Meet Our Kaimahi

Ngaa Rauru, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu (Ngāi Tamaterangi)
Atarau has a deep passion for community, business and the spaces in between. He is steeped in Te Ao Māori through Kohanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa (Full Immersion Education) and his living in this world and understanding is what helps set his direction. The way he works with people is to listen and seek to understand. His experiences range from private sector development, cultural public sector roles and cross community relationships.
Fun Fact - The Conch (Pūtatara) is my favourite instrument!

Ngaa Rauru, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu (Ngāi Tamaterangi), Ngāi Tahu
Tama is of Ngai Tahu descent. He is driven by his desire for further knowledge, allowing him to have a far broader understanding of the business sector. His expertise as an environmental consultant provides an acute perspective on the connection between AI and the environment. He works closely with rūnanga and iwi organisations and takes every opportunity to utilise his tool of Te Reo Māori.
Fun Fact - I play pool left-handed, even though I am right-handed.

Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi, Nga Rauru-Kii-Tahi, Ngati Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngati Whakaue, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Raukawa
Haukura is driven by her lived experience on marae throughout Waikato and Taranaki, which means she is entrenched in Teatowel-tanga. She brings a certain spark, in her performance both on stage and at mahi. Her inspiration is the future generations - she is a guide for tamariki and a voice for mokopuna. She stands up to injustice with her head held high and has a desire to support businesses to ‘get it right’.
Fun Fact - I did a ‘highest kick’ competition with my cousin on a cruise and slipped and broke my arm.

Ngāti Porou
I tipu ake a Fushia ki Waipiro i nga rekereke o ōna pakeke and she is our kaitieki from the East Coast. Her passions meet at the confluence of her identity and her skills. As Ngāti Porou, Fushia is a creator of strategy, a pioneer and a daredevil. She walks the talk when it comes to Te Ao Māori and its inherent connection to everything we see, say and do. Her mātauranga partnered with her personal flair levels up our way of working.
Nā te te aroha o taku whānau aku pakiaka e pakari, ā, nā te papa, te oneone, me te waitai o te kāinga au e puawai. I tēnei wā, ko ōku aronganui i tēnei wā ko ngā pūtaiao koiora me te rongoā, te waka ama, me te tākoro kēmū ā-tinana. E tipu, e rea!
Fun Fact - My lifelong dream is to see every native animal of Aotearoa.

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Maniapoto, Kāi Tahu, Trawlwoolway
Grace, a wāhine toa, has been immersed in Te Ao Māori through education, whānau and in her day-to-day life. She is the embodiment of a Pā child, learning across generations to seek distant horizons. Platforming off her teaching experience she brings a warm nature to the Mahi AI Team, placing people first to establish trusting relationships. Grace is an intergenerational navigator and grounds us in her context for the Māori world.
Fun Fact – I am related to half the Māori All Blacks!

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Whanganui-ā-Orotu
Ariana started her Te Reo, Tikanga and Te Ao Māori journey at a young age, with her whānau, hapū, and community as pillars of support. She seizes every opportunity to grow her knowledge base and welcomes learning into her world. She challenges the status quo and brings an edge to the team to ensure we are always thinking outside the box. Ariana guides our moral compass with whānau at the heart.
Fun Fact - During my first week of University I managed to dislocate my knee, shatter my patella and snap my femur!

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngaa Rauru, Ngāti Raukawa
Over the past 40 years, TeHuia has held a range of senior management and governance roles, all with a focus on Māori development, Māori engagement, the Treaty and human rights. These include roles with the Human Rights Commission, Te Puni Kokiri and NZEI: TeRiuRoa. He has also chaired and been a member of Trusts, Iwi Boards and NGOs/Charitable Organisations, including the board of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.
He has provided education and strategic advice to agencies, businesses and NGOs, including Treasury, the National Iwi Chairs Forum and the Tindall Foundation. He is a skilled facilitator, educator and presenter.
Fun fact: My venture into business included ownership of two restaurants.

Te Whakatōhea me Ngāitai | Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Haua, Ngāti Pākau Te Hikutū
Hemi and Paula currently work at Te Kāhui Tika Tangata (the Human Rights Commission) and have been there since September 2008. Prior to that Paula worked in Whānau Development in Opōtiki. Paula is a mother of 8 sons (4 whāngai and 4 adult sons) and nanny to 16 mokopuna.
Hemi grew up at the feet of his elders at Terere ki Opotiki, He uri nō Te Whakatōhea! I hūnuku aia me tōna whānau ki Tamaki Makaurau, ki Mangere. Kei reira ia kuraina ana, e whakatipu i tenei papakainga hou.
Their passion is whānau and hapū, working tirelessly to not only tautoko them, but guide them to not be afraid to engage in Te Ao Māori. They have a strong bond and therefore are always looking for ways to strengthen rangatiratanga here in Aotearoa.
E kore raua e ngaro, e kore raua e whakamā. E kaha nei rāua ki te kimi ki te rapu kō wai rāua. Manene ki te motu, manene ki te Ao aha pēhea rā. E kore wareware ki te ūkaipō.
Fun fact: One of our proudest moments was the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Ngāti Porou
Sinead is passionate about her people and communities. She generously shares her mātauranga with all of us. She has the ability to bring together ideas across a wide range of collective groups, organisations and businesses. She brings her quality assurance background to the table and combines it with her ability to walk boldly in two worlds. Her lived experience highlights her strength, bravery and confidence to see things through. She is a modern-day business warrior.
Fun Fact - Dachshunds are my favourite animal.

Ngaa Rauru, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu
Kym is a kaupapa Māori researcher, evaluator, strategist, and facilitator. She has worked with and for Iwi organisations, government, and the not-for-profit sector for over 18 years. She is the managing director of Karearea: Institute for Change, a partnership company with the mission to create social and organisational change, through evaluation, research, facilitation and innovation. She has worked across a range of justice programmes and strategies, te reo revitalisation, Māori education, family violence, health innovation, rangatahi and mental health, whānau ora, equity, housing, employment and training, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and regional regeneration.
Fun Fact – I play with Lego in my projects all the time (see Lego Serious Play).