At the ACE Conference in Tāmaki Makaurau in June, Caroline Taripo-Keith, Russell Su’a, Donna Southworth and Susie Talimalo-Ikihele shared their voyage of Wayfinding leadership which is based on the art of traditional Polynesian navigation.

Donna and Russell were both Resource Teachers Learning & Behaviour and attended a Wayfinding Leadership course run by Dr Chellie Spiller, the lead facilitator on Wayfinding Leadership programmes in Aotearoa. In April 2022 the two decided to live their wayfinding learnings and both left their teaching roles to establish Hear Our Story Ltd alongside Susie Talimalo-Ikihele. The focus of the business is on nurturing authentic wayfinding leaders through empowering learners to step into their potential through leadership development, coaching, mentoring, critical awareness, collaboration and storytelling.

The team takes an unashamedly Pacific Nations’ focus to their work with a goal of nurturing authentic leaders, equipping and inspiring learners. Recent work has been with Fonua Ola in terms of self-care, identity and wayfinding leadership. Fonua Ola provides social work support, counselling, youth programmes, building financial capability, family violence intervention, whānau ora support and group parenting programmes targeting the large Pacific Nations communities in Tāmaki Makaurau.

“We chose the name Hear Our Story because people love to share their stories, and through sharing you create connection. It’s important to honour and value our stories,” Donna says.