Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Manawa, Te Ātihaunui-ā-Pāparangi, Te Whakatōhea

My practice is largely based between tikanga Māori, pūrākau, and contemporary design spaces. Although I am a mixed media artist, I see myself more as a kōwhaiwhai practitioner. Most of my mahi focuses on translating pūrākau into a visual language people can connect with. 

My practice includes painting, sculpture, kōwhaiwhai, digital design, and fabrication. I am always looking at ways to move our art forms forward through new processes and materials, exploring how customary knowledge can live comfortably in contemporary forms. 

I have delivered public and community commissions across Aotearoa, with work in health and education settings. I like working closely with people through kōrero and shared processes, so the outcome reflects who it is for and where it lives.  

Through Te Pae Tawhiti Collective, I contribute creative direction and cultural design thinking, supporting projects to carry mātauranga Māori in ways that feel right for the people and places they are connected to. 

Ngāti Kahu ki Whāngaroa, Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī

I am a māma of four, committed to raising my Tamariki in Te Ao Māori with Te Reo Māori as their first language. My cores values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and matatika guide my personal life and shape how I engage with others in my professional mahi. 

As a Chartered Accountant with eight years of experience across a wide range of finance roles, I have developed capability in financial management, analysis, and guiding people to make informed, confident financial decisions. I have seen firsthand how financial uncertainty can create stress and limit opportunities, but I have also seen how the right support can transform someone’s confidence and long-term security. 

I am passionate about financial literacy and committed to making financial knowledge accessible, practical, and relatable. I enjoy breaking down complex concepts into clear, practical guidance that empowers individuals, whānau, and communities to build confidence, capability, and strong financial foundations for the future. 

Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Koroki-Kahukura

Born in Te Kūiti and raised in the Manawatū-Rangitīkei area, Rex carries strong whānau and community values into all aspects of his mahi. Now based in the Ruapehu district, he manages a Whānau Ora service within Ngāti Rangi. 

With extensive experience across the health sector, Rex is dedicated to improving outcomes for Māori and strengthening systems that reflect whānau, hapū, and iwi aspirations. His people‑centred, kaupapa‑driven leadership is grounded in manaakitanga, integrity, and tāutuutuu. 

Rex is also deeply passionate about te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori. As a licensed translator and former kaiako reo Māori, he continues to refine his craft through wānanga, collaborative projects, and ongoing exploration of reo depth and nuance. Outside of his professional and language pursuits, Rex is deeply committed to kapa haka. He has been a member of his rōpū since its inception and embodies their whakataukī: “Ko tō manawa, ko tōku manawa, he manawa tuarea.” This involvement has shaped not only his performance skills but also his appreciation for the discipline, unity, and taonga tuku iho that kapa haka represents and provides.

Ngaa Rauru, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāruahine

He awa au, he Rua au, he Rauru au... Tihei, mauri ora!  

Ko Luther Ashford toku ingoa. I am an artist hailing from PTA aka Paatea Taranaki Aotearoa. Raised in a small rural community that has a natural flare for the arts, I decided to try to turn my passion for mahi toi into a career and pursue formal training in Māori Visual Arts under the mantle of Toioho ki Āpiti at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University.   

I am fortunate to have been surrounded by many forward-thinking mentors who have enabled me to spend the last decade sharing my skills in visual arts, graphic design, communications, and engagement with my communities. During this time, I have also been blessed with my daughter who is the absolute center of my universe. For the foreseeable future I will continue to beat the feet at grassroots kaupapa, and collaborate with individuals, organisations and businesses to bring their visions to life.  

Ngā iwi o Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Porou

A kaimanaaki at my core I am passionate about developing and growing people in any way I can. My background includes teaching for kohanga reo, puna reo and ECE, youthwork and group facilitation, a stint at the Ministry of Education and most recently a Kaupapa Māori Learning Lead for Te Papa. Among all the great teachers I’ve had over the years, the ones who have taught me the most are the ones who call me Māmā and I strive to be the best version of myself for them every day. 

Kia Tuku Iho - Transmitting mātauranga from one generation to the next, the TPTC mātāpono for which I am responsible also happens to be one of my personal passions, taku waimarie! Ensuring our commitment as a collective to always have our tamariki mokopuna at the forefront of everything we do. 

Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Kai Tahu, Tuhoe

Born and raised in the small town of Shannon, I was nurtured by a whānau deeply committed to mahi marae, promoting te reo Māori and preserving mātauranga Māori. I am a māmā and my little whānau are my daily motivation to raise them in te ao Māori as pā kids, mokopuna of Kōhanga Reo, and now ākonga of Kura Kaupapa Māori.

Naturally, service has always guided my path. I have a diverse range of experiences working in Health, Education, and Social Services sectors. Each role grounded in the hāpai ō functions for whānau, organisations, and communities to reach their goals, aspirations, and success.

As a shareholder of Te Pae Tawhiti Collective, I get to contribute by strengthening systems, and influencing programme and project design to build capability across our team and wider communities connecting people, purpose, and process with authenticity and impact.

Tokelau, Ngāi Tūhoe

I am of Tokelauan and Māori descent, drawing strong inspiration from my cultural roots and connection to the moana, taiaio and ranginui. I work in aerial survey and photography, specialising in capturing high-precision spatial data through LiDAR and photogrammetry. My work involves using airborne sensors and imaging systems to generate detailed 3D models, terrain data, and geospatial insights that support mapping, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure projects. I’m particularly interested in how LiDAR penetrates vegetation to reveal ground structure, and how photogrammetry transforms overlapping imagery into accurate, measurable landscapes. 

Outside of work, I’m deeply passionate about fishing and diving, spending as much time as possible in and around the water. Long term, I aspire to merge my technical background in photography with my love for drone operations and dabble in marine life photography. 

Te Āti Awa, Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Kahungunu

I was born and bred in Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui, often described as my Nanny Iwa’s tail. Raised within Ngāti Pōneke, I come from a long line of ringa raupā. That inheritance shows in how I spend my time, and much of it naturally finds its way back to Pipitea Marae. Now, as a māmā to a kōtiro who has become my own little tail, I hope she grows up carrying that same sense of responsibility to our people, so that Ngāti Pōneke remains a place open to ngā hau e whā.

I’ve supported kaupapa through governance and administrative mahi, including reporting and coordination. My background also spans event and hui management, tikanga-informed delivery, and operational support across marae, public sector, and community settings. I’m particularly committed to strengthening systems that build collective capability and long-term sustainability.

As a co-founder and shareholder of Te Pae Tawhiti Collective, and a student pursuing an LLB and BA majoring in Māori Studies and Economics, I bring practical insight, a growing understanding of legal and economic frameworks, and a systems focused approach to kaupapa that supports the long-term strength of the collective.