Attending Ōhanga ki te Ao stirred something deep in me, an empowerment that comes from watching history being rewritten in real time, not through ego or noise, but under the direction of faith. It reminded me that the movement toward unity doesn’t start with the big names or the suits in the room. It starts with the “small people”, the ones who quietly grind, dream, and build foundations in their garages, spare rooms, or sleepouts. The ones who often feel unseen, yet carry the heartbeat of our economy.
I know this journey personally. In the 90s, as a 27-year-old Māori woman running “Julie O' Glassware” out of my own garage, I walked into manufacturing boardrooms filled with older businessmen. Respect was scarce. Very few, like Phil O’Reilly, treated me as if my voice mattered. But even then, I knew the power of standing in spaces not designed for us, trusting that God had placed me there with purpose.
Now, decades later, the landscape has changed. Everyone has a voice. The noise is louder, yes, but so is the call from our Maker to rise above that noise, to listen, to align, and to build with intention.
Reflecting on the Kotahitanga Fund and the Call to Strategic Investment
After attending the Kohinga Koha as a visitor and reconnecting with my iwi from Taranaki, I felt both humbled and challenged. Standing where tradition meets modern enterprise among the suits and amidst the tikanga I am still learning, I was reminded of the courage it takes to stand in two worlds. I also caught a glimpse of the Queen’s visionary intent for unity and economic transformation.
As someone committed to supporting small-to-medium Māori businesses, I continue to stress the importance of long-term strategic plans 3–5 years, even 5–10 years that are grounded in financial understanding. Too often accountants limit their work to compliance, ticking the annual government boxes. But what truly matters is the front end te mātau ki ō nama, truly understanding your numbers and the impact behind every decision.
Knowing where you stand financially, and how each choice affects your balance sheet and bottom line, is what unlocks stability and growth.
In this light, the Kotahitanga Fund, with its $100 million vision, is powerful. It isn’t just an investment product, it’s a statement. A strategic platform built to activate collective Māori economic empowerment and align money with kaupapa.
For those clients in a position to diversify wealth, such as those drawing down $100K dividends, this fund presents an opportunity not only for strong returns but for participation in rewriting our economic story as Māori.
Alongside other reputable investment pathways, such as NZ Funds for bond-based portfolios, Kotahitanga adds another dimension: culturally aligned investment that partners financial growth with whakapapa, purpose, and unity
Faith as the Foundation
Ōhanga ki te Ao reminded me that true transformation, personal, economic, collective, must be anchored in faith. When we move under God’s direction, we begin to write a different kind of history. One built on unity, humility, and listening to His voice over the noise.
And as always, my heart remains with the small whanau-led businesses, the ones starting out in garages just like I did. He rahi ngā rākau tīmatanga, engari he iti te kākano. The seed may be small, but the forest it grows can shift generations.
We rise together, guided by faith, driven by unity, and strengthened by strategic, culturally grounded investment.
