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Introducing Penny Marie

Qualifications

Dip. Bus; Adv. Dip. Marketing (Business), Cert in Adult Education & Training; Cert in Facilitation of E-Learning; AIM (UK) Relationships & Sex Education; Public Child Protection Wales - Child Safeguarding

From kindergarten committee to school agriculture day committee to rugby team manager to rowing committee and regatta volunteer, Penny Marie’s heart has always been at community level, and in being an involved mum. From 2019 to 2022 she held position as trustee on a school board. 

Her early working life spanned youth work, administrative and communication roles, website development, marketing and promotion.  

Penny Marie on conference

Professional Background

From 2001 - 2011 Penny ran her own business providing marketing, website development and branding services to her clients. In 2011 she was employed as an instructional designer within the tertiary sector, and then moved into the private sector where she was involved in training facilitation, instructional design and process mapping for one of New Zealand's most iconic brands. 

From 2016-2021 Penny worked as marketing lead for a nationwide licensee brand. Her work involved managing brands, relationships building within a large licensee network, marketing and promotion, social media, publishing and event coordination. 

Penny Marie in Washington DC

From Career to 'Calling'

After a series of profound revelations in mid 2021, Penny Marie left her career and made a fresh start - researching, networking, assisting with the formation of community networks and more.

After blogging a little and starting up a community news portal, in early 2023 Penny Marie dipped her toe into independent journalism. In May that year she spoke at a school board meeting and recorded her speech. It went out on social media and the resulting feedback, connections and identification of how to meet a need, resulted in the formation of Let Kids Be Kids. 

Penny's time is shared between her independent research and publishing, and Let Kids Be Kids. She has built a strong nationwide and international network and was a founding member of the International Child Protection Taskforce in 2025.