Anna is the founder of Plastic Free Wānaka; a non-profit with the focus on supporting communities to reduce single-use waste at a grassroots level.
Her one-woman environmental stage show, Waste Free Wanda was launched under the banner of Plastic Free Wānaka, but soon expanded beyond the Wanaka community.
With a desire to reach more communities in New Zealand, Anna formed The Wanda Foundation in order to bring awareness and solutions further afield. With a keen focus on advocating for the arts, The Wanda Foundation believes that in order to be our best creative selves, we must ensure we have a healthy environment to be creative in.
The Wanda Foundations founder Anna van Riel is based in Lake Hāwea.
For 8 years Anna was a director of non-profit grassroots organisation Plastic free Wanaka which was launched in 2016, and spent 3 years on the board of trustees for Kiwi Kids Music, growing the children’s music sector in Aotearoa.
As a singer/songwriter and creative, Anna launched her one-woman 1980’s inspired rock opera for kids called Waste Free Wanda in February 2020.The show focuses on imparting tools and ideas around ‘Simple Swaps’ and what we can do, at a time when children are bombarded with all the things that feel overwhelming on the planet, including single-use waste.
Through her journey of creating arts with an environmental message, Anna noticed a gap in the arts sector that could offer a higher level of support to artists whose work has a focus on kaitiaki for Papatūānuku, and thus The Wanda Foundation was born.
Anna tours both Waste Free Wanda and her folk & jazz music in New Zealand.
Anna is a touring performing artist, and a mother of two. She loves growing veges, homesteading with her hubby Locky, and doing the occasional jazzercise routine in 80’s getup.
Rebekah has had a lifelong interest in the arts, dabbling in music, dance, writing and the visual arts and engaging in all things creative.
She completed a BA at Otago University majoring in English and Art History and subsequently moved to Central Otago where she worked in tourism, hospitality, and event management before taking on the role of Arts Coordinator for the Central Otago District Arts Trust.
Rebekah embraces the diverse nature of this role which involves everything from project management to strategy development, event advertising to mentoring and supporting artists, identifying and applying for funding and much more. She is passionate about ensuring the arts are an integral part of the culture of our district.
Rebekah advocates for further recognition of the value of arts in a community. She is involved with several local arts groups as well as Creative Communities Central Otago.
Rebekah has instigated, coordinated, facilitated, and curated a number of public arts projects, exhibitions and events in Central Otago and loves to support others to do the same.
Rebekah also works for the local radio station where she is learning about production, advertising, and the colourful world of media.
In her spare time she reads widely, loves poetry, enjoys op shopping, going to the gym, gardening or taking to the hills with her enthusiastic black Labrador.
A member of The Wanda Foundation board of trustees since 2022, Rebekah is a committed and powerhouse addition to the team.
Zabeen is a Dunedin-based professional with a wealth of experience in the public sector, spanning strategic, operational, and tactical roles. A former medical laboratory scientist with a PhD in biomedical sciences, she now works as a strategic adviser while also mentoring women in science and those navigating the transition out of academia.
Beyond her professional life, Zabeen, along with her husband and two daughters, finds joy in the arts; dance and music have always been a part of their daily life. She believes in the powerful connection between art and science – where curiosity and creativity come together to spark transformation and innovation!
Mark de Jong joined The Wanda Foundation in early 2024, bringing with him significant experience in marketing for non-profit organisations, as well as the board’s second ‘de Jong’ (no relation to Rebekah!).
His day job as New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s South Island commercial manager sees him developing strategic campaigns that deliver results for businesses across all sectors and sizes.
Previously, Mark has played a key role in the founding of Water Revolution Foundation, a non-profit which works to drive sustainability in the superyacht industry through collaboration and innovation. A keen writer, Mark is passionate about art’s ability to inspire and empower people to make meaningful changes in their own lives.
