Meet the self-proclaimed “Tā Koha Bunch”! Social entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the Motu, who have chosen to be the pioneering Tā Koha campaigners. In the coming months they’ll be launching the first wave of Tā Koha crowdfunding campaigns, raising money to bring their plans to life with the support of their whānau, iwi and wider crowds. So we thought you should get to know them, in advance.
At our first Tā Koha Akonga Matauranga learning wānanga three weeks ago, we dug deep together building the resources and laying out steps towards activating their crowds, designing their campaigns and sharing their stories. One thing that took me by surprise was the willingness to collaborate: learning from and blending ideas together, creating a kete of rewards for any of the bunch to tap into, making connections to iwi, potential customers and partners, amplifying each other’s social media strategies.From digital storytelling to fashion, from tourism to gaming, from food and drink to online social networks, from markerspaces to kaumatua community centres – they’re a well-blended bunch, but I was impressed to see how they could work together – how the “we” can rise high above the “me”. Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi.
Let’s meet the Tā Koha Bunch!
Adele Hauwai | Seecom
Kia ora koutou. Nō Mohaka me Whatawhata ahau. Ko Ngāti-Kahungunu me Tuhoe me Ngāti-Maniapoto ōku iwi.
I am the CEO Founder for SeeCom, Reo-ā-Karu. SeeCom is short for ‘See Communication’, visual communication. We have gone innovative with designing digital sign language resources which is being translated into multiple sign languages to scale worldwide. See the sign, hear the word, communicate with ease and fun!
Tā Koha has given great insights in terms of getting engaged with communities, prospective sales, & marketing strategies – for both Project Campaigns & Equity Campaigns.
Chris Poipoi | Kiwi Kai Steam Puddings
Kia ora koutou. Raised in Rotorua, stemmed out of Ngati Kahungunu (Nuhaka), Ngati Porou and Ngati Whare.
“Kiwi Kai Steam Puddings are the best commercially produced pudding in New Zealand”
Judging panel 2017 New Zealand Food Awards
Kiwi Kai is now seeking investors to scale-up to expand throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Privileged to be part of the inaugural Tā Koha pilot, we have already gained invaluable guidance as we prepare our campaign to be launched to the world.
Hemi Ratahi | Kīrehu Creative
Tēnā ra koutou
Ko Taupiri me Kohukohunui ōku maunga
Ko Waikato me Whakatīwai ōku awa
Ko Ngāti Mahuta rāua ko Ngāti Paoa ōku Iwi Hapu
Ko Hemi Ratahi ahau
Our taonga, maunga, awa and whenua are important to us as Māori. They underpin our identities; they sustain our whānau and give us a sense of belonging. However as we move away from our turangawaewae, or as our kaumatua and kuia get too old to walk their whenua we start to lose connection with the very things that we identify with. In this day and age it’s all too easy for us to get caught up in our lives and don’t go back and reconnect with our marae, hapu and Iwi. KĪREHU CREATIVE LTD has made this OUR MISSION so ‘let us take you home’. Through leading innovative technology like 360 camera, virtual, augmented and mixed realities and also drone technology we intend to capture our taonga, our whenua, our sites of significance and with AR and VR present it back to whānau in a creative and interactive way that promotes engagement and reconnection. Our koro, kui and whānau overseas can experience whenua again rangatahi can engage with the tech and we would have achieved our collective goal to create connection and belonging.
Tā Koha has been the puha to my pork bones, the cream to my steam pudding it has given us māori entrepreneurs a space to give it a real go and as we build our campaigns we build our crowds and for me they will be the measure of our success.
Jamie-Lee Raumati | Stay Connected
Kia ora koutou, No Tainui, Tuwharetoa,Te Rarawa me Ngai Te Rangi oku iwi.
My name is Jamie lee Raumati and I am the CEO/Founder of STAY CONNECTED. At Stay Connected we work hard to assist our ladies all around the world in achieving their goals, dreams and life’s aspirations. We aim to be the number 1 platform for all women’s needs in New Zealand by 2019.
Tā Koha has given me an opportunity to expand my passion and dreams for Stay Connected to the next level and be amongst like minded people who are passionate about what they do. Thank you Tā Koha.
Kelly Francis | Whenua Warrior
Ngati Wharara, Ngati Korokoro – Ngapuhi
Kia ora e te whanau, Ko Kelly toku ingoa, No Whenua Warrior ahau. My name is Kelly and I have started a Charitable Trust named Whenua Warrior. We have a vision of every New Zealander with an edible organic garden and our mission is to feed the community, teach the community to feed themselves and empower them to feed each other. I currently travel around Auckland and Northland building gardens to feed the communities.
I have learnt some valuable knowledge on campaigning and hope to use this when doing my crowd fund pledge.
‘He rongoa te kai, he kai te Rongoa’ – Our medicine is our food, our food is our medicine’
Lily Stender | Tolaga Bay Inn
Kia ora koutou, ko Tuwhakairiora te Tangata, Te noho kainga ki Uawa
Hi, I’m Lily one of the Trustees of our Tolaga Bay Inn Charitable Trust. Our vision is to keep our history alive for future generations and our mission is to preserve our heritage by utilising the Inn as a vehicle for economic, social and cultural development. We are collaborating with key organisations and companies to provide in-house training, employment and business incubation services, fostering tourism and digital technology development in our community.
I am thrilled to be part of the TaKoha bunch, pioneering our first Maori crowdfunding platform.
From personal experience, the usual financial institutions, banks, investors and funding agencies have been difficult to deal with, as their main focus is the Bottom line – MONEY, PROFIT and High yielding RETURNS. Our outlook is more intergenerational and they fail to measure our qualities of whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, whakapapa, Tipuna… the main drivers of why we do what we do. Ta Koha is a collaborative, reciprocal approach which aligns with my own values of giving and receiving.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari, takimano no aku tipuna. (Not by the might of one but the might of many from our ancestors to us.)
Manawa Udy | Ngahere Communities
Te Roro o te Rangi, Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau, Ngati Awa, Ngati Manawa
At Ngahere Communities we cultivate physical and virtual communities that enhance creativity and innovation, using collaborative spaces, common values and co-designed programmes. Our first community – Ngahere Manukau – is launching in August 2018. A coworking and events space led by tikanga Māori, and polynesian flair.
The Tā Koha journey has given us a kete of insight and knowledge, allowing us to walk with financial confidence and to bring our whanau, friends, and their friends on the journey with us.
Joe Harawira | Flo Clothing
Ngāti Awa and Ngai Te Rangi.
Flo is about levelling the playing field so that all kids can flourish in life. It’s very much about the community – about connecting lovers of lifestyle and activewear through fashion to the very important social problem of child poverty. Flo is more than a brand – it’s about making a statement that this is who you are and what you stand for.
The Tā Koha process provides a good chance step out of the business to look at it and take more of a strategic approach. As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-today grind. Even taking time for a simple exercise like “who’s your crowd” is good – Flo’s crowd is evolving all the time, so it’s something helpful to think about and work towards.
Pam Armstrong | Stay Native
Ko Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua me Ngāpuhi ōku iwi.
Tenā koutou katoa. I am part of the burgeoning social enterprise ‘Stay Native’ which is an online tourism platform, connecting travellers to authentic indigenous experiences. Our hosts are all tangata whenua, with stories, talents and hidden treasures to share. We want to enhance wealth creation for Māori by providing them with the opportunities, the support and the tools to facilitate high quality, and unique experiences for their manuhiri (guests).
Tā Koha has opened our eyes to the possibilities that can come from enlisting the support of whanau, hapu, iwi and the community. There is power in the collective support given through this process. The community not only enables our social enterprise, but they too are contributing to the social outcomes we want to achieve for Māori. It therefore becomes a combined effort, where we all do a little to achieve a lot!
Rangimahora Reddy & Surinder Dhulip Singh | Rauawaawa Kaumatua Charitable Trust
Kia ora koutou katoa, Ko Tararua te maunga, ko Manawatu te awa, ko Raukawa, Ngati Maniapoto, Waikato Tainui, Ngati Rangiwewehi me Rangitane oku iwi. Ko Rangimahora ahau.
I am privileged to be the CEO for Rauawaawa.
Tenā koutou katoa. Ko Surinder Dhulip Singh toku ingoa, No Marēhia ahau. I am the Finance and Funding Manager at Rauawaawa.
“Hei manaaki nga Kaumātua” or enhancing the quality of life and wellbeing of our Kaumātua/ elders is what we all strive to achieve at Rauawaawa.
Tā Koha has given us an additional means to improve the lives of Kaumātua through engaging passionate people willing to be active change makers. Ka nui te mihi Tā Koha.
Shāree Wilkinson | Moka Premium Eco-Fibre Lashes
Ko Ngāpuhi te Iwi, ko Taheke taku hau kainga. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa.
My name is Shāree Wilkinson and my company Custom Plush Nz Ltd is forging new ground being the first to bring our unique resource of possum fibre into the beauty industry, and the first company to create an eyelash product in Aotearoa.
Crafting lashes that are 100% natural & biodegradable, my aim is to challenge the excessive use of synthetic fibres for eyelash manufacturing. This has been realised with a product set to help reduce the micro-plastic pandemic; Moka Premium Eco-Fibre Lashes.
Through a successful equity Tā Koha campaign, CPNZL will be able to expand on the product range into eyelash extensions, makeup brushes and importantly, glues to accompany the lash products giving Aotearoa an opportunity to stake its claim in what is a $1.4 billion global market.
“Mau ano e rapu he oranga”
“Your livelihood is in your own hands”
Keep your ear to the ground for what each of the Tā Koha bunch have in store over the coming months, by signing up to the Tā Koha newsletter.
