Mō Mātou | About Us

Kia Kotahi Ako founding Trustees are Joanne McEachen (Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu), Nikora Ngaropo (Te Rarawa, Tuhoe, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu) and Andrew Boyd. Founder Joanne has over 30 years of experience in education in Aotearoa and globally as a teacher and principal, at the Ministry for Education, and as a government advisor in systems change. Our Trustees are joined by CEO, Sarah Grant, who brings rich experience in global education and Project Lead, Te Waiora Wanoa-Sundgren (Ngati Porou, Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa me Ngati Raukawa), a former student at our partner kura (school).

Our Mahi

Informed by indigenous wisdom, we connect the dots to have a bigger impact ‘as one’. The two koru in our logo represent the spirit of collaboration, to emphasise the flow and harmony necessary to work together.

We believe in:

  • The intrinsic knowledge system of Te Ao Māori as a base for solutions

  • Student-designed solutions to tackle environmental challenges

  • Equitable educational outcomes.


Our strategic goals are:

  • Accelerating education solutions for the environment

  • Championing Te Ao Māori initiatives

  • Weaving opportunities for policy system change.


We are doing this through our contributions to several key projects. We see these projects as catalysts to wider impact in Aotearoa and driving the change needed at the system level.

Our Work

  • Joanne McEachen

    Founder

    Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, and Ngāi Tahu

    Joanne loves enabling people to contribute their gifts to humanity. She is a celebrated author, keynote speaker, social entrepreneur, and global change leader with over 35 years of experience. She is an Edmund Hillary Fellow, a Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow, and a KEA World Class New Zealand Citizen awardee.

  • Nikora Ngaropo

    Kia Kotahi Ako Trustee

    Te Rarawa, Tuhoe, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu

    Nikora loves working at the cross-section of technology, business, culture and education to create systemic change in Aotearoa. He brings nearly 20 years of experience from creative and education roles ranging from Weta Studios, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Young Animators and as an Edmund Hillary Fellow.

  • Andrew Boyd

    Kia Kotahi Ako Trustee

    Tauiwi

    Andrew loves motivating and enabling people so they can accomplish amazing things. He has over 30 years of experience in financial leadership across multiple industries and held his Certified Public Accountant License in the USA for 25 years (now inactive). Andrew is a soccer superfan. Not only does he play but he also knows the game inside and out as a referee and coach.

  • Sarah Grant

    CEO

    Tauiwi

    Sarah loves making things happen by connecting amazing people for collective action. She brings experience across the education and the social impact sector, from the classroom to the policy level, and as a WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education) emerging leader, an Edmund Hillary Fellow and Director of an international teacher training start up.

  • Te Waiora Wanoa-Sundgren

    Project Lead

    Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa, Ngāpuhi

    Te Waiora loves seeing students explore and test new ideas and find solutions. She grew up in immersion Māori education (kohanga reo and kura kaupapa Aho Matua) and is excited to be back working with her former kura (school) to co-design an immersion Māori iteration of the We Share Solar programme.

  • Rangimarie Parata-Takurua

    He Pā Wānanga Champion

    Rangimarie loves bringing her intergenerational vision to life for the benefit of environmental and whānau (family) wellbeing. She is chair of Nōku Te Ao and Te Pā O Rākaihautū, an Edmund Hillary Fellow, and the driving force between Te Pā Wānanga (The Learning Village) with her unrelenting commitment to the kaupapapa (programme).

  • Barry Neal

    We Share Solar Champion

    Barry loves weaving together amazing people to support a better future for the planet. As an Edmund Hillary Fellow and We Share Solar board member with extensive experience in the renewable energy sector, Barry has been a key instigator and driver of the We Share Solar programme in Aotearoa.