Meet James Russell: rat trapper and a world leading island conservationist.

James’ work brings together a variety of scientific methods to solve contemporary conservation problems, and he is currently on a quest to eradicate introduced mammal predators from all of New Zealand. More recently, James has been researching the social implications of pest control and the dynamics between humans and conservation.

Dr Russell is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland and Strategic Advisor to the Predator Free NZ Trust.

Adopted from Russia as a young child and overcoming adversity as a teenager, Katerina (Kat) Clark was motivated to make a difference for other young people in the Bay of Plenty.

Kat established Tauranga Pryde and continues to provide ongoing support as a student advocate at the University of Waikato.

In recognition of Kat’s work on behalf of the LGBTQ community she was presented with two Youth Week awards and is a Local Hero New Zealander of the Year.

David is a published author on New Zealand Innovation, with two highly successful books – No.8 Re-wired, and No.8 Recharged.

He’s an ex-comedian, TV and Radio actor, and a genetically modified organism who documented his battle with cancer in the book A Mild Touch of the Cancer. David regularly presents and gives talks on his cancer journey and on the power of positive thinking and optimism.

Alex is a Pākehā product of the Kaupapa Māori educational movement. He works closely with teachers, school leaders and community members to help create relationships that are culturally and socially just.

As an educator and researcher with affiliations to Mātaatua, Tainui and Te Tai Tokerau areas, he is fascinated by what supports and gets in the way of mutually advantageous relationships between Tāngata whenua and Non-Māori. Alex is interested in bilingual schooling, philosophy, hip hop, tikanga Māori revitalisation, and having a laugh!

Stacy Sims is a question-asker and boat rocker (disruptor) when it comes to human performance and physiology. She has asked the questions her academic predecessors said were too difficult to answer and gone after those answers.

Stacy has been widely recognized as a visionary for her thought leadership across the sports performance industry and will leave our audience with new insights into how to better understand themselves and biohack their routines for better performance.

email: ssims@waikato.ac.nz

Danielle Appleton is helping emerging food technology companies carve out a better future for Aotearoa New Zealand. Danielle used a decade of experience improving processes in the dairy industry to co-found dairy and alternative-dairy startups KiaOra Milk and Evolution Meadows.

She currently works out of Level Two Innovation Hub, NZ’s most successful deep-tech incubator, and is incredibly passionate about the Future of Food. She’s pushing NZ to adopt new food technologies, but not for the reasons you might think.

Mother to two adolescent children, Kathryn has dedicated 22 years to understanding how extreme trauma impacts the developing brain. Holding a Masters in Educational Psychology and certification as a Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics Practitioner, she now uses her skills to train others and to develop interventions that assist reparation of the physical and psychological aspects of impacted brains.

Armed with the knowledge that trauma can have huge emotional, behavioural and physical outcomes, Kathryn is passionate about sharing information with the wider community through her work.

Changemaker and thought leader, Leo Murray, cares deeply about the survival of our species and our planet. Catalysing a necessary paradigm shift for people to make changes out of love for the natural world rather than fear of what they stand to lose.

Specialising in regenerative sustainability, behaviour change and civil disobedience, Leo’s company Why Waste is reducing negatives impacts through waste minimisation. Local to Tauranga Moana, this conscious activist is seeking to improve the current system by co-creating a new story for humanity.

email: leo@whywaste.co.nz; phone: 022 066 4869

Entertainment / Performance.

Austin’s dance rendition of Crazy Little Thing Called Love made it difficult to tell his legs from his arms, such were his contortions.

I can tell you he wore the nattiest powder-blue two-piece suit (short-sleeved! Chic!) with contrasting sparkly pink tie which made my own outfit of red tartan and leopard print feel glum. I can also tell you at one point he used his extended leg as a guitar which is how I knew for sure we were all having a great time.

Entertainment / Performance.

Our final entertainment gift was from the Sia’amelie Tongan Dance Group who embodied the fluid elegance of the Tongan surf in dance form.

I had less Pakeha Paralysis and more Pakeha Wistfulness watching the dancers’ fluid elegance teach us about the Tongan way of life. I feel fortunate to witness the fruits of these dancers’ efforts to nurture the gifts if their Tongan culture. May we consider to honour these gifts.