Tēnā tātou e te whānau,
How are you? How have you been these past months?
We're five months into 2026 and things are shifting. Times are tough out there. The pressure doesn't stop. But we see you still show up for what matters!
The kōrero we're having with pākihi owners, iwi, and community organisations tells us one thing: we need to stand together.
We're delivering governance training across marae, supporting trustees who carry their communities. We're seeing wāhine Māori lead economic conversations on the global stage. It's happening. And in all of this, we've built some things we're genuinely excited about sharing.
In this pānui you'll find:
- An introduction to our new AI Foundations Training: Six weeks for Iwi/Māori organisations
- Kaye-Maree Kōrero: Reflections on marae governance training and why trustees deserve our support
- Women Deliver 2026: A global conversation on gender equality happening now
- MEA is now B-Corp certified: A recognition of our values-aligned impact
- Our newest MEA kaihoe Marama, who's helping keep our waka running smoothly
Kia ita,
Kaye-Maree and the MEA whānau
AI READINESS
Your team subscribed to AI. Now they actually need to use it. This is the gap we're filling.
MEA has launched an AI Foundations Training programme for Māori organisations. Six online sessions. Two hours each. Over two months.
Your team learns how to use AI in their actual work, not theory. Real tasks and real roles.
Here's what matters:
Your team will leave with practical AI skills they can use immediately. They'll understand what information must never go into an AI tool and why. They'll build a personal automation they created themselves, something that saves them hours every month on repetitive work. And they'll have their own set of rules for responsible AI use, based in tikanga and Māori data sovereignty.
We built this with Travis O'Keefe (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Konohi), an AI consultant with 30 years' CEO experience and 15 years inside Māori organisations. Right now, Travis is working with the MEA team as we run this training internally. We don't teach anything we haven't tested first.
This is achievable for your organisation. Your team learns in two-hour blocks, and you'll see ROI when people start automating real tasks.
MEA is an approved provider through the Regional Business Partner (RBP) Network.
If you're interested in exploring subsidised training support, connect with an RBP Growth Advisor in your region. A Growth Advisor will discuss your situation, assess whether subsidised training is appropriate, and connect you with registered providers if you qualify.
Your business may be eligible if you:
- Have fewer than 50 full-time employees
- Are GST-registered in Aotearoa
- Hold a New Zealand Business Number
- Are actively trading in a commercial environment
If you're pākihi Māori, Poutama Trust delivers the RBP programme with additional funding streams available. To get started, register with the RBP programme at business.govt.nz or contact your local Growth Advisor.
KAYE-MAREE KŌRERO
Governance Capability In Action
Ngā Pou Oranga o te Marae: Supporting trustees who carry so much
I spend a lot of time visiting marae. The more I travel, the greater my appreciation for the volunteers who sit in trustee roles. Marae trusteeship is constant mahi. You stay up to date on tikanga, kawa, ture, kōrero tuku iho, health and safety, fundraising. You do most of it as volunteers, because you love your community and honour your ancestors while building pathways for future generations.
Marae deserve our investment, our time, and our support.
That's why we're delivering Ngā Pou Oranga o te Marae in partnership with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Trust across five marae in the rohe.
Te Ahu a Turanga Marae in Woodville just completed their training on 16-17 May. Rākautātahi Marae and Pahiatua Marae have also finished. Te Hika o Papauma Marae is scheduled for 30-31 May.
Each wānanga is tailored to what that specific marae needs. We don't come in with a generic programme. We listen to trustees about their governance challenges and aspirations, then design training grounded in their whakapapa, whenua, and cultural narratives. Their taonga and kōrero matter.
Local facilitators shadow our team so that when training ends, your people have the skills to continue. That's how knowledge stays local and mana stays with the marae.
A huge mihi to Te Ahu a Turanga, all trustees and community who showed generous hospitality. Thank you Wirihana Raihania for your tautoko. Your knowledge of whenua Māori and the law is invaluable. If you're an iwi, hapū, or marae thinking about strengthening governance, reach out to me directly at kaiwhakahaere@mea.nz. Let's work together.
WOMEN DELIVER 2026
Kaye-Maree was at Women Deliver 2026 in Naarm, Melbourne.
She was on a panel with incredible wāhine toa, including the founder of Blakbone Sistahood, reps from Amotai, and leadership from Māori Women's Development Inc.
The conversation: how Indigenous women across Aotearoa and the Pacific are reclaiming economic power through culturally grounded entrepreneurship and financial capability.
This matters because the work MEA does sits at the heart of this kaupapa. We're advocates for meaningful change. We ensure te ao Māori values shape how organisations grow.
Commit to action: Endorse the Indigenous Statement
At Women Deliver 2026, partners launched a bold declaration calling for rebalancing rights, equality, and gender justice. Over 650 people have shaped it. If this kaupapa aligns with your organisation's values, read the full declaration and add your endorsement. This is about standing alongside Indigenous and global movements for genuine equity.
STRENGTHENING OUR WAKA
MEA is now B-Corp certified.
This certification recognises that we meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Every decision we make, from who we hire to how we do business, is measured against our commitment to values.
Click here to view MEA’s official announcement in LinkedIn and the link below to view MEA’s public profile in the B-Corp website:
WELCOME TO MARAMA
Say hello to Marama Huiarangi (Ngāi Tūhoe and Tainui).
She's joining MEA as our Operations and Communications Coordinator. Marama brings organised systems thinking and genuine warmth to the mahi. She's keeping MEA running smoothly behind the scenes so our team can focus on delivering for clients and communities.
Marama is part of the whānau that makes it all possible. Welcome, Marama.
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