Our People

Kingi Kiriona
Mana Whakahaere — Managing Director
Pou Whakaako — PLD Facilitator
Iwi: Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Apa
Ngā Tohu:
- MA (with distinction)
- PG.Cert (Te Reo Māori)
- BA (Screen Media & Māori)
- BMPA
- Te Toi Reo Māori (licensed Te Reo translator and interpreter)
- Te Panekiretanga o te Reo
Professional Profile:
A leader of Māori language and cultural development, Kingi brings a depth and breadth of knowledge of te ao Māori. He is an orator, a kapa haka exponent and nationally recognised composer of haka and waiata Māori. A background in broadcasting has developed Kingi’s ability to build great rapport with anyone he engages with. His creativity and attention to detail has made him a highly sought after Māori language consultant. Kingi possesses the ability to adapt and transfer his skills to any context that presents itself and demonstrates great leadership qualities.
Experience:
- Māori Television Service, Board Director
- Ministerial Appointee, Think Tank — Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Te Kawa Matakura
- Tutor — Te Iti Kahurangi Kapahaka
Specialisations:
- The Arts
- Governance, Management, Leadership, Change
- Oral Language
- Parents, Whānau, Communities, Iwi
- Tikanga Māori

Te Waipounamu Teinakore
Mana Whakahaere — Managing Director
Iwi: Waikato, Ngāti Hauā
Ngā Tohu:
- MEd (with first class honours)
- PG. Dip (Literacy & Numeracy)
- B.Ed
- BMPA
- Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo
Professional Profile:
Te Waipounamu has an extensive background in education spanning over 20 years. She has experience as a classroom teacher and held multiple senior management roles within kura. Te Waipounamu is passionate about kapa haka, music and incorporates these modes of learning as tools for engaging all learners. She brings a plethora of expertise in curriculum development and implementation. Te Waipounamu has held a range of key advisory roles in education including as a Ministerial Advisor of Te Hurihanganui.
Experience:
- Founding member of Te Iti Kahurangi Kapa Haka
- Te Iti Kahurangi Kapa Haka — Chair
Specialisations:
- The Arts
- Evaluation, Assessment, Aromatawai
- Te Reo Matatini, Kōrero, Pānui, Tuhituhi
- Parents, Whānau, Communities, Iwi
- Tikanga Māori

Tineka Wanakore
Pou Whakahaere — Executive Officer
Iwi: Ngāti Maniapoto — Ngāti Apakura, Ngāi te Rangi — Ngāi Tamawhariua
Ngā Tohu:
- Diploma in Te Tohu Paetahi,
University of Waikato - Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts,
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi - Certificate in Business Studies
- Certificate in Office and Business Administration,
Waikato Polytechnic
Professional Profile:
With a background in business, office and administration systems, Tineka brings a sound ability to lead and navigate through workstreams and projects with great attention to detail. She openly pursues a life-work balance to support and nurture her children, where a committed link to whānau and te ao Māori is maintained. Over the past 25 years Tineka has gained experience in operations, finance, resource and event production, strategy and line management within Māori education focussed environments.
Experience:
- Pou Hāpai — Business Functions Manager, Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa
- Manager, Finance and Resources — Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Office, University of Waikato
- Office Manager — Takatū Trust
- Creative, Performer, Treasurer — Te Iti Kahurangi Incorporated
- Co-Director — Tawhana Limited
- Co-Director — Mōwai Mārire Creatives Limited

Jarred Boon
Pou Wānanga — Manager, Higher Learning
Iwi: Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura
Ngā Tohu:
- MMPD (First Class Hons)
- P.G Dip Int / Trans Māori (Distinction)
- Grad Dip Tch
- Golden Key Society Member
- Te Toi Reo Māori (Licensed Te Reo Māori Translator)
Professional Profile:
Jarred is a senior lecturer and advisor of te reo and tikanga Māori. With over 20 years experience, he has been part of a number of initiatives to help develop iwi and community language revitalisation strategies.
Jarred is recognised for his skills in programme design and development, moderation, editing and translation. He has an interest in Pasifika languages and has strong whānau and community values.
Experience:
- Senior Lecturer — Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology
- Co-editor — He Puna Kupu He Manawa aa-Whenua
- Former Chair — S.W.C.F.C Inc
- Co-director for Pūkauri Limited

Tokoaitua Tarawera Winiata
Pou Ranga Whakaako — Manager, Curriculum Delivery and Capability
Iwi: Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Awa
Hapū: Ngāti Pareraukawa, Ngāti Pūkaki, Te Pahipoto
Ngā Tohu:
- MEd (First Class Honours)
- MMM (Masters of Mātauranga Māori)
Professional Profile:
Tokoaitua has a wealth of experience across the education sector and the te reo Māori domain. Tokoaitua has spent the last 10 years as a lead kaiako reo in Māori-medium. He has also been the lead manager of kaupapa Māori initiatives in the Māori-medium sector as an advisor and consultant for tumuaki and kaiako Māori. He has worked in a range of initiatives to revitalise te reo Māori within his Iwi and more recently in the Education workforce contributing to initiatives within Ngā Kura ā-Iwi, the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Qualification Authority. He has been a kaiako for several Kura Reo, a Pūkenga for Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori, a script writer and Kapa Haka tutor and composer.
Experience:
- Senior Management — Ngā Taiātea Wharekura
- Lead Advisor for Te Reo Rangatira (MoE & NZQA)
- Kapa Haka Tutor
- Kairuruku Reo — Ngā Kura ā-Iwi
- SCT — Special Classroom Teacher

Tiare Kata Teinakore
Pou Whakarauora — Manager, Resource and Cultural Development
Iwi: Waikato, Ngāti Hauā
Ngā Tohu:
- MEd (First Class Honours)
- BA (Māori)
- Graduate Diploma (Teaching)
- BMPA
- Te Panekiretanga o te Reo
Professional Profile:
Tiare is a renowned advocate of te reo Māori revitalisation, spearheading the delivery of Hauā Reo, Hauā Tangata, the language revival strategy for her iwi of Ngāti Hauā. A former teacher and educator with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Tiare delivered the Bachelor of Teaching programme. She is one of the few women to be awarded the Manukura Wahine prize for female leadership at the National Te Matatini Kapahaka Competition
Experience:
- Tutor, Leader — Te Iti Kahurangi Kapahaka
- Kaiwhakahaere Reo — Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust
Specialisations:
- Ākonga Māori, Māori Success, Māori Communities
- The Arts (Māori performing arts)
- Te Reo Māori
- Parents, Whānau, Communities, Iwi
- Tikanga Māori
- Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

Te Manawaroa Teinakore
Pou Whakahihiri — Lead, Graduate Support and Pathways
Iwi: Tainui, Waikato, Ngāti Hauā
Ngā Tohu:
- Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge
- B.Ed
- Post Graduate in Mātauranga Māori
- BMPA
Professional Profile:
Te Manawaroa is a former television host and renowned te reo Māori composer and musician. During her career in broadcasting and music production, she actively sought ways to share and teach her knowledge and skills with diverse audiences. The outcome is a 15-year career in education with teaching experience across all levels. In her previous role, Te Manawaroa was the National Program Manager of Performing Arts for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. As a graduate of Kura Kaupapa, she is a strong proponent of Māori-medium education. Te Manawaroa is passionate about promoting the value of te reo Māori as a tool for learner success.
Experience:
- National Programme Manager- TWOA
- Co-Lead of Te Iti Kahurangi Incorporated
- Former Kaiako of TWOA
- Former Kaiako of Peachgrove Intermediate
Specialisations:
- Ākonga Māori, Māori Success, Māori Communities
- Priority Learners, Diverse Learners, Pasifika Learners, Adult Learners
- Parents, Whānau, Communities, Iwi
- Tikanga Māori
- Tātaiako

Beau Stowers
Pou Whakaako — Manager, Professional Learning Development
Iwi: Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi
Ngā Tohu:
- Masters of Teaching and Learning
- BMPA
- Te Panekiretanga
Professional Profile
Beau Stowers is the recipient of a New Zealand Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award. He is also a graduate of Māori-medium schooling and Te Panekiretanga – the National Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language. Accordingly, Beau is a passionate advocate for te reo Māori within education, at all levels.
Experience:
- Director, Kura Consultants Ltd
- Teaching Fellow, University of Waikato
- TMoA Technical Writer
- Translator
Specialisations:
- NCEA Tikanga ā-Iwi
- NCEA Pāngarau
- Te Reo Māori
- Tikanga Māori
- Ākonga Māori

Aroha Broughton
Pūkenga Matua — Lead Facilitator
Iwi: Ngāti Maruwharanui, Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi, Te Āti Haunui a Pāpārangi, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Kahungunu
Ngā Tohu:
- Bachelor of Education
- Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts
- Dip Mātauranga Māori
Professional Profile:
Aroha is a respected Te Reo Māori teacher who incorporates mātauranga Māori, tikanga Māori, and Te Reo Māori in her everyday practice. She is a steadfast Te Reo Māori champion within Te Taiuru, and over the years, her whānau has helped with the creation and execution of numerous Te Reo Māori initiatives in the region. Aroha has experience in Māori media, having worked as a broadcaster, content creator, and is currently a tutor for the journalist cadetship program at Te Korimako o Taranaki. Aroha also contributes a lot of teaching expertise, notably in Wharekura, from Kōhanga Reo to Kura Kaupapa Māori. She is also a great example of someone who wholeheartedly endorses Te Reo Māori and is enthusiastic about education.
Experience:
- Kaipāpaho-Te Korimako o Taranaki Irirangi Māori
- Kaiako-Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki
- Kaiako-Kōhanga Reo
- Kaiako-Kura Kaupapa Māori
- Kaiako-Wharekura
- Kaitātaki-Te Reo o Te Uru Regional News
- Kaiako-Te Ia Ka Oho Cadetship