When we began this kaupapa, the team at Climate Connect Aotearoa jokingly noted that Māori Climate Innovator is not a job title. This raised the question: what is a Māori Climate Innovator?
“We’re supporting Māori climate innovators working across industries and sectors. Innovators may be applying mātauranga Māori in climate change responses, nature-based solutions, emissions reduction, circularity, tech, cleantech, energy, built environment, moana, whenua, awa and more,” says Cornell Tukiri, Climate Innovation Lead - Māori at Climate Connect Aotearoa and lead of the Māori Climate Innovators Business Growth Programme.
The Māori Climate Innovators Business Growth Programme seeks to support Māori climate innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses by building capability in the climate innovation sector, improving access to capital and professional expertise, and connecting participants into a wider ecosystem of strategic relationships and pathways.
Following a strong expression of interest (EOI) process, several pakihi Māori were selected for the programme. These span a diverse range of sectors and industries, from eco-tourism to aquaponics, crisis management support, and headstones utilising natural products like shells instead of concrete. All are Māori-owned and grounded in Māori values, and some are explicitly mātauranga Māori-first pakihi.
The whakawhanaungatanga morning created space for connection between participants and the mātanga (experts) who will lead the masterclasses. The programme includes six masterclasses, delivered through a mix of in-person and online sessions, covering:
- Brand
- IP/Legal
- Finance 101
- Investment attraction
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Sustainability certifications
Each session is designed to be practical and interactive, enabling pakihi Māori to engage with real-world challenges and build capability in areas vital for their growth.
While the name of the programme includes “growth” in its name, this does not only refer to financial growth. As Cornell explained, “growth doesn’t have to mean growing financially, it may mean growing to provide more employment opportunities, or to create impact at a community level. It may just mean to be able to realise your goals as a small or medium pakihi Māori.”
The whakawhanaungatanga was rich in whakapapa and kōrero from pakihi Māori owners, each with their own story about how they want to honour their tūpuna and Papatūānuku. The kōrero shared also pointed to the interconnectedness of us all, and that pakihi or business may not be the right term for this programme. Kaupapa was suggested instead, and it resonated.
The masterclasses begin later this month.
