Te Hapori Matihiko

Te Waipounamu, we’re coming to you! 💜 We’ve checked the maramataka, and 12 June 2025 is set. Mark your calendars whānau and join us at Te Pae, Ōtautahi for the third Ngā Tohu Matihiko | Matihiko Awards 2025. ✨ The Matihiko Awards recognise Māori leaders and emerging leaders in te ao mātihiko, digital, and tech, celebrating those shaping the future of our digital landscape. Ticket info is coming soon. Stay tuned for nominations and sponsorship details. Let the countdown begin! 📅

“Words of encouragement I would have for our hapori would be to find your people and to surround yourself with aroha and tautoko. We’re so much stronger when we’re together, and the tech sector needs us, so go for it.” Aleisha Amohia is our 2024 Rangatiratanga Tipu Award winner 🏆💜 Aleisha (Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hāua) is a Technical Lead at Catalyst, where she began her journey as an intern in 2014. A passionate advocate for diversity in STEM, Aleisha mentors rangatahi, presents at key events, and creates spaces for marginalised groups to thrive in the tech sector. She is a dedicated volunteer with the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ) and Innovative Young Minds, working to inspire and uplift young people, particularly women and Māori, in the tech field. Aleisha previously co-chaired the Māori Design Group at InternetNZ | Ipurangi Aotearoa and founded the Women in Tech group at Victoria University of Wellington during her studies. Through these roles, she actively works to ensure that diverse voices are represented in the technology space.

We’re looking forward to our kōrero with Amber today at 12! If you haven’t signed up yet, this is your last chance: 🔗 https://bitly.cx/Qagfx See you all at 12 on Zoom 👨🏽💻 There will be time at the end for you to ask Amber any pātai. 💜

Futures Wānanga 2025 🌎 Join us for an interactive wānanga where we’ll use an Indigenous future-making framework to shape the vision for our digitech futures. 🔮💭 Expect thought-provoking kōrero, hands-on sessions, and opportunities to learn, share, and connect with hapori members and rangatahi driving change. All are welcome, hapori, tangata moana, partners, allies, friends! 💜 Ōtautahi RSVP: https://lnkd.in/g8y3A2Sr Tāmaki Makaurau RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gpsu9uHi Online RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gyhQzhaU Secure your spot today. For queries, contact kiaora@matihiko.nz

Sara Smeath (Ngāpuhi) is the founder of CiRCLR, a platform designed to address food waste and insecurity in regional New Zealand. Despite the country’s abundance of food production and export, much of it is wasted, leaving many families struggling with food access. Drawing on her expertise in global supply chains and sustainable innovation, Sara created CiRCLR to tackle this issue. Sara is our 2024 Whiua ki te Ao - Tipu Winner. Sara was honoured with the Kaitiaki Award last year, an achievement that allowed her to expand her network and collaborate with other Māori founders. She describes the experience as one that helped her grow both professionally and personally: “It was just kind of opening up doors actually to make a better network here with other Māori founders.” Through CiRCLR, Sara has developed a digital platform that uses AI technology to map regional resources, enabling businesses to trade waste as a valuable resource. This platform empowers small businesses to access materials more affordably, promoting sustainability without exploiting the environment. Sara’s work is reshaping New Zealand’s approach to food waste and resource management, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future for the country. 💜🏆 #MatihikoAwards

When I accepted my seat at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards table, one of my key goals was to boost the number of Māori applications across every category, ensuring our unique kōrero and mahi are represented and celebrated. One of the first changes I advocated for was adding an Impact Statement to the application form. This means ngā pakihi are now judged not only on financials but also on the difference they make in their communities—a step toward recognising the full scope of their contributions!! This year, I decided to attend all the Launch Events so I could gather valuable insights from speakers, panel discussions, and audience questions and share these learnings with Te Hapori Matihiko, empowering you with the knowledge to submit stronger applications. If you are a member of Te Hapori Matihiko, join us online this Thursday, January 30th, from 12:00 to 12:45 NZT. The team and I will discuss: ⭐ The difference between the Matihiko Awards and the NZ HiTech Awards. ⭐ Insights from the National NZ HiTech Awards Launch events. ⭐ The potential opportunities that come with entering. ⭐ The NZ HiTech Scholarship I dream of having at least one Māori business be a finalist in each 2025 NZ HiTech Awards category. However, this isn’t just about prompting you to apply for my benefit. It’s about encouraging you to step up if your pakihi fulfils the criteria and supporting you in seizing the opportunity to grow, connect, and showcase your mahi. 🔗 Register at: https://lnkd.in/gUPspFcT The team making this session possible: Katie Brown, Lee Timutimu, Maryanne Madden, Bob Pinchin, Marian Johnson MNZM #MāoriInnovation #MāoriTech #IndigneousInnovation #HTANZ #NZTech #Innovation #MātaurangaSession

“We see that the emergent icon is kind of a tohu, but mainly a wero for the sorts of mahi that we should be producing as an organisation to be taking it to the next level. So it’s a tohu and it’s a wero for the mahi that we need to be doing to be able to support our communities.” 💭 Meet Vincent Egan (Ngāruahinerangi, Ngāti Ruanui), our 2024 Emergent Icon Award winner 🏆💜 In addition to Vincent’s individual recognition, Maui Studios the production studio he co-founded, was also honoured with the Changemaker (Tōtara) Award for its transformative impact on Māori representation in the creative and digital spaces. Māui Studios was established by Madison Henry-Ryan, Patrick Hussey, and Vincent Egan to address gaps in the creative representation of Māori culture, leveraging advances in communication technology and digital creation. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Māui Studios Aotearoa Ltd, and Director of Māui Virtual Production, Vincent has been a driving force behind blending Māori cultural heritage with cutting-edge digital innovation. From immersive AR and VR technologies to multimillion-dollar contributions to the Māori economy, his leadership ensures mātauranga Māori thrives in the modern age. Māui Studios’ mahi includes Āhuru Mōwai - Sanctuary™, Mythik Tāne VR Game, the creation of the Google Doodle for Waitangi Day, and collaborations with global platforms like Apex Legends 🎮👾 With Vincent’s vision, Māui Studios is redefining digital storytelling and paving the way for future generations, all grounded in ngā uara Māori.

Join our next mātauranga session: NZ Hi-Tech Awards Nominations with Amber Taylor, a Trustee for the awards, who will be sharing valuable tips on how to create standout entries! 📝🏆 Amber (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Whatua, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi) is the Co-Founder and CEO of ARA Journeys, a SaaS and mobile games company that blends the digital world with te taiao and te ao Māori. She was also the 2023 Innovator Tipu Award recipient at the Matihiko Awards. There will be time for her to answer any pātai you may have. Whether you’re new to the process or looking to refine your entries, this session will provide valuable insights to help you succeed! 🙌🏽 📆 Thursday January 30 ⌚️ 12 - 12:45pm 💜 RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gY8R32MK

Kia ora e te whānau, We’re looking for someone special to join our team at Te Tāhū Hauora | Health Quality & Safety Commission, working alongside me to support Māori data governance. This role is about making sure Māori voices and values guide how data is used to improve hauora outcomes for our people. It’s an opportunity to embed kaupapa Māori approaches and support real change, grounded in manaakitanga, equity, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. If you care about Māori data sovereignty and making a positive difference, please apply or connect with me for a kōrero. We’d love to have you as part of our team. Please share across your networks, Ngā mihi nui, Carlton #hiring #māoridatagovernance #hauoramāori #māorihealth

Fresh digitech kupu to kick off 2025! ✨ 🤖 Maybe you want to kōrero about the Apple AI fiasco and pūrere ako-aunoa (machine learning). 🤑 Or kōrero about the price of Bitcoin & moni whitirangi (cryptocurrency). 🧬 Or take part in our Taki Waehere (hackathon) later this year to solve big challenges 👩🏽💻 Use these kupu when you can to strengthen your memory & add more kupu to kete reo. Kupu provided courtesy of Te Mihinga, Ian Cormack, Pania Papa and Joseph Ramanui. We’ll keep you posted on our next Kura Reo Hangarau where you can kōrero Māori & tech! 💻💜