Kristen Soon, Founder

Ever since I was young, I have always been drawn to helping others who don’t have a voice. At the age of 21, I went on my first overseas outreach to Bangladesh. It was during this time that I saw women who were abused and battered, and realised how disempowered women were. This, along with my 9 years’ experience taking care of international students on the AusAID program, continually grew my passion to help people flourish and being empowered to reach their potential.

I found myself volunteering in a women’s refuge and also started working for a humanitarian organisation where I began building friendships with refugees and saw the multiple layers of complexities they had to face. I feel a sense of connection with people who have come to this country from very difficult situations. Perhaps this is because I have some understanding of what it means to come to a place that is very culturally different from what you are used to, and having to adjust to it. I realised what many of these women wanted was a listening ear, and someone to bring hope and light into their lives. This was a pivotal moment for me. 

As a woman, I see the importance of supporting other women and building connectedness in our communities. Recognising my personal values of empathy, sincerity and kinship, I found myself drawn to a dream of starting a purpose-driven business to help disadvantaged women showcase their skills and stories and break the stigmas surrounding their situations. Being a mum of two school-aged children, my children are constantly inspiring me and my husband the simple joys and power of storytelling.

The REED Collective was born with an aim to inspire through the stories behind, designs crafted and causes supported. REED stands for Resilence. Enable. Empower. Dream. We exist to champion women and girls in their unique skills and talents so they can flourish and fulfill their dreams with the opportunity to bring purposeful, positive contribution to the community. To me, this means empowering others and shifting mindsets as we start a movement to mobilise women and girls, unlocking their creativity and giving them the platform to showcase their talents. What I am looking forward to is seeing other women experience this same sense of fulfilment, autonomy and purpose.

Can I invite you to join me in my journey? Together, we can make a difference.

If my story speaks to you, please feel free to connect with me.