Empowering
Wahine māori
Leadership
Tuesday 11 November, 2025
VENUE: THE CARGO SHED | TIME: 8:30AM - 6:00PM
Our Kaupapa
We aim to provide a space that empowers wahine māori leadership across different industries & regions throughout aotearoa.
Ticket Pricing
Guest Speakers
Liz Mellish MNZM
Liz lives in Featherston with husband Graham and is the mother of three daughters and nine mokopuna, three of whom are currently students at Wellington University. Liz is an avid reader and gardener and enjoys being at the coast.
Liz Mellish is the current Chairman of Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust. Liz is also Chairman of Te Raukura, Te Wharewaka. Liz is the Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Māori Authorities and a member of Pouhere Taonga the Māori Heritage Board. Liz has Directorships on Metlifecare Palmerston North, Wellington Uni Professional, Hīkoikoi Management Ltd and Haukawakawa Ltd. Liz is Trustee of Featherston Booktown and Chairman of the Featherston Anzac Club.
Traci Houpapa MNZM
Traci Houpapa is the chair of the Federation of Māori Authorities. She specialises in governance and leadership, and strategic and economic development.
Traci is a Chartered Fellow of the NZ Institute of Directors, and recognised as a role model for other directors and business leaders. She has been named as one of the top ten most influential women in New Zealand agribusiness and the Listener’s top ten influencers in NZ. She won the Westpac Fairfax Media Women of Influence Board and Management award and has been named on Westpac’s NZ Women Powerbrokers list. Traci has been awarded the Massey University Distinguished Alumni Service Award for services to New Zealand agribusiness and Maori, and named amongst the BBCs 100 Most Influential Women in the World. Traci is also a Distinguished Alumni of the Institute of Strategic Leadership (Australasia).
Dr. Kyla Matenga
Kyla Matenga is a proud Māori and Pasifika wāhine, currently training as an orthopaedic surgeon in Aotearoa. With a background in high-level sport and a passion for performance, she brings the strength of an athlete and the precision of a surgeon into every space she enters.
Born and raised in Porirua, Kyla is deeply committed to improving health outcomes for Māori and Pacific communities. Her journey is grounded in purpose, resilience, and representation – breaking barriers in one of the most male-dominated fields in medicine, while inspiring the next generation to take up space with pride.
Kelly Coombes
Kellie Coombes has been serving as Secretary for Women and Chief Executive of Manatū Wāhine – Ministry for Women since June 2021. In this role, she leads work focused on improving outcomes for wāhine Māori, women, and girls, with an emphasis on social and economic wellbeing, participation, and safety.
A former Deputy Commissioner at the Public Service Commission, Kellie oversaw system and agency performance, including the recruitment of chief executives across the public service. Her earlier career includes senior roles in the Ministries of Education, Labour, and Social Development, as well as serving as Private Secretary to the Minister of State Services.
Kellie holds a Bachelor of Arts with First-Class Honours in Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington. Her leadership is defined by a deep commitment to gender equity, te ao Māori integration, and building a more diverse and inclusive public sector.
Siouxsie Wiles MNZM
Dr Siouxsie Wiles MNZM is a microbiologist by training and a passionate science communicator with decades of experience working with mainstream and social media, as well as collaborating with artists, designers, and illustrators. In 2019, she was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to microbiology and science communication. Siouxsie is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, where she heads up the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab. She became a household name in New Zealand for her COVID-19 communication work, appearing on the BBC’s list of 100 influential women of 2020 and being named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year in 2021. But this work also made her a target for harassment and death threats, and in 2021, she began legal proceedings against the University of Auckland over their lack of support. In mid-2024, the Employment Court ruled that the University had breached its contractual obligations to protect Siouxsie’s health and safety, as well as its obligations to be a good employer, by failing to act in good faith.
Carmel Sepiloni
The Honourable Carmel Sepuloni is the Member of Parliament for Kelston and Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. Born in Waitara in 1977, she is of Samoan, Tongan, and Pākehā descent and began her career as an educator and literacy advocate in West Auckland and Samoa.
During the Sixth Labour Government (2017–2023), she held multiple senior Cabinet roles, including Minister for Social Development, Minister for ACC, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Minister for Disability Issues, Associate Foreign Affairs Minister (Pacific), and Minister for Auckland. In January 2023, she became New Zealand’s first Pasifika Deputy Prime Minister, serving until November 2023.
Carmel is recognised for her advocacy on behalf of Pacific and low socioeconomic communities, leading efforts to reform welfare, support disabled people, and strengthen cultural and social service systems. Outside politics, she is a proud wife and mother of two, maintaining strong ties to her Taranaki roots and Pacific heritage.
Ngaria Rolleston
A proud descendant of Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, and Ngāti Whakaue, Ngaria Rolleston brings over a decade of strategic communications and project management experience within kaupapa Māori organisations. She currently serves as Chief Operations Officer at Te Awanui Huka Pak, where she oversees day-to-day operations, stakeholder engagement, and industry-aligned workforce initiatives
Parewhati Taikato
Parewhati Taikato is a respected Māori leader and advocate for whānau-led economic development, currently serving as Chair of Ongare Trust and a trustee on several Māori land and governance entities including Ngāi Tukairangi Trust and Poripori Farm. With a Master of Social Science from the University of Waikato, Parewhati has held roles across education, politics, and primary industry, and was the Labour Party candidate for the Bay of Plenty in 2023.
Her leadership is grounded in kaupapa Māori and intergenerational thinking, drawing on her experience in both grassroots and national settings. She is also a creative practitioner, known for her mahi in Māori visual design and teaching flax weaving across Tauranga Moana.
Rona Wheeldon
Rona Wheeldon is a Health & Safety Systems Manager at MFM NZ based in Te Puke, with broad experience across forestry and investment management. She has been recognised at the Central North Island Forestry Awards for her leadership and advocacy in harvesting operations. Rona holds qualifications from Waiariki Institute of Technology and began her career in forestry before moving into safety systems and operational development. Her work reflects a strong commitment to embedding effective health and safety practices across the primary industries, with a focus on systems, training, and continuous improvement.
Rebecca Rolls
Rebecca Rolls (Ngāti Porou) is the Chief Executive of the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui, a newly established independent Crown entity dedicated to promoting and safeguarding the safety and fairness of sport and recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand. She was appointed to this role following her leadership in the Commission’s formation as the Integrity Transition Programme Director .
With a distinguished career in both sport and the public sector, Rebecca has represented New Zealand as a Football Fern and White Fern. Off the field, she has held senior leadership positions in the New Zealand Police, the Serious Fraud Office, the Department of Corrections, and Sport New Zealand, where she served as the Diversity and Inclusion Manager .
Rebecca’s leadership is characterized by a commitment to integrity, inclusivity, and safeguarding within the sport and recreation sector.
Nicole Hoey
Nicole Hoey (Ngāti Kahu, Te Aupōuri) is a distinguished New Zealand television producer and the founder of Cinco Cine Film Productions, established in 1987. With a career spanning over three decades, she has been at the forefront of producing award-winning television content that champions Māori language and culture.
Hoey’s notable works include the acclaimed children’s series Tākaro Tribe, which has been instrumental in introducing te reo Māori to preschool audiences. Her commitment to Māori language revitalisation is further exemplified through her involvement in the youth programme Pūkana, which received a nomination for Best Children’s TV Programme at the New Zealand TV Awards in 2002.
Beyond her production achievements, Hoey has contributed to the governance of New Zealand’s media landscape, serving as a member of NZ On Air.
Through her work, Nicole Hoey continues to inspire and educate, ensuring that Māori narratives and language remain vibrant and accessible to future generations.
Carmelle Riley
Carmelle Riley is an Indigenous entrepreneur, author, and spiritual teacher based in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is the founder of Manifestors Unite, a global community dedicated to empowering individuals to harness the power of their subconscious mind for positive transformation.
Drawing from her background as a commercial lawyer specializing in collective tribal advancement, Carmelle transitioned into the realm of spirituality and healing. She now teaches practices such as meditation, quantum energy healing, and superconscious self-hypnosis to help individuals overcome limiting beliefs and unlock their full potential.
Carmelle is the author of the bestselling book Super Manifestor: Manifest the Secret in You, which guides readers in aligning their thoughts and energy to manifest their desires. She is also the creator of the Super ManifeSTAR program, designed to help individuals step into their highest potential.
Event MC's
Maramena Roderick
Maramena Roderick is a multi-award-winning leader in New Zealand broadcasting. She became TVNZ’s first Māori foreign correspondent based in Europe and first New Zealand female journalist sent into war zones, winning awards in nearly every genre of news and current affairs. As an independent, Maramena focused on supporting emerging Māori production houses and creators with continued success, winning awards for best reo Māori programming.
In 2024, she became the Head of News and Current Affairs for the Māori Television Service. Under her tenure, the newsroom won more awards than in its entire previous 10 years. Maramena has been the Director of Content, Director of Marketing and Director of Partnerships for Whakaata Māori, responsible for all programming; marketing and communications; statutory reporting to government; media law, negotiations and stakeholder relationships.
Ngapera Riley
Affiliating to the iwi of Te Atiawa, Taranaki, Ngā Ruahinerangi, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitane, Ngai Tahu and Kāti Mamoe. Amokura Panoho is a proud mother of five children and five mokopuna.
Amokura has 30 years+ experience in relationship management and engagement, leading community, and people-centered strategy development, planning and delivery programmes. Her professional roles have included public service union organisation, managing government funding programmes and developing Māori Land Incorporation grants programmes. Through her consultancy Kura Consulting Limited she works with organisations to strengthen their capacity to deliver strategic outcomes for Māori communities, hapū and Iwi.