Karyn is a lecturer in Te Tumu – School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies at the University of Otago, where she obtained her BA (Hons), MA and PhD degrees.

Mohi Rua is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Waikato and Co-Director of the Māori Psychology Research Unit. Prior to this, he was a Senior Research Officer in the University’s Māori and Psychology Research Unit.
 

Shaun Awatere (Ngāti Porou) is a resource economist for Landcare Research in Hamilton. He has been working to improve the incorporation of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and values) into local government planning by developing the systems and processes that will enable Māori values to be integrated into urban design and development.

Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes is based out of Massey University and is currently Director of Whāriki and Co-director of the SHORE and Whariki Research Centre. She has worked on research in many areas; more recently relationships between the health of people and the health of environments, sexual coercion, alcohol and youth well-being and identity.

Paora is Kaihautu Tikanga (Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori leader) at NPM and also a Professional Teaching Fellow at the Department of Māori Studies, University of Auckland where he lectures in Kapahaka, Traditional & Contemporary Māori Performing Arts and Te Reo Māori. 

He has had a significant career in kapahaka as well as traditional and contemporary Māori performing arts, including areas of performing, teaching/training, directing, judging as well as choreography and composition within this indigenous genre of dance.