Erin Matariki

Chair

Erin Matariki Carr (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Pākehā) is a lawyer, scholar and community educator based in Tāneatua, Bay of Plenty. Matariki dedicates her work to the inter-generational movement of transforming Aotearoa New Zealand’s constitution to one that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and uplifts the wellbeing of the land and her living systems. She believes that self-expression is a first step in self-determination, that we must know who we are first, so that we can best care for ourselves and each other. Matariki is ready to support the work of ActionEducation in lifting creativity and imagination for rangatahi and community expression, and sees this will in turn nurtures our future of tino rangatiratanga and balance in Aotearoa.

Alice Heather

Co-Secretary

Kia ora tātou katoa. Ko Alice ahau. He uri ahau nō Ngāti Raukawa ki te tonga.  I've been a secondary school teacher teaching in Māori medium for the last thirty years. I've recently retired and presently doing another degree in Kaitiakitanga. As an English teacher, I got hooked into Spoken Word in 2017 as an avenue for rangatahi to develop their voices to explore their world; their passions and their challenges.

Kaajal Kumar

Treasurer

Kaajal Kumar is a partner at FINDEX, dedicated to helping businesses make savvy decisions and pinpoint their priorities. With a mission to boost wealth creation—whether through growth, profit enhancement, cash flow improvements, asset protection, or crafting retirement exit strategies—she's got it covered! With 23 years of industry experience under her belt, Kaajal is a pro at navigating various accounting software to find the perfect fit for each business. Her expertise spans several sectors, including medical, hospitality, advertising, construction, property development, wholesale, and retail.

Ezekiel Raui

Ko Mātai te Maunga Tapu
Ko Hokianga te Moana Nui
Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua me Māmari ōku Waka
Ko Ruanui rāua ko Nukutāwhiti ōku Rangatira
Ko Motukaraka te Marae
Ko Ngāi Tūpoto te Hapū
Ko Te Rarawa me Ngāpuhi ngā Iwi

From attending the White House Tribal Leaders Gathering in Washington D.C in 2015, to receiving a medal from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2018, and being named on the Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneurs Asia/Pacific List 2019, Ezekiel Raui is no stranger to dreaming big and thinking outside the box.

Ezekiel grew up in the Far North community of Whatuwhiwhi in Doubtless Bay after his whānau moved north from Tokoroa. He was named the Head Boy of Taipa Area School in 2015 and was the first in his whanau to attend university in 2016, where he studied a Bachelor of Business. After completing his degree in 2018, Ezekiel began working for Te Rau Ora as the Programme Lead for Tū Kotahi, a peer-to-peer support programme he co-designed while still at school.

Ezekiel is currently the Chief Executive of Te Rourou, One Aotearoa Foundation, and works to contribute to an equitable Aotearoa for all rangatahi.

John Minty

John is the current owner of Splore Music and Arts Festival and has been involved with the event since 2006. He has previously been a probation officer, journalist, magazine publisher and music venue owner. An early 70’s activist, John was an original associate of the Polynesian Panthers and was later Editor of the multi-lingual Mana Newspaper. He has a long interest in spoken word,  having supported the South Auckland Poet’s Collective with their initial activation at Splore 2010 to featuring Rehekorero at Splore 2024.

Grace Allen

Mokopuna mai ai i Punakiao, Ko Hinemanu e tararere nei.
Kōkiri, tākiri i a Ngaruroro e utaina ki Ōmahu.
Tiu ake i ngā pae maunga ki ngā wai tuku kiri o Kauangaroa.
Mauri ora ki ngā whenua o ngā tīpuna.

My background spans Māori land, corporate tax and strategic planning as a Chartered Accountant. It has been my privilege to work with Māori organisations over the last 9 years who rise to the challenge of meaningfully operating in a values-driven way within a western regulatory system. In this role, my job is to maintain focus on the aspirations of the people we serve and growing the capability of our young people. Ka pupuri mātou i te whāriki aroha mō ngā rangatahi, kia pakari tō rātou ake tū.

Stevie Davis-Tana

Stevie Davis-Tana is a māmā, creator, and spoken work poet living in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has a BA and a Masters, has travelled to Canada for an indigenous writers residency, and has produced a spoken word poetry visual album. She is passionate about creativity, identity, story telling, and mana motuhake!