Jacob has extensive experience in strategic planning, Māori/marae development and is strongly committed to building the reo capability of his Iwi and marae. His background is in the tertiary area where he has researched and taught in the University sector. Hākopa as he likes to be called is a pāpā of the people. Drawn to any mokopuna in the ruma he quickly claims them as his own. Hākopa was a prominent figure in the growth of the fascinating sports code ultimate frisbee within Te Moana a Toi and beyond. A lover of korikori and te ao Māori, Hākopa is a passionate supporter of our kaupapa. Toi tū te oranga Māori!

Pania holds a Masters Degree in Social Change Leadership from the University of Melbourne, a conjoint degree in Law and Health Sciences from the University of Auckland and has also acquired qualifications from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in the areas of Māori food sovereignty practices and performing arts. Pania is passionate about te taiao, te reo māori me ōna tikanga, health, and justice. He Māma, he tamāhine, he mokopuna ka mutu he kanohi kitea i te ao Māori. You might recognise her as the wāhine toa leading alongside her whanaunga the fight for the whenua in Ihumātao. Toi Tū te whenua, Toi Tū Te Reo Māori, Toi Tū Te Tiriti!

Lewin is a previous Principal, Deputy Principal, Senior Leader, Experienced specialist and registered teacher who has taught in both full immersion and bilingual settings. He has a strong commitment to education, te reo Māori, physical activity, media studies and music. He is a graduate of Ka Eke Poutama through Te Whare Hukahuka and holds many qualifications in education, Māori media, sport and rec and te reo Māori. Outside of these professional accolades Lewin is Rugby league mad. He is one of the warriornation fanatics that almost never misses a home game at Go media stadium. Wahs ki runga!

Dr Isaac Warbrick is a Director of Taupua Waiora Centre for Māori Research at Auckland University of Technology. His research looks at the application of mātauranga Māori to physical activity and shifting from a focus on weight loss, to one that is driven by (and enhanced with) kōrero tuku iho – including the use of the maramataka as a way to (re)connect ‘health’ with the taiao. If he’s not having a tutu with Taiao and technology you might find him on the papa tākaro rongonui that is Poitūkohu. A player, a coach, a lover of the code and a follower of the NBA. The dribble of the ball works much like the pūtatara calling Dr Isaac home amongst the Toi Tangata whānau.

No stranger to Toi Tangata, Leonie believes true partnership between the western world and te ao Māori can help to achieve prosperity. Having held leadership roles in both Iwi and the government sector, her career started in kaupapa Māori public health spanning service design, research, and innovation before moving into indigenous enterprise development with her Iwi, community development, and impact investment. An artist, a korokoro tui, a kaikaranga, pretty much the original MC’s of our ao Māori. Ihi rangaranga probably best captures Leonie as she jams taonga puoro or the love of music, soul, hip-hop and rnb those beautiful vibrations ooze from this wahine toa in all settings.

Raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Darrio is a product of the Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori movement. He thrives in Māori environments and utilises his lived experiences and knowledge of te ao Māori to progress any kōrero. A sucker for any form of korikori (movement), you’re likely to find Darrio playing a volley on a squash court, hip swinging on the tag field, running in the ngāhere, shooting a few baskets or playing handstands with his 4 tamariki in the backyard. Recognising that play and moving is an essential part to survival as Māori, he likes to incorporate these into every aspect of his mahi. With 10+ years experience in the Māori education, sport, recreation and health sectors, Darrio brings an extensive list of pūkenga (skills) to the Toi Tangata Team.

Matire is a passionate wahine who finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, especially gathering kai, diving, and exploring the outdoors. She values the strength and connection she gains from staying active, whether through exercise or her adventures through the mahi that Toi Tangata offers the wider community. Whanau is at the heart of what she does; she treasures time spent with her whanau, knowing these moments are essential to well-being and grounding. In her professional role as Business, Finance, and HR Manager, Matire combines her expertise with her commitment to making a difference. She understands the importance of creating a thriving, supportive environment where people feel empowered and connected, aligning her work with her values. Her role allows her to support her team and Toi Tangata’s mission, while ensuring financial stability for the organisation, as well as providing a nurturing workplace culture.

Based in Whangārei Te Rerenga Parāoa, Toni is passionate about the power of impactful storytelling and communications to drive meaningful change while honouring and uplifting te ao Māori. In her role as our Communications Manager, she is the driving force behind Toi Tangata’s communication and promotion efforts. With a background in writing, Iwi communications, and consultancy, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

As a proud and devoted mum of four, Toni integrates her values of integrity and aroha into not only her mahi but everything she does. Outside of work you will find her spending time with her whanau, playing hockey or feeding her insatiable appetite for learning – often with her nose in a book. Toni’s vision is to continue making a positive impact through diverse and inclusive storytelling that celebrates and uplifts our culture.

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Crystal Pekepo, our Quality Service Manager, is a dedicated individual with a passion for social design and innovation.

As a proud Mama of six tamariki and a kuia to two mokopuna, Crystal moves with the strength of the Pā Harakeke, weaving whānau, community, and whenua into her work. With a wealth of experience in facilitation, social design, and innovation, she brings deep insights from her roots, grounding her in the wisdom of taiao and the call of ancestral lands. Her love for the environment shines through in every space she enters, drawing others to see the world through a lens of connectivity.

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Haylee is Kaiārahi for Kai Māori Kai Ora at Toi Tangata. In recent years her mahi around kai has deepened and expanded and now includes research on local food systems alongside marae, co-led kaupapa kai alongside knowledge holders and grassroots collectives, and celebrating the kai stories of whānau. She is a gardener of many years, following after her aunties, nan, and great-grandmother and is enjoying building her new māra in Whangārei alongside a community of artists, community organisers, growers and land stewards. She loves kai (and especially kina), and is always looking to forge trade networks with nearby divers. Poetry is a passion and a way of processing big things that she is trying to make more time for. Having grown up in a big extended family where kids are always around, she loves hanging out with her little cuzzies who make her feel like a kid again and alongside whom she can be her goofiest and most adventurous self.

He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Kai Tahu, Ngā Rauru hoki – Ko Chelsea Cunningham tēnei!

Raised on the lands of Kahungunu, Chelsea brings a spirited energy for sport, play, and whānau well-being to Toi Tangata. She’s a graduate of Otago University, where her passion for Māori physical activity and health truly took flight. Her rangahau dives into how whānau connect to whakapapa and whenua, exploring the significance of ancestral land and seascapes to uplift well-being. Chelsea leads the Rangahau stream, with her main kaupapa being Growing the Puna, crafting spaces for tauira Māori to flourish and rangahau that centers on Māori values.

When she’s not in the mahi, you’ll find her on a maunga somewhere or out with her whānau. As a former Growing the Puna intern herself, Chelsea is thrilled to be part of the Toi Tangata whānau – supporting others like she was, providing memorable moments in the taiao and always with a laugh along the way.

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Hinerangi grew up in Rotorua and currently lives in Tauranga Moana. Hinerangi has a background in Communications, Advocacy, and Adult Teaching. She has previously worked in Māori Public Health and Māori Zero Waste organisations. She is passionate about mātauranga Māori and its restoration, as well as realigning with our taiao and our ancestral wisdoms to nurture the mauri of whānau and our natural world.  She seeks to embed these tikanga in the work she does within the Kai Ora, Kai Māori space.

Born in Hastings and raised alongside her whānau in Maraenui, Chrissy now lives in Tāmaki Makaurau where she dedicates much of her time to Mau Rākau – traditional Māori weaponry. Throughout her time in high school, tertiary studies, and her professional career, she found purpose in embedding the learnings and principles of Mau Rākau to tell and create innovative opportunities of system change for the Māori community. In October 2022 Chrissy reached the highest level in Te Whare Tū Taua o Aotearoa and is now one of three wāhine who have reached Pou Waru. She has joined the Toi Tangata team as Lead Facilitator for Mātaiao ki Tāmaki which is embedded in the Atua Matua Model of the observation and study of taiao and the building of taiao literacy.

Whakarongo ake ai au ki te hīrea waha o Māui e kīia mai kia tōia te waka ka māunu ki te wai ka hoe ki te moana whiua ake tana matua hī ake ai te ika nui nei ko Aotearoa ka rewa ki runga ka eke ki te tihi o Pātangata ka ngātoro taku reo ki te mata o te maunga rere ki te moana hoki mai tau ki Tūwhakairiora, ka ripo taku reo pāoro ki ngā wai o te awatere ka eke whakahoki ki runga ki te tihi auheke ki tōku whenua nei ki te rā whiti o te tai Te Tairāwhiti e!

Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aimee is the product of Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa and her whānau. If she could describe herself in one word, it would be courageous. She lives and breathes everything hauora and growing up her whānau had her in every sport they could think of. Aimee is a high-performance athlete pursuing a career in sport and hoping one day she can create a pathway for Kura Kaupapa students with the same goal. Thriving in Te Ao Māori, Aimee is constantly surrounded by inspiring Māori who see and want nothing but the best for our people.

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A proud wahine from Waikato with roots in Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Raukawa, Taylah-Jade was born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, the concrete jungle. Growing up, she was lucky enough to be immersed in a world of taonga tākaro like Kī o Rahi and waka ama, not to mention the endless adventures with the cuzzies, climbing trees, running wild up the maunga, and making the best of whatever they could find! These days, you’ll catch Taylah throwing weight around at CrossFit, winging it on the touch field, or just vibing with a good feed and even better company.

Her time at Ngā Puna o Waiorea and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi helped her stay grounded in her mana Māori and fueling her passion for being an unapologetic Māori. As Kaitautoko Pūkōrero for Mātaiao ki Tāmaki, whether it’s through Mātaiao or across the Toi Tangata community, she is here to inspire our young ones to move, explore, and grow because when you’re having fun, you’re always learning and strengthening your whare tapa whā!

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