Meet the Mob

Meet the Mob Special Edition Aotearoa 
This special series of Meet the Mob was filmed in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We extend our thanks to Amotai Supplier Diversity. 

Meet Pera Davies

Pera identifies strongly with his Māori heritage, being raised by his very loving grandmother in Bridge Pa, Hastings.  Pera grew up in a shearing whanau raised on strong values around manaakitanga, and caring for the well-being of the collective.

In 1985 Pera started suffering severe lower back pain from shearing and after a few years of doctors and physios, he originated the Shear Jitsu to help with serious back injuries he was suffering as a shearer. Convinced he could help shearers who suffer back injuries and pain, Pera approached Australian Wool Innovations the biggest wool harvesting industry in the world with a plan to improve the health, wellness, and longevity of their workers. This led to the development of the SFC Roller recovery tool. 
As a consultant for Australian Wool Innovation Pera delivered Shear Jitsu back injury prevention workshops throughout Australia. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This special series of Meet the Mob was filmed in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We extend our thanks to Amotai Supplier Diversity for their support.  

Meet Pele Aumua
Pele is a specialist in holistic health and culture building. He applies innovative approaches that challenges deficit thinking and focuses on potential instead. Pele’s background in functional strength and conditioning, gym ownership, and lifestyle coaching have culminated his skillset in designing and delivering health and wellbeing initiatives that create transformative change. He excels at empowering communities to become self-sufficient. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Frae Cairns

Frae has lived and worked abroad in both Canada and Japan and gained local and international experience in retail sector management, sales, international shipping and operations. She is a CIPS accredited Procurement Professional and won Young Procurement Professional of the year in 2019. Her passion for social equity led her to pioneer the social and sustainable procurement work in Auckland Council and subsequently go on to play a pivotal role in growing He Waka Eke Noa and Amotai. She has worked with hundreds of procurement professionals and organisations to deliver impact through procurement activity and enable greater opportunities for Māori and Pasifika.

And Meet Kahurangi Malcolm
Kahurangi was schooled in total immersion Māori at Te Raki o Pukekohe and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waiuku. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Business Administration and completed her post-graduate
research on Māori Economic Development. She previously worked for Waikato’s Economic Development Agency supporting business growth and has held numerous roles in health and social services. Kahurangi understands Māori business having started a number of her own small businesses including a nutrition consultancy, a niche. 

Together they make up Puna Awarau

Puna Awarau is a Māori consultancy firm working at the forefront of Indigenous procurement in Aotearoa. With unrivaled expertise in supplier diversity, we are your specialist support. Generating Māori (and Pasifika) socio[1]economic outcomes within organisations and major projects.
We work with government agencies, local body authorities, Iwi, Māori land trusts, private enterprises and charitable trusts that want to better understand what social value they can create through their spending.

We understand the power of procurement in creating change and believe a more equitable Aotearoa is possible. We offer independent expert advice and support to organisations working towards broader outcomes through
social procurement, progressive procurement and/or supplier diversity.
• We are 100% Māori owned
• We are 100% wāhine owned
Puna Awarau founders have whakapapa links to Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, Te Rarawa, Te Waiariki, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti
Kahu.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This special series of Meet the Mob was filmed in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We extend our thanks to Amotai Supplier Diversity for their support.  

Meet Tony Gunn

Tony was born and raised in the small Māori community of Tikitiki on the East Cape of New Zealand’s North Island. 

Tony spent 15 years in the retail motor vehicle industry, where he
progressed from a sales role to becoming a partner at a country Mazda-BMW dealership in Victoria, Australia. 

For the past 23 years, Tony has owned and operated a promotional products business called 360 Degrees Focus. This business specializes in niche marketing a range of promotional products and branded accessories to franchised motor dealerships in Australia and New Zealand.

The TIKIMAN Promotions & TIKIMAN Workwear brands are a significant part of Tony's journey back to Aotearoa. It represents one of the avenues through which he is reconnecting with Māori and Pasifika communities. As a foundation member of Amotai, he has committed to contributing to Indigenous procurement opportunities in both Australia and New Zealand,
supporting the economic development of these communities.

TIKIMAN Promotions has been a minor sponsor of the Māori National Golf Championships for over 10 years, demonstrating his long-term commitment to supporting Māori sports and cultural events.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Rachel Petero

Rachel Petero (Ko Waikato Te Iwi – Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāti Whawhakia, Ngāti Te Ata, Ngāti Tahinga) Rachel is a multifaceted Indigenous leader, entrepreneur, governor and author dedicated to advancing Indigenous Women's intergenerational wealth and well-being aspirations. Her business Rise Global is on a mission to help Indigenous Women rise through the decolonising and indigenising of learning and development pathways.

 Her leadership and coaching programmes are internationally recognised and award winning. In February 2024 she launched IWI Indigenous Women in Industry in Aotearoa. iWI unites a global network of industry leaders for a stronger global economy, people and planet. Canada will host IWI in 2026, Australia in 2028, USA in 2030. Rachel serves as co-chair of Te Ohu Whai Ao Trust, trustee of Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust, UNICEF Aotearoa New Zealand, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Foundation.and director of Te Rau o Te Korimako. Rachel continues to support Otara Bluelight Committee and Te Huringa o te Tai o ngā Wāhine programme since 2016. Together with her husband John, she invests in business and property development, aiming to leave a legacy for their six nieces and nephews.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Tapere Hewett

Tapere Hewett, a Cook Islander born and raised in Aotearoa, is an award-winning professional in the mortgage and financial advisory industry. As the Director and Senior Mortgage Adviser at Hewett Mortgages, Tapere brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for helping clients achieve their dreams of homeownership, financial stability, and wealth creation.

Tapere holds an MBA Degree and a Level 5 Financial Advice Qualification, which complement her extensive expertise in the field. A seasoned property investor herself, she has held numerous leadership roles in both multinational organizations and Local Government, primarily focusing on finance and compliance. Her extensive background and expertise make her a trusted adviser to clients seeking to navigate the complexities of the property market. At Hewett Mortgages, Tapere and her team are committed to the mission of the company, “to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives through homeownership.”

Our objective is to empower clients to live life on their own terms, free from the constraints of renting. By providing personalized mortgage solutions and financial guidance, Tapere helps clients realise their aspirations of owning their own homes and achieving long-term financial success. Outside of her professional life, Tapere is a devoted mother of three and wife to Shane Kaulima who is also her business partner. Her personal experiences and values deeply inform her professional ethos, driving her dedication to helping families secure their futures through informed financial decisions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Pasitaua Haufano.

Pasitaua Haufano, the CEO of Zeducation, is dedicated to helping businesses grow by growing their people. He leads Zeducation in collaborating with companies to understand employee training needs, develop tailored programs, and deliver engaging workshops through a diverse team of facilitators. With over 40 short workshops, Zeducation offers cost-effective, flexible, and sustainable training solutions in areas such as leadership, communication, diversity & inclusion, financial literacy, digital skills, and more. Pasitaua’s leadership ensures that businesses can continually enhance their teams’ capabilities, driving growth and success in today’s competitive landscape.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Amanda Healy Amanda, a proud Wonnarua woman from the Hunter Valley in NSW, brings over 35 years of experience in the mining industry, working with renowned companies like BHP, Rio Tinto, and WMC. In 2014, she founded Kirrikin as a social enterprise to address the shortage of authentic Indigenous products.

Kirrikin digitally prints stunning Aboriginal artwork onto luxurious cashmeres and silks, creating exquisite scarves and ties. With a growing international reputation, Kirrikin is loved not only in Australia but also in the USA and Europe. Recognised for its excellence, Kirrikin has received the prestigious Indigenous in Business Award and an Ecommerce award through the Export Council of Australia.

As a finalist in national awards, Kirrikin continues to make its mark in the fashion industry. Amanda also featured in Forbes magazine Amanda also featured in Forbes magazine Amanda Healy on closing the gap (forbes.com.au)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew is a Ngarluma Traditional Owner, this year he was announced as the Business of the Year winner as well as the Indigenous Excellence category winner at the 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards. Andrew is the Managing Director of Winyama. Andrew’s role is to manage and guide Winyama, create opportunities for the team to grow into their roles and most importantly to generate work for the organisation to be sustainable. Andrew is from the Ngarluma traditional owner group and grew up between Perth, Sydney, and the Pilbara.

Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney majoring in both Anthropology and History, and is a current PhD candidate in Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the University of Melbourne. Andrew has lived and worked in a range of places from Perth, Broome, Arnhem Land, Los Angeles, Sydney, New Delhi and Roebourne. Each of these places has influenced the skills and experience that he brings to his current role. Andew’s major professional roles have been in the fields of Native Title, ethnographic heritage survey and more recently in Indigenous mapping.

Andrew’s passion is Indigenous mapping and the use of technology for cultural safeguarding. He co-founded Winyama in 2018 to provide more opportunity for Indigenous people to work in the geospatial industry and within the broader digital economy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet Katina Law Raised in Derby from Worora and Walmajarri families, Katina is an executive and entrepreneur with over 30 years’ international experience in financial and general management roles. She is the first Indigenous woman to be a CEO of an ASX listed company and the first Indigenous woman to Chair an ASX listed company.

In 2015, she co-founded IPS Management Consultants, a WA based majority Indigenous owned company providing professional services to Government and corporate clients across Australia. IPS has grown to become a nationally recognised business that employs more than 70 staff, of which 30% are Indigenous and 69% female.

She also co-founded Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils a 50% Indigenous owned business which sells WA sandalwood oil into international perfume markets. In 2019 DSO became the first Australian organisation to be awarded an Equator Prize at the UN. Katina is passionate about improving the lives of Indigenous people and is a director of several not for profits working with Indigenous people.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.