The IWC Committee

Committee Member

With whakapapa to Rongomaiwahine, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Māhaki, and Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Karina feels privileged to have grown up in such a close-knit whānau. At the age of 17, she relocated to Australia with her family, undertaking various corporate roles from business development strategist to head trainer in private training organisations. After 16 years in Brisbane, Karina returned to Aotearoa to immerse herself in Te Reo Māori and enroll her son in a Kura Kaupapa.

Back home in Aotearoa, Karina shifted her focus from corporate pursuits to community impact, complementing her degree in human services with a Bachelor of Youth Development. She has since applied her strategic insight to create impactful programmes like Y25 for the YWCA and served as a board member for Ara Taiohi, New Zealand’s leading body for youth development.

Currently, as Co-Director of AU, a Māori-owned digital tech learning and consulting company, Karina plays a pivotal role in designing the customer experience for AU, focusing on brand, marketing and communications both within Aotearoa and globally.