Ngā kaipupuri

Calm, thoughtful, and grounded in te ao Māori, Mike is our Manager, leading Healthy Families Far North with both mana and purpose. Whether sitting with whānau or presenting to decision-makers in leadership spaces, he has a particular gift for making sense of complex challenges and articulating our mahi with clarity. Rumour has it some of his best hui happen on the golf course. We can neither confirm nor deny.

Grounded in tikanga and driven by deep relational intelligence, Riri is the cultural backbone of our mahi. She brings facilitation, systems thinking and high-level influence to every kaupapa she touches, ensuring Māori voices are represented at regional and national levels and decisions are shaped by the people most affected by them. Give her a toolbox, and she'll build you something. Whether she'll finish it is another story, but she'll definitely start something impressive.

Bringing cultural depth, wide-reaching relationships, and a helicopter view across settings and sectors, Takoha is our Māori Systems Innovator. He carries intergenerational knowledge that connects the history of this place to its future. His connections span communities, sectors, and spaces across Te Tai Tokerau and beyond, meaning he arrives at the table with the credibility and trust needed to shift what matters for whānau. He's connected to more roopu, boards, and organisations than most, and still finds time to fish. Apparently, the net catches too many. Funny, we haven't seen any.

Anchored in manaakitanga and deep roots in this rohe, Tawhi is our Lead Systems Innovator, ensuring every hui, engagement, and relationship feels meaningful, safe, and purposeful. She brings breadth and depth across communities, organisations and sectors, keeping kaupapa moving with both authenticity and clear purpose. Never misses a CrossFit session, always hitting her steps. We're pretty sure she buys her lunch from the furthest possible place just to hit her target. The peace fingers are non-negotiable.

A natural pou for relational trust, Adelina is our Systems Innovator who brings both heart and clarity to complex mahi. She creates safe spaces for honest and difficult conversations, holding people and kaupapa with equal care while navigating complexity with humanity and humour. Give her any excuse to chuck on her diving kit, and she'll find a way to make it mahi. Turns out kaimoana gathering is actually a systems change strategy.

Genuinely gifted at listening, Talei is our Communications Lead, drawing out narratives and weaving them into communications that influence at regional and national levels. Her calm leadership and strategic mind make her a natural guide in both whānau-facing and decision-making spaces. Always backing the underdog, "This is our year!" or so she says... every year. Up the Wahs!

Bringing curiosity, warmth, and a talent for making systems change visible through design and visuals, Sasja helps whānau, organisations, and decision-makers see what is possible. Her energy and social skills make her a natural bridge-builder, while her outside-in perspective keeps the mahi fresh and thinking sharp. Passionate about cooking and baking, or so she says. The team have yet to see, smell, or taste any evidence. Investigations are ongoing.