Rotorua: Six-week Māori business programme launches

The inaugural cohort of Te Aka Matua participating in their first wānanga this week.

A six-week business development programme designed to support Māori enterprise launched in Rotorua this week, welcoming 16 aspiring entrepreneurs into its inaugural cohort.

Te Aka Matua offers a kaupapa-Māori-led business programme where participants will develop their entrepreneurial ideas through group wānanga and one-on-one mentoring, transforming their business visions into reality.

The programme is led by IndigiShare Charitable Trust - a mātauranga Māori led and mana motuhake-driven social enterprise - with support from the Booster Foundation, an IndigiShare statement said.

The inaugural cohort spans various industries and includes founders from all stages of life and professional experience, it said.

In the statement, designer and founder of indigenous clothing label Hunaarn Huriana Mohi (Ngāti Rangiwewehi) said this opportunity would provide “invaluable” mentorship, resources, and connections that aligned with her mission to revitalise indigenous art forms through fashion.

“With Te Aka Matua’s support, I can refine my business strategies, strengthen my cultural storytelling, and explore sustainable growth.

“This will not only help expand my pakihi [business], but also empower others to embrace their Māoritanga through timeless, meaningful designs that reflect who we are as Māori.”

Ahi Compliance and Contracting Ltd founder John Richards (Ngāti Whakāue) said: “I’m 60 years old this year, I suppose it’s never too late to keep filling the kete up.”

Founder of dive education training centre Aotearoa Dive Renee Tapsell (Ngāti Whakāue) said the programme would not only accelerate the growth of its pakihi, “but also empower us to contribute positively to our community and whānau”.

“This opportunity will provide us with invaluable mentorship, resources, and a supportive network that can help refine our business by engaging with experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts,” Tapsell said.

Over the coming weeks, participants would work on crafting compelling business pitches, aiming beyond immediate goals to fulfil broader aspirations for their whānau, the statement said.