Blending Mātauranga Māori with Technological Aptitude
I work as a Māori Innovation Product Advisor at Callaghan Innovation, where I collaborate with Māori innovators, diving deeper into their needs and helping to commercialise their ideas. This presents a special opportunity for me to combine my technical expertise with my heritage, supporting not only the innovators, but also contributing to the growth of the New Zealand economy.
Understanding who we are solving a problem for is key when developing any product. Co-designing Māori products alongside Māori entrepreneurs, ensuring their voices are heard from the start, has been crucial to our decisions. This is one of the most promising economic opportunities for Aotearoa towards creating a more prosperous, diversified, and high-value economy that's future-ready, therefore it is essential to design products to help Māori entrepreneurs thrive.
I’m inspired by disruption and finding opportunities in overlooked areas. This is what initially drove me to study computer science and what led me to join a startup. It's great to know that I'm at the forefront of product disruption at Callaghan Innovation, contributing to the success of Māori entrepreneurs and the growth of New Zealand's economy.