Anton Matthews

Anton Matthews is a proud pāpā of three tamariki, a devoted husband to his wife Jess, and the founder and director of Hustle Group, a dynamic whānau-owned business based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Hustle Group operates successful hospitality ventures like Joe’s Garage Wigram, Fush, and Tātou Tātou, as well as Hustle Education, which specialises in delivering workshops on te reo Māori, te ao Māori, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi and produces the Beyond The Hustle Podcast.

Anton’s unique journey combines entrepreneurship with a deep commitment to normalising te reo Māori and incorporating tikanga Māori into everyday life. As a passionate advocate for weaving Māori values such as aroha, manaakitanga, and whanaungatanga into businesses and communities, Anton inspires others to embrace these principles to create inclusive, thriving environments.

With his engaging storytelling and down-to-earth approach, Anton empowers audiences to reflect on their own leadership and cultural journeys, challenging individuals and organisations to take bold steps toward cultural confidence, bridging gaps and building meaningful connections across Aotearoa.

Anton’s mahi is rooted in a vision for a more inclusive and united future, where Māori values are celebrated and embraced as a foundation for success. His passion for people, community, and whānau shines through in every kōrero he delivers.

Professor Meihana Durie

Professor Meihana Durie (Rangitāne; Ngāti Kauwhata; Ngāti Raukawa; Ngāti Ngāti Porou; Rongo Whakaata; Ngāi Tahu) is an advocate of kaupapa and mātauranga-driven Māori educational pathways. He is the Deputy Vice Chancellor Māori at Massey University in Aotearoa, and was previously Head of School of Te Pūtahi a Toi (School of Māori Knowledge) at Massey University. Prior to his appointment to Massey University, he was Kaihautū of Te Whare Oranga at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and played a central role in the establishment of Ngā Purapura and accompanying academic programmes.

Professor Durie speaks to audiences locally, nationally and internationally about particular dimensions of Tikanga Māori (culture) and Mātauranga Māori (ancestral wisdom and knowledge) that can have a transformative and transcendent impact upon Māori including whānau (families) and hāpori (communities).

He was a panellist for the Tākiri Tū Te Ora Workshop at the the 2024 Hui aa Motu hosted by the Kīngitanga and previously helped bring forward the Te Pene Raupatu submission on behalf of his iwi of Ngāti Kauwhata as a part of the Waitangi Tribunal Porirua ki Manawatū Inquiry. He is a Pou Tikanga for the Waitangi Tribunal Constitutional Inquiry & carries a number of leadership roles for his iwi of Ngāti Kauwhata and Rangitāne.

In his work at Massey University his team of staff oversee a number of university-wide Te Tiriti o Waitangi research, educational and leadership initiatives as well as Māori strategic leadership and development across the university.

Meihana also engages in matters that affect his people of Rangitāne and Ngāti Kauwhata and comments regularly on political issues that affect iwi and Māori more broadly.

Kathryn Berkett

Kathryn has her Masters in Educational Psychology, and has certified as a Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics practitioner with Dr Perry. Kathryn has extensive experience in understanding how trauma can impact on development. She has worked and trained, nationally and internationally, on the subject of neuroscience for over twenty years, delivering to a variety of organisations including: the Police; Oranga Tamariki; Teachers; Corrections; Parents; Recreation Groups; Mental Health Professionals; NZ Rugby; and Corporates. Kathryn also has a TEDx talk titled: ‘Neuroscience of Device Zombies’.

INVITED SPEAKERS

Joelle Holand (Founder - Hawaiiki Pēpi)

Joelle Holland, a mother and CEO with a fierce passion for her culture, is the driving force behind Hawaiiki Pēpi. Her business creates beautifully designed, Māori-inspired baby products. Fueled by a profound love for her people, Joelle crafts items that nurture strong cultural identity and cultivate confident Māori children. Hawaiiki Pepi's products are more than just baby essentials, they are products made to connect pēpi to their whakapapa from their earliest days. Joelle's commitment to her community and people shines through every aspect part of her brand

Chef Hamuera (Joe) Mcleod (E Kai Māori)

Chef Hamuera (Joe) McLeod has been a Chef since 1973, which has taken him around the world. As a classically French-trained chef, he has held many roles, from the Ritz in London to Head Chef of New Zealand consulates and NZ Parliament. Once he returned to New Zealand, I have chosen to follow my passion for enhancing, preserving, and promoting our traditional indigenous culinary culture.

His passion and research in the culinary Māori cuisine philosophy have been with him since 1964, learned by his generation from his grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and fellow villagers. But sadly, it has been lost, and it is now his honour to reintroduce the mātauranga of kai Māori back to our people.

Pania Te Maro (Massey University & Co-Editor of Ki te hoe! Education for Aotearoa)

Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapū te awa, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi, ko Pōkai te wharenui, ko Te whānau ā Pōkai te hapū, ko Te Kapa a Hinekōpeka te tūrangawaewae, ko Pania Te Maro ahau!

Pania is an Associate Professor at Te Kura o te Mātauranga – Institute of Education at Massey University, where she works as Kaihautū Māori, she is also a Kaiārahi Tiriti for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The research project she is working on currently is observing and supporting schools, kaiako and mokopuna to operationalise mana ōrite for mātauranga Māori when they teach and learn mathematics. Pania has five children, thirteen grandchildren and a background of learning, teaching, and leadership in Māori Immersion educational settings as well as English medium schools.

More speakers and programme to follow