There is, in the latest ANZ Barometer Māori Business Key Insights Report, a strong insight into the motivational differences between Maori and non-Maori businesses - and the opportunity for growth, jobs and rewards beyond money.
The Barometer, in its second year, polled 3500 businesses (including those who identified themselves as Maori businesses or Maori in business), and shows the top reason for Maori to be in business was "to help others", followed by "making money", "to follow my passion" and to "leave a legacy".
Non-Maori businesspeople rated "making money" as the runaway top reason to be in business, followed by "to enjoy a chosen lifestyle" and "to be in control of my life."
The collective and community motivation of Maori is personified by people like University of Auckland Bachelor of Commerce student Mere Baker (Nga Puhi, Ngati Pikiao), part of a wave of Māori students who want to study business for social good.
"Most Māori students are here for their families, or because of the way they grew up; they want something better for themselves," says Baker. "I want to show my people if I can do it, they can too."
'Helping others' reflects the collective aspect of many Maori businesses and their role, underpinned by Maori culture, as inter-generational custodians. They are devoted to a broader plan of community wellbeing and sustainable businesses.
However, Maori businesses' focus on community should not give the impression they are just sentimental concerns, says Chellie Spiller (Ngāti Kahungunu), the University of Auckland Business School's Associate Dean Māori and Pacific.
"Of course there is an emphasis on making money - but it is not regarded as an end in itself; what Maori businesses want to do is to produce a profit to benefit their community and to keep sustaining the natural world that plays a big role in that wellbeing."
Maori business has now swelled to an overall estimated value of $42 billion with exports in dairy, forestry, seafood and meat industries. Some individual companies like dairy company Miraka are often held up as an example, having grown revenues to $250m in just three years while treaty settlements have also led to good growth.
Tainui have turned $170m of settlement cash into $1 billion while Ngai Tahu have cracked the top 100 of Deloitte's Top 200 index for the first time this year, turning their original $170m settlement into $1.2 billion.
According to the ANZ Barometer, the key is making sure the next generation of Māori have the right skills to make a difference in growing Māori business as well as ensuring improvement in overall household income and wellbeing measures.
New Zealand's general population is skewed towards older age groups but the Maori population is younger - one third of Maori are under 15. Spiller says that's a great opportunity for students to play a leadership role; over half of Maori businesses have flagged succession planning as an issue.
That's where students like Mere Baker come in; next year she will be vice-president of the Commerce Association of Pacific and Māori students (CAPM), part of the Maori network and mentoring support at the Business School. She is also part of Spark, the University's entrepreneurship programme providing seed funding and business mentoring for start-ups.
"I became part of the Spark community to get a Māori presence in the programme, to engage more, showcase our talents and provide a pathway for up-and-coming entrepreneurs," she says.
She was a contestant last year - her entry a sonar wrist band to help blind children improve their quality of life, inspired by her visually impaired daughter. This year she helped to launch a new category - Whuia ki te Ao! - to help grow the Māori entrepreneurial ecosystem.
"We got 26 Māori entries ranging from health and well-being to marae development apps, technological innovations and whakapapa development," Mere says. "It was great to see, it was all about social entrepreneurship and how to give back to the community."
Spiller says Maori business is ahead of the curve in areas like diversity of staff, where many companies around the world are realising the business opportunity behind multi-cultural philosophies, and sustainability. She says the principle of business for social good is also taking root.
"Look at what Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is doing by giving away 99 per cent of his fortune," she says. "That is $45 billion and he wants to advance human potential and promote equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research, and energy."
The Business School also prepares Maori and Pacific students for business life outside Maori companies - like Ryan King (Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu), who came from Manurewa High School on a scholarship awarded to students at low-decile schools.
He will join the Vodafone graduate programme at the company's headquarters next year and says his goal is to help his South Auckland community: "I hope to show students back home they can succeed and achieve their goals. Since I came to Business School all alone, I know how important it is for Māori to have CAPM and connections to Māori, Pacific students, to South Auckland and a sense of community."