Embrace the Challenge

Keynote Speakers

Nathan Wallis

Host of the documentary “All in the Mind”, and co-host of the TV Series “The Secret life of Girls”, Nathan Wallis, Aotearoa’s renowned neuroscience educator. Nathan’s professional background includes being an early childhood teacher, child therapist, social service manager, university lecturer and neuroscience trainer. Nathan is also a father of three and foster father to many.

Lady Tureiti Moxon

Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu, Kai Tahu

Lady Tureiti Moxon has a legal background and is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors. She is currently the Managing Director of Te Kōhao Health, a health, education, Whānau Ora and justice service provider in Hamilton providing services to the wider Waikato region. She is a member of the Interim Māori Health Authority, the Chair of the National Urban Māori Authority and a trustee of the Hauraki Primary Health Organisation. Lady Tureiti also serves as a member of the Puhara Panel to the Ombudsman, an Independent member on the Understanding of Policing Delivery Research Programme and is a member of the Independent External Advisory Group into the Waikeria Riots Inquiry. Lady Tureiti is a strong advocate for Mana Māori Motuhake and Tino Rangatiratanga.

Caelan Huntress

Caelan Huntress is the Creative Director of Stellar Platforms, a digital marketing agency that helps entrepreneurs set up smart marketing systems. He is an American digital nomad living in New Zealand, and has spent ten years running an online business while traveling the world with his young family. Caelan is a dynamic speaker, trainer, and business coach, who combines his skills as a theatrical performer and technical geek to make compelling virtual experiences.

Sacha Coburn

Speaker, business owner, leadership consultant

Sacha Coburn is a New Zealand leadership consultant who combines her love of coaching other leaders to leadership mastery with active involvement in leading her own family-held company, Coffee Culture. A sought after conference speaker both in New Zealand and overseas, Sacha specialises in keynotes and workshops that focus on fearlessness, high performance and leadership from the inside out. She is loved as much for her vulnerability and humour as her hard hitting ‘reality check’ messages about what it takes to succeed. As a leadership consultant Sacha has worked closely for over 20 years with the Les Mills group, coaching and developing teams all over the world to step up and lead constructively through organisational change. Her obsession with unlocking the latent potential within everyone to be actively engaged in their workplaces has transformed the way thousands of people turn up to work.

Gary Thompson

Ngaati Paoa, Ngaati Hauaa
Kaiwhakarite, Community Waikato

As the Kaiwhakarite for Community Waikato Gary feels privileged to work alongside so many marae and hapu committees and their whanau, throughout the Tainui waka region. Gary creates marae and hapu development plans to access the Maori Development resources that are currently available. Gary is a member of the iwi and Council working group to draft the Papakainga Plan Change policy for Matamata Piako District Council. Once endorsed through Council the policy will enable Maori across the district to build houses on Maori land and General land owned by Maori. Alongside Dr Nina Scott, Gary is Co-chair of Hei Āhuru Mōwai, National Maori Cancer Leadership. Their influence across the cancer sector is both prominent and positive. Hei Āhuru Mōwai is enormously fortunate to have the support of Community Waikato as the umbrella organisation during these formative years. Gary maintains a Maori health focus through his work with the Maori Monitoring and Equity Group to the National Screening Unit and as Chair of the Taumata Hauora, the Maori Advisor Group to Pinnacle Health.

Presenters/ Facilitators

 

Neil Tolan - MC

Manager at Western Community Centre

Born in Scotland, raised in Nawton and moved to Whāingaroa 15 years ago. Neil is currently the manager at the Western Community Centre, a place he first connected with almost 30 years ago. Neil loves the opportunity to work within the community sector and play a positive role in making a difference at a grassroots level.

Karen Stockmann

Advisor at Community Waikato

Karen has been an advisor at Community Waikato since 2011. She has worked in and around the community sector for the past 30 years as an advocate, supporter, trainer, leader and governor. Karen has a strong belief in social justice and the importance of creating a society where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and belong in ways which are meaningful to them, with a particular interest in empowerment through information and knowledge, experiences and relationships.

Dairne Burns

CEO of The Good Day Matrix and Lift55, Director of Burns Construction

Innovating Wellness. Challenging Norms. Connecting Humans.
CEO. Director. Mum of Three. PT. Teacher.
Elite Netball Manager. Author.
Proud Kiwi. Connector. Purpose Driven.
Observant + Always Learning = Storyteller
All In. Naturally Curly. Dairy Free. Instigator.
Problem Solver + Ponderer = Innovator.
Kind. Real Legit. Unofficial Lip Sync Battler.
Belly Laugher + Truck Drivers Daughter = Mischief

Slay Way

Education Coordinator Rainbow Hub Waikato

Slay is a passionate and proud member of the rainbow community, identifies as takatāpui and gender-fluid, and uses they/them/ia pronouns. They have volunteered and worked in the queer community for over a decade now. Slay also runs their own wellbeing business, and is a 3 time national award winning personal trainer & coach. Slay is celebrated for their vulnerability, authenticity, and courage as they use their lived experience, knowledge and voice to support, motivate and inspire those around them. Their purpose in their mahi at Rainbow Hub Waikato is to ensure that all queer people feel safe, included and valid, and to provide everyone outside their community the education, knowledge and power to create safe, accepting and inclusive spaces for all humans to flourish.

 

Jo Wrigley

CEO of GO ECO

Jo Wrigley is an enthusiastic community collaborator interested in Tangata Tiriti practice development and environmental and social justice. They like planting things, growing food and really enjoy food cooked by other people. Most Sundays they can be found lying on a couch surrounded by needlework and reading material with the telly on. Jo leads the team across four strategic workstreams

Simon Gascoigne

Go Eco

Simon Gascoigne coordinates the transport and energy workstream at GoEco.  He is interested in home energy performance, and energy return on investment (EROI), and is a fan of public transport.  Like most, he loves harvesting fruit and vegetables out of the garden despite trying to keep up with the weeding. Occasionally he even gets a chance to get behind the lens and keep working on his photography.

 

Dylan Culhane

Interactionz

Dylan joined the Interactionz team in 2019, bringing with him skills in graphic design, graphic recording, and facilitation which he has continued to hone. Dylan loves tackling challenges and coming up with creative solutions. He also enjoys continuing to learn, be it languages, music, cooking or anything else! He keeps curious, always looking to add new learning to his Kete. Prior to working at Interactionz Dylan worked in the mental health sector for over a decade and finds purpose in working alongside people, and helping them discover their potential on a day-to-day basis.

Andrea Villaflores

Interactionz

Andrea has over a decade of experience as a visual artist. She has a degree in graphic design and found her creative home working with Interactionz. She believes in driving change through creativity and visual storytelling. Working for Interactionz since 2013, she has had the opportunity to come alongside genuine people who are making a difference in the world, while seeing her own personal values echoed by the organisation. Being connected to the community is important to Andrea, who is also involved in art and design projects for a number of community organisations.

Laurel Stephens

Interactionz

Laurel was born in the Bay of Plenty right at the tail end of the Baby Boomer years, and has lived most of her life here in the Waikato.  She describes herself as a wife of one, mother of three. She has worked at Interactionz for over 20 years and had a variety of roles within that time, ranging from providing support for groups of adults with intellectual disabilities within a vocational day service, to working with individuals in the community.  She joined Interactionz in 2002. Laurel says Interactionz is a great values match for her and what keeps her here is her love of working with people and making a positive difference in their lives, and thereby, the wider community.

Roz Ryan

Online Marketing Group

Roz has been working as a Digital Marketer for the past 14 years pre-dominantly in social media management, strategy and training.  Her passion is helping people like you spread your message with your ideal audience.  Most organisations understand what they need to be doing but are lacking the knowledge, time or staff to actually put the correct strategy in place.  Roz can help you connect with your audience and tribe and win with Social Media and your Digital Marketing.