About Us
Katerina Kupenga
Kaiwhakahaere | Director / Lead Facilitator
Tāmaki nui a Rua | Dannevirke
I’m Katerina, founder of AraHina and Lead Strategic Planning Facilitator
As a proud wahine Māori from Ngāti Porou, I bring over 20 years of experience in leadership, governance, and strategic planning. I’m deeply passionate about bringing an Indigenous lens to facilitation and making strategy simple and accessible for communities.
My work focuses on Hapū and Marae Strategies that are tipuna inspired and mokopuna driven - Catchment Strategies that connect mana whenua and landowners, Māori Strategies that strengthen bicultural partnerships, and Community Strategies that help groups turn vision into action.
Outside of mahi, I love spending time with my whānau, climbing mountains, and travelling the world
Our Tohu
At the heart of AraHina is our tohu. The Mangopare, placed within a circle that represents Hina, symbolises strength, resilience, and our kaupapa of by Māori, for Māori. Its form subtly weaves in the letters A and H, connecting directly to AraHina.
The outer detailing draws on a simplified whakarare pattern, representing ongoing transformation, growth, and the ever-evolving nature of strategy and leadership.
Our Purpose
The name AraHina holds deep meaning. It represents the guiding light that helps us navigate through uncertainty, towards clarity, purpose, and collective transformation.
Our visual identity reflects this story: the waka in our strategy represents our shared journey, Hina beams as our guiding light, and our maunga, Hikurangi, anchors our destination - just as our tipuna once looked to, as they navigated from Hawaiki to Aotearoa.
This is our foundation and the pathway that guides our strategic planning and facilitation mahi, leading us towards our vision of an Aotearoa Hou where Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti thrive, guided by clarity, collaboration, and shared strategic direction.
As an internationally certified ToP™ Facilitator I bring over 20 years of experience in business coaching, leadership development, facilitation, and strategic planning across corporate, public, and community sectors
Our Why
AraHina exists because we believe that co-designed strategies have the potential to foster unity, community & create lasting impact and our values sit at the heart of everything we do
Whanaungatanga
Relationships First
We see every client as whānau, and it’s those genuine connections that form the foundation of every wānanga and strategic planning workshop we facilitate
Kotahitanga
Unity in Action
We support whānau, hapū, iwi, and communities to unite toward a shared purpose, tailoring each engagement to reflect their unique needs and aspirations
Rangatiratanga
Community-Led Change
For us, Rangatiratanga means unlocking the collective wisdom and strength within communities so they can shape and lead the change they see best for their future
Trusted by Communities and Organisations Across Aotearoa
Our Impact
AraHina strives to be a trusted Māori facilitation consultancy and the go-to for strategic planning and meaningful partnerships.
Success for us looks like te iwi Māori united and thriving with strategies grounded in Tino Rangatiratanga and Mana Motuhake. It also means seeing Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti working in partnership to achieve positive outcomes for our future generations in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
We envision a future where Māori facilitators are visible, valued, and leading across the motu, and where Mātauranga Māori and Indigenous-informed approaches are recognised as a respected foundation within facilitation practice.
When all of this is realised, Tino Rangatiratanga will be lived every day, and Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, and Te Ao Māori will thrive together, positively shaping the future of Aotearoa.
" Your tools and teaching methods make facilitation techniques easy to pick up and apply in a range of spaces. "
"Your tools and teaching methods make facilitation techniques easy to pick up and apply in a range of spaces.""You are outstanding at bringing all participants on the journey, regardless of their starting point, and ensuring everyone's voice is heard."
"Fully walking the talk, not just talking the talk. You allowed humour during sensitive kaupapa, making the process approachable and engaging while honouring its cultural significance."
"It was beautiful to see everyone come together and agree on a way forward at the end of the hui – something I thought might not happen!"
"I'm so proud of the outcome of this project. The facilitation at the beginning was a critical success factor for the project."
" You have a gentle nature and are a really good listener. You facilitate in a neutral manner and know when to deep dive to get the best out of participants."
"You facilitated in a relaxed, fun, inspiring, and motivational way while staying focused on what we were trying to achieve."
"You are personable and approachable, with an ability to understand and read a room or group. You adapt seamlessly to whatever the situation brings."
"Making a te ao Māori approach work for not just Māori but other cultures as well – we had a melting pot, and it worked exceptionally well. You made te ao Māori concepts relatable and 'doable' for all."
"Your skills at keeping our rōpū on task were amazing and worked extremely well. Your calm, confident manner was not only inspiring but also empowering for those of us attending."
"You create a culturally safe environment that is both honouring and uplifting. Manaakitanga and kotahitanga are embedded in you."
"You have a real strength working in both corporate and whānau, hāpori spaces, seamlessly bridging these different worlds."
Book a kōrero
Let’s talk about where you’re headed and how
AraHina can help guide the way.
