connected. It's rare to find an event that feels both premium and completely welcoming."

— Women Who Lunch attendee

"The conversations I had at lunch led to real opportunities. I've been back every year since the first event."

— Returning attendee

"Not like any networking event I've been to. It feels like being welcomed to someone's table. Warm, real, and inspiring."

— Marlborough business owner

Partners & Sponsors

Brands who
back bold women.

We partner with organisations that align with our values of community, empowerment, and connection. Sponsors are integrated into the experience — not just displayed as advertisers.

Become a Partner →

Spy Valley Wines

Event Partners

Your Brand Here

Marlborough Sisters

Wild Secrets

Oak & Ivy

Interested in partnering? We offer goodie bag placements, table sponsorships, and brand activations. Get in touch.

Join the Community

Don’t Miss

A Beat.

Stay updated on events, blogs, special offers, workshops, education, and general awesomeness from the team at Women Who Lunch.

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Our Story

About Us

Connect · Inspire · Celebrate · Empower · Grow · Collaborate · Belong · Connect · Inspire · Celebrate · Empower · Grow · Collaborate · Belong ·

Founded by Krista Coningham

Real Women,
Real Conversations

Women Who Lunch began with a simple idea: to create a space where women could come together, connect, hear powerful stories, and leave feeling genuinely inspired.

What started with just 20 women gathered around a table several years ago has since grown into one of Aotearoa’s most anticipated events. Not because it’s corporate or exclusive — but because it’s the opposite. Warm, welcoming, stylish, authentic, and deeply uplifting.

As the owner of Caci Blenheim, I created Women Who Lunch because I felt New Zealand was missing something special — a space that sat at the intersection of community, inspiration, celebration, and connection. A place where remarkable women could share their stories openly, spark new ideas, build meaningful relationships, and remind one another of what’s possible.

At its heart, Women Who Lunch has always been about creating an atmosphere where women feel seen, energised, empowered, and genuinely connected — while also enjoying exceptional food, wine, hospitality, and unforgettable experiences along the way.

Watching this community grow has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, and I’m incredibly grateful to every woman who has attended, supported, spoken at, sponsored, or believed in what we’re building together.

Thank you for being part of the story.

— Krista Coningham

Founder, Women Who Lunch

Krista Coningham

Founder · Caci Blenheim

180

Women at our
last event

Sold-out
events

Incredible
community

Our Mission

More than an event.
A movement.

Women Who Lunch is built on the belief that extraordinary things happen when women come together. It's a place to share stories, celebrate achievements, spark new ideas, and build meaningful connections that extend far beyond the event itself.

Whether you're leading a business, growing a career, pursuing a passion project, or simply looking to connect with inspiring women, there's always a seat at the table for you.

What We Stand For

Our Values

Connection

Come for the lunch. Stay for the conversations that accidentally change your life. Group chat energy — but in real life.

Inspiration

Big energy. Big ideas. Big “maybe I actually can do this and kick ass” moments.

Celebration

Of courage, pivots, wins, failures, reinventions, and showing up anyway. Despite the haters. Ambition and hope looks good on you.

Community

A group of wildly supportive women under one roof getting down to the business of being phenomenal.

Ready to join us?

The next event is coming. Don't miss your seat at the table.

View Events →

Women Who Lunch 2025

Meet The Speakers

Connect · Inspire · Celebrate · Empower · Grow · Collaborate · Belong · Connect · Inspire · Celebrate · Empower · Grow · Collaborate · Belong ·

2025 Event Theme

Perimenopause. The Real Talk.

Four leading voices in women's health, psychology, and intimacy. One conversation that's long overdue. This year's Women Who Lunch gives you the full, honest picture on one of the most misunderstood life stages women experience.

Speaker 01

Morgan Penn

Intimacy & Pleasure Educator

Desire, Arousal & Pleasure
in Perimenopause

Morgan Penn is a somatic sexologist, all-round pleasure seeker, and creator of the multi-award-winning Sex.Life podcast — and trust us, she does not do surface-level conversations.

Morgan explores the deliciously complicated intersection of hormones, intimacy, desire, arousal and identity during perimenopause. Expect candid truths, laughter, a little chaos, and deeply empowering conversations about reconnecting with your body, your pleasure, and yourself.

This is not a “fade quietly into the background” conversation. This is about women reclaiming intimacy, confidence, sensuality and power on their own terms.

Speaker 02

Dr Jordan Gibbs

GP & Women's Health Specialist

Perimenopause & the Role
of Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Dr Jordan Gibbs is a General Practitioner and passionate women’s hormonal health advocate — and she’s here to tell women they are not “going crazy,” losing themselves, or imagining it.

At Women Who Lunch, Dr Gibbs dives into the physical, emotional and neurological rollercoaster of perimenopause, unpacking everything from anxiety, overwhelm and exhaustion to hormones, sleep, libido and Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT). Expect myth-busting, real talk, evidence-based guidance, and the kind of information women wish they’d been given years earlier.

Because understanding your body shouldn’t feel like detective work.

Speaker 03

Dr Rachel Thomas

Physician & Women's Health Advocate

Physical & Mental Health Changes
You Need to Know About

Dr Rachel Thomas is a Lead Aesthetic Medicine Specialist, Emergency Medicine Physician, and one of the voices helping women finally connect the dots between hormones, health, ageing, and the feeling that “something just isn’t right.”

At Women Who Lunch, Dr Thomas dives into the often-overlooked physical and neurological shifts of perimenopause — from mood changes, anxiety and ADHD symptoms through to skin health, bone density, cognition and the visible signs of ageing. She explores why so many women are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told to simply “push through,” when hormonal changes may be sitting at the centre of it all.

Blending medical expertise with a deep understanding of women’s health and aesthetics, Dr Thomas empowers women to stop second-guessing themselves, start asking better questions, and take ownership of their long-term wellbeing, confidence and vitality.

Speaker 04

Dr Bex Bell

Psychologist & Mental Wellbeing Expert

Confidence, Identity & Self-Trust
Through Perimenopause

Dr Bex Bell is a psychologist, coach, performance specialist, author of Inner Critic to Inner Coach, and fierce advocate for helping women navigate the emotional chaos of perimenopause without losing themselves in the process.

At Women Who Lunch, Dr Bell explores the psychological side of hormonal change — the brain fog, anxiety, identity shifts, emotional overwhelm, collapsing confidence, and that suddenly very loud inner critic. With honesty, humour and practical insight, she unpacks why so many women stop trusting themselves during this stage of life, and how to begin rebuilding that trust again.

Her message is powerful: you are not failing, you are adapting. Through stronger boundaries, self-compassion, nervous system awareness and intentional self-care, Dr Bell helps women reconnect with their confidence, resilience and sense of self — without having to “push harder” to prove their worth.

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Built aroundthe table.

Women Who LunchNo. 5

Every year,a full house.

Women who havechanged the conversation.

They leaveinspired.

Brands whoback bold women.

Don’t Miss

About Us

Real Women,Real Conversations

More than an event.A movement.

Our Values

Connection

Inspiration

Celebration

Community

Meet The Speakers

Perimenopause. The Real Talk.

Morgan Penn

Dr Jordan Gibbs

Dr Rachel Thomas

Dr Bex Bell

Don't MissA Beat.

Built around
the table.

Women Who Lunch
No. 5

Every year,
a full house.

Women who have
changed the conversation.

They leave
inspired.

Brands who
back bold women.

Real Women,
Real Conversations

More than an event.
A movement.

Don't Miss
A Beat.