The Niu Wave: Tech Futures — rangatahi, resilience, and rewriting the rules of who tech is for

At Techweek26, The Niu Wave: Tech Futures produced by The Southern Initiative and Te Ngahere created a powerful space for rangatahi and whānau to hear directly from Māori and Pasifika leaders shaping the future of technology in Aotearoa. It was equal parts inspiration and practical advice, with a clear message running through the kōrero: tech moves fast, but identity, relationships, and purpose are what make it matter.

Across the day:

• 8 schools attended from across South and West Auckland

• Around 120 rangatahi participated across morning and afternoon sessions

• Around 180 attendees took part overall, including the lunchtime launch of the New Tech Horizons and the Pasifika Workforce report

MC’d by Latafale Allyssa Verner‑Pula, the event featured kōrero from Māori and Pasifika tech leaders including Julia Pahina (Fibre Fale), Doug Healey, Will Fleming (Campfire Studios), Tyrone Tangata‑Makiri (Second Half), Lui Hellesoe (Whakapiki Ake | KiwiData), Amy Dove (Deloitte), and Kat Lintott Wrestler & Rewiring Aotearoa).

Rangatahi in the room, schools across the motu (and across Tāmaki)

A standout part of the day was the rangatahi presence. The schools in attendance were:

• Ōtāhuhu College

• Māngere College

• Te Haikura ā Kiwa (James Cook High School)

• Papakura High School

• Papatoetoe High School

• Manurewa High School

• Waitākere College

• Te Kāpehu Whetū

It mattered not just because of the numbers, but because the kōrero was designed for them. Real people, real pathways, and practical ideas they could take back into school, study, and future work.

Turning “failure” into a resilience reel

A strong early theme was reframing failure. The panellists challenged the idea that careers move in a straight line, especially in creative and digital industries.

Instead of seeing setbacks as a stop sign, the speakers described them as part of the build. The idea of a “resilience reel” landed well: the invisible list of pivots, lessons, and wrong turns that make later wins possible.

Bringing your identity into the work

The panelists were clear that Māori and Pasifika young people don’t need to leave their identity at the door to succeed in tech.

In fact, the opposite. Māori and Pasifika culture brings perspective, creativity, humour, community responsibility, and long-term thinking. Those strengths matter, especially as technology becomes more embedded in daily life and in the decisions that affect people.

A recurring point was that many systems are still built from a monocultural worldview. That gap is also an opportunity for Māori and Pasifika builders to lead, not just participate.

Confidence is a strategy

Another message that came through strongly was that confidence is not personality. It’s a choice and a practice.

Speakers encouraged rangatahi to “put your hand up” and keep doing it, even when it feels uncomfortable. That applied to study choices, job applications, pitching ideas, or simply asking for support. The consistent reminder was that opportunity rarely arrives perfectly timed. Most people have to step toward it first.

AI is a tool. Wisdom is the advantage

The kōrero on AI stayed grounded. The panellists acknowledged the promise of AI for learning, creativity, and problem-solving, while also naming the risks: bias, monoculture, and models trained on content that often fails to reflect Māori and Pasifika worldviews.

A practical idea raised was the importance of boundaries and stewardship around data. If data is a taonga, then it matters how it’s collected, how it’s used, and who benefits.

Rangatahi were encouraged to use AI to support their thinking and learning, but to keep critical thinking and ethics at the centre. Tools will change fast. Judgement will matter more.

Relationships are the real hard skill

While tech education often focuses on tools, the panel reinforced that relationships are what shape careers.

How you collaborate. How you communicate. How you build trust. Those abilities scale across every industry and every role. They also align strongly with Māori and Pasifika ways of working, where connection and collective progress matter.

PAYRISE and real-world work experience in action

One of the most meaningful parts of the day was partnering with Wayfinders PAYRISE for catering and event staffing.

PAYRISE is a youth employment initiative connecting Māori and Pasifika rangatahi with real-world work experience opportunities. The catering, from the menu to the on-the-day service, was fully delivered by the team, with rangatahi also supporting event operations throughout the day.

It was a practical, visible example of the kaupapa in action: building pathways, not just talking about them.

What we’re taking forward

The Niu Wave session didn’t pretend tech futures are easy. But it made them feel achievable and worth building.

The takeaways were clear:

• Back yourself and practise putting your hand up

• Treat failure as part of learning, not proof you don’t belong

• Bring your full identity into the work, because it’s part of the value

• Use AI to amplify your thinking, not replace it

• Protect data with care and intention

• Invest in relationships, because people will outlast any tool

Techweek is about connecting, promoting, advancing and inspiring across the motu. The Niu Wave: Tech Futures delivered on all four, and reminded us that the future of tech in Aotearoa is strongest when Māori and Pasifika rangatahi are building it, leading it, and shaping it on their own terms.

 

A huge thank you to The Southern Initiative and Te Ngahere for bringing this important kōrero to Techweek26.