Voices of Change
How can we weave manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga and whanaungatanga into boardrooms, investment choices and our everyday conversations?
That question was top of mind at the recent Kōrero/Talanoa panel event, hosted by AUT Business School.
Facilitated by Professor Helena Cooper Thomas, the annual event featured Mike Jenkins (Founder & Director of Native Data, AUT alumnus), Shae Parsons-Wanoa (Associate Consultant at Qrious, AUT alumna) and Tori McNoe (Head of Investment Programmes, Uniservices). The 65-strong audience comprised current students, alumni, staff, and working professionals.
Drawing on their extensive careers working within Aotearoa and internationally, the panellists offered fresh perspectives on the challenges and rewards of leading organisations, creating intergenerational impact, and supporting rangatahi and Pacific entrepreneurs.
Reflecting on what it means to be a changemaker, Tori and Mike emphasised the importance of the collective, and the need to respect fundamental human principles.
“You can make change if you have people around you to help make that change,” Tori said.
Mike agreed, adding, “In this day and age, it’s easy to forget the importance of understanding the person sitting next to you – where they come from, where you intercept, the skills they can bring and just how far you can go collectively.”
Shae highlighted the importance of interconnectedness and how Indigenous organisations that naturally incorporate this kaupapa into their business models thrive where others fall.
“Businesses often fail because they think they operate in a vacuum. It’s important to understand that you exist in a community of people that have come before you and come after you.”
Panellists also championed mana motuhake (Māori self-determination and autonomy) and the importance of reclaiming the narrative when it comes to conducting business in the current climate and into the future – especially as the world embraces rapidly advancing technology like AI.
“There’s this enormous opportunity to use this technology to keep our matauranga, our language and traditions alive. So, how can we be part of the story instead of just being an extra?” asked Shae.
One answer, the panellists contended, is to look to our rangatahi.
Mike implored audience members and the country to set our young people up for success.
“The key lies in building a nation of not just employable people, but one of innovators and entrepreneurs. We can build this stuff. We just need to empower and educate the next generation. But we need to do it soon; otherwise, we’ll forever be on the consumer end of these technologies.”
The panel agreed that, while nurturing innovators is crucial, where you innovate can be just as important.
Tori shared her own practical approach, which highlights the importance of bringing lived experiences into any organisation.
“With whānau Māori, we try not to do that in a boardroom where they sit on one side and just tell us their ideas. We try to experience it in their community, in their waiata and hear it from their perspectives first. That way, we - and they - can build solutions for our people, by our people.”