Our Team

Zoe has worked in hauora sector for over 20 years.  With qualifications in social work, public health, and community development, she has worked in leadership positions in Māori public health locally and nationally. Zoe has led community engagement teams and policy and advocacy teams in the area of mental health, tobacco control, problem gambling harm prevention, alcohol harm prevention, well-child tamariki ora, nutrition and physical activity, SUDI prevention.

Zoe gains great strength from her māmā, a teenage mother who was an outstanding parent who achieved much in life personally and professionally despite a range of challenges.

Zoe also holds lived experience of the impacts of state care on whānau intergenerationally. This also influences her thinking and approach to providing whānau tautoko.

Zoe currently works to lead the strategic direction of the E Tipu E Rea Whānau Service Board, supports the overall operation of the organisation, and reaching its mission of;

“Supporting mātua taiohi and pēpi to grow, thrive and be rangatira within their whānau and community”. 

Zoe holds several board positions on an iwi and community level.  Outside of mahi , Zoe loves spending time with her growing boys aged 8 and 11 and her amazing māmā.

Ko Ngongotahā te maunga
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Tamatekapua te tangata
Ko Ngāti Whakaue te Iwi
Ko Paratehoata Te Kohea ngā marae 
Ko Tūnohopū te whare
Ko James tōku whānau
Ko  Peter tōku pāpā 

Ko Maunga Turoto te maunga
Ko Ohaewai te awa
Ko Ngatirangi te hapu
Ko Ngawha te marae
Ko E koro kia Tutuki te whare
Ko Takauere te taniwha
Ko Penetaui te tupuna
Ko Beazley tōku whānau
Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi
Ko Ingrid toku mama
Ko Tahlea Hohaia tōku ingoa
Ko Karson tōku tamaiti

Tahlea joined E Tipu E Rea Whānau at the end of 2020 and with her lived experiences as a teen parent makes her extremely passionate about working with mātua taiohi and their pēpi. Tahlea is very committed to being part of the cause that removes the negative stereotypes a lot of young parents have to face daily. Tahlea is a skilled accounts and office manager for E Tipu E Rea but she has now moved into the People in Culture space to support our Kaimahi, and she highlights daily that being a teen parent does not get in the way of success.  Tahlea’s lived experience also supports the strategic and daily operations of our organisation.

Tahlea’s personal life consists of a lot of traveling,  sports and dancing with whānau and friends. She enjoys creating new memories with her whānau and friends.

Cindy comes to E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services with over 20 years in the social service sector, predominately in Domestic Violence. Cindy historically trained as an Early Childhood Teacher, which has allowed her to live, work and travel extensively in Southeast Asia. She has returned to tertiary education and is currently completing a Degree in Humanities majoring in Policy and Indigenous Development.

Cindy is passionate about the importance of whanau being seen as the leaders in their own journey and that services are there to support, and if needed, be the korowai for them in that journey.

Her extensive work in the Domestic Violence sector has shaped her thinking about the need for a Te Ao Māori framework if we are to see any sustainable change occurring in outcomes for our whanau.

Cindy has been awarded a Lifetime Collective membership to Nelson Women’s and Children’s Refuge because of the work and support to the organisation and community. She is also an active member in her community on Auckland North Shore as a Board Member of the local Community Project. Cindy’s commitment to the area of whānau Violence has seen her involvement in national sector advisory groups.

Cindy’s real passion is her whānau and the support she can give to them all. She is the mother of a young wāhine Māori, Cass, who appears to be travelling the same path. A teacher who believes she will also end up work with kids experiencing whānau violence.

 Amiria is a proud Māori and Niuean māmā of two, born and raised in West Auckland. She joined E Tipu E Rea in 2022 as the Youth Support Worker and is now the Manager of the Kaitautoko team that supports mātua taiohi, hapū māmā and their whanau.

Amiria has over 7 years experience working with young people of all ages from different backgrounds. One of the things that stood out for her is that many young people down-play their skills, knowledge and potential and lose a part of their identity because they don’t fit into society’s mould! She likes to help people find the confidence to be proud of who they are, where they have come from and where they want to be.

Amiria is currently on her own journey of self-discovery with Te reo Māori/Te ao Māori and finds herself connecting more to others through whakapapa, culture and identity.

In her spare time, Amiria likes to create new memories with her friends and whānau by going on road trips, adventures out in nature and having backyard barbeques. She loves playing sport, being creative and having a good scroll on TikTok for some laughs.

Emmaline was born and raised in Viti until she was a young person. She then migrated from her vanua to her whenua in  Te Atatū, Aotearoa where she still lives.  Emmalines mahi is in health, education, media, and, most importantly, being a māmā to 3 hardcase Fijian, Māori, Sàmoan, Tuvaluan little humans. Emmalines Masters research titled ‘Na gaunisala me vakavinakataki kina na bula ni vaksama : The way towards positive mental wellbeing. Frontline perspectives of the mental health system in Fiji. Focussed on the mental health system in Fiji and its policies. The research gave a voice to frontline workers and their experiences. Emmaline is a hearty activist and bring this into all her mahi.  Emmaline was a teenage māmā and come to E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services with lived experience and a passion for ensuring whānau are able to walk through this world empowered and loved.

Ko Ramaroa te maunga
Ko Matawhao te waka
Ko Hokianga Whakapau karakia te moana
Ko Whirinaki te awa me te whenua
Ko Matai Aronui te marae
Ko Te Hikutu te hapu
Ko Te Hikutu te iwi
E noho ana ahau ki Tamaki Makaurau

Growing up in the duality of Te ao Māori and Western influenced NZ Arian has “always had a passion for reinvigorating the belief system of Whānau Māori and Pasifika, taking the learnings of our Tūpuna, and cultivating them into systems that create meaningful outcomes in our communities. As a professional fundraiser Arian has learnt to build relationships with people from all walks of life, helping them not only to see a common goal but to also support that goal physically and financially. Pairing this with her Human Resources/People and Culture experience she is systems and innovation focused. It is her belief that if our “Kaimahi are feeling safe and valued their work will reflect this in our community.”

Tianna Kiro was a young mum with E Tipu e Rea Whanau Services since she was pregnant with her son Elhae in 2020. During 2021 and 2022 she worked with E Tipu e Rea Whanau Services being an advocate and voice for young mums, from interviews on Te Karere to standing on Parliament steps with Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick. She is now a Kaimahi for E Tipu e Rea Whanau Services as an Alcohol Social Movement Coordinator. This role allows her to give back to the community and allow positive changes for her and the future of our tamariki.

I te taha o tōku pāpā
Ko Tongariro tōku maunga
Ko Taupo-nui-a-tia tōku moana
Ko Te Arawa, Tainui me Kurahaupō ōku waka
Ko Ngāti Hinemihi tōku hapū
Ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Aupouri me Ngāti Kuri ōku iwi
Ko Wharauroa, Kauriki, Ngapuwaiwaha me Māhimaru  ōku marae
No Taumarunui me Awanui ahau

Ereana was born and raised on Te Raki Paewhenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and is the proud māmā of taku Pipioterangi, her 10year old son.

Ereana is a  registered nurse with a passion for wāhine and tamariki health and a particular interest in Māori health. Māori are over-represented in unemployment, homelessness, the criminal justice system, and negative health statistics. She believes that in order to change these negative representations, we need to invest in empowering our rangatahi and building them up to be ngā rangatira mo āpōpō. Being raised by a solo teenage māmā, being a young māmā myself, and someone who has been affected by domestic violence and addictions, she brings a wealth of knowledge and lived experience to E Tipu E Rea.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her son, going to all his various sports activities and kura events, music, and raranga. Like a lot of Māori, she grew up an ‘urban Māori’ with very little knowledge of her whakapapa. Since becoming a māmā she has been making an active effort to reclaim Te Reo Māori, Mātauranga Māori me ona tikanga and immerse myself in Te Ao Māori at every available opportunity, not only for herseolf but for her whānau. She has found her journey so far to be really enlightening and empowering, especially having her son learning alongside her throughout this haerenga.

Inā kei te mohio koe ko wai koe, I anga mai koe i hea, kei te mohio koe, kei te anga atu ki hea.

Kia ū, kia mau ki tō Māoritanga!

Pūhia mai te Hauraki ki ngā hiwī o
Kohukohunui te maunga, hei korowai manaaki
mō taku hapū, Ko Ngāti Pāoa ki tai
Ko Pūkorokoro te wāhi tapu
Ko Makomako te Marae.

He Wāhine Rangatahi māmā Māori ahau, e ngākaunui ana
ki te whakarauora o tā mātou Tinorangatiratanga mō
Taku whānau, taku hāpori, taku Iwi o Ngāti Pāoa tainoa ki ngā whakatupuranga e heke mai nei, ki te tino
ūaratanga mo aku wawata nui ma ngā Rangatira mō āpōpō.

Whetu-Marama is a Young Maori Māmā who is ambitious in the revitilisation of our Māori Holistic Worldview
who is driven by her whānau,  community, Iwi of Ngāti Pāoa and most importantly for our Future Generations.

Whetu-Marama believes E tipu e Rea whānau to be a unique and distinctive service
which is owned and run by Māori for Māori and feels  privileged to be in a position as a Youth Worker which enables her to support
the future dreams and aspirations of our Rangatira mō āpōpō.

Emma has recently been a lecturer in Hauora Māori and Māori Health Promotion at AUT University and holds a Master of Philosophy focused on Barriers and Success factors for Māori in Public Health and beyond. Emma is an experienced facilitator and educator and specialises in Tiriti Alignment and how to use a Te Tiriti framework for practice. She is Co-Vice Chair of the Indigenous Working Group of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Director of ManuKahu Associates – Indigenous consulting, and is passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to understand and live their Tiriti responsibilities and all the richness that that brings.

I ahu mai ai ki tētahi wāhanga o te taone nui, arā ko Tāmaki Makaurau, ko taua takiwā ko Te Raki Paewhenua. I kuraina e au ki te kura Tuarua o Oneroa kātahi ka haere ki Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau me te Whare Wānanga o Yoobee School of Design. I whai tohu au ki roto i te Ao Putaiao me te Hanga Niko/Whakanikoniko anō hoki. I whakatūria e au taku pakihi niko arā, Mana Design kia ruku hōhonu ai ki te ao whakarakei me te whakawaiwaiā o ngā mea katoa. Heoi anō, i mokemoke ai ahau mō āku āhuatanga Māori, nā whai atu i ērā momo huarahi i hoki ai au ki tōku Ao Māori, ā, ka whakauru au ki ngā akoranga Reo Māori ki te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa, Rōnakitanga, Aupikitanga tae noa ki te Pīnakitanga o te Reo Kairangi. Kātahi anō au ka whakapōtaetia te kaupapa whakamutunga, ko te Pīnakitanga.

Ko toku matainaina ko te whakawhanuitanga o ngā Toi Māori ki ngā kokona katoa o tēnei Ao Kikokiko.

Ben Thomason,  is a proud Māori descendent of Ngāti Raukawa based in Ōtaki. he grew up on Auckland’s North Shore where he attended the decile 10 School Long Bay College. After college  he completed a degree in Science and Graphic Design from UoA and Yoobee School of Design. His passion remained in the Graphic Design side of things as he already had a background in Māori Art from his apprenticeship as a Tā Moko (Māori Tattoo) artist in his final year of college. After graduating he set up as a freelance Graphic Designer under the Sole Trader Name, Mana Design.  He worked tirelessly to broaden his skill set. His background in Māori Art saw a gap filled in the design world and he has been lucky enough to work alongside some awesome companies such as, Auckland Transport, MoE, Māori TV, TVNZ, NZ Police, Māori Party, Te Whānau o Waipareira, Whānau Ora, ANZ, Northern Mystics and the Warriors.

However as he has have progressed he has found myself wanting to solidify his skillset and cultural competency even further, thus for the last 3 years he has been enrolling and graduating in full emersion Te Reo Māori programmes at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. He is currently about to graduate in the final course they  offer at the highest academic level within the institute.

To conclude, Ben’s deepest desire is to use all his skills and work ethic to see Māori Art done right and flourishing around the world so it can be loved by all.