About Us

Ārahi(na) means ‘to lead or guide,’ while Hina references Hīnātore, a luminescent world that provides light in the darkness - a glimmer of hope.

Who We Are - Our Vision

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 leads us towards our vision: of an Aotearoa where Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti thrive, together.

What We Do - Our Mission

To realise the vision of an Aotearoa where Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti thrive, we founded AraHina in 2022 to provide facilitation services grounded in te ao Māori. Because we believe that well-facilitated spaces have the power to foster unity, unlock potential, and drive ground-up, community-led change.

As a Māori organisation, AraHina prides itself on creating Indigenous-informed spaces that are grounded, transformative, and true to who we are. Indigenous methods are vital as they centre relationships and create space for people to bring their whole selves and make values-based decisions. These approaches benefit everyone because they deepen connection, restore trust, and support more courageous and inclusive conversations.

How We Work - Our Mahi

At AraHina, we specialise in Strategic Planning and Bespoke Facilitation services and our mahi is guided and informed by the strategic objectives below.

Ngā Pou | Strategic Objectives:

1.0 Māori-Informed Facilitation
We interweave mātauranga Māori with the globally recognised Technology of Participation methods to create Indigenous-informed spaces and facilitate culturally tailored experiences.

2.0 Māori-Centred Facilitation
We support kaupapa Māori organisations and organisations seeking positive outcomes for Māori by helping groups navigate complexities, align aspirations, and create long-term strategies for future generations.

3.0 Māori-Leading Facilitators
We aim to grow Māori leadership in facilitation by reviving Māori facilitation practices, growing emerging Māori facilitators, and delivering Māori facilitation training across the motu.

Our Why

AraHina exists because we believe Indigenous-led facilitation creates the conditions for real transformation. And over the past three years we’ve been in business, we’ve proudly supported whānau, hapū, iwi, and organisations across the community, public, and private sectors throughout the motu. What we’ve learned along the way is that our values guide everything we do.

Whanaungatanga – Relationships are key. We treat our clients like they're whānau, and forming genuine connections is the foundation of every wānanga we facilitate

Kotahitanga – We align with organisations who honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strive for unity and when you work with us we tailor every engagement to align with the unique needs of your people

Rangatiratanga – To us, Rangatiratanga means standing unapologetically in our Māoritanga. Through our mahi, we create spaces where communities can come together, bring their whole selves, co-design shared outcomes, and lead the change they want to see. That, to us, is Rangatiratanga in action.

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 means seeing Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti working in true 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 the 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.

He aha te mea nui? Mō ngā tamariki mokopuna te take! I do this for my whānau, my beautiful mokopuna Arihia Kaurapa Ina Tararo Ngarimu, our mokopuna Māori, and our future generations to come. Mauri Ora!

arahina brand asset starsarahina brand asset starsarahina brand asset starsarahina brand asset stars

Our Tohu

The Mangopare sits inside a circle, representing Hina. The Mangopare itself stands for 'by Māori for Māori' and subtly depicts the letters 'A' and 'H'. The outer detail is a simplified take on the whakarare pattern, symbolising everlasting transformation and growth.

Katerina Kupenga

Ngāti Porou | Te Aitanga a Hauiti | Ngāti Oneone | Te Whānau a Apanui

Kia ora, my name is Katerina Kupenga, Ngāti Porou | Te Whānau a Apanui, and I am the founder of AraHina Facilitation Consultancy. Based in Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua Dannevirke, I serve all regions of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

My 20-year career began at ANZ NZ & Australia Contact Centres, where I specialised in leadership coaching, strategic planning, and facilitation. I later transitioned to the not-for-profit sector, facilitating leadership and strategic planning programmes for school principals across the motu. In the community sector, I worked to build the capability of tangata whenua leaders and advocated for equitable funding for Māori. These experiences ignited my passion for fostering positive change for te iwi Māori and inspired me to establish AraHina Facilitation Consultancy.

Now, with three years of consultancy experience, international certification as a Technology of Participation Facilitator, and extensive strategy expertise, AraHina is dedicated to supporting groups achieve their aspirations through the art of facilitation. With a growing portfolio, proven outcomes, and an expanding team, we are set to deliver meaningful outcomes across Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Tap into over 20 years of business coaching, leadership development, strategic planning, and facilitation experience at corporate, public and community level.

Contact Katerina @ AraHina today to learn more about our facilitation services and how we can support your organisation.

Te Wawata

OUR VISION

Your Go-To Strategic Planning Consultancy in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Te Whāinga

OUR MISSION

We help communities & organisations realise their aspirations through
co-designed Strategies

Te Take

OUR WHY

Because we believe that co-designed Strategies have the potential to foster unity & create lasting impact

arahina brand asset starsarahina brand asset starsarahina brand asset starsarahina brand asset stars

Highlights From Our Recent Facilitation Work

AraHina is a proud Māori-led facilitation consultancy with strong facilitation expertise, cultural grounding, and a commitment to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Check out our recent workshops to see how we support kaupapa across Aotearoa

AraHINA Is proud to have supported the following organisations

What Our People Say!

Below is some of the feedback we've collected from our whānau who have attended our workshops or worked with us.

"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 facilitation was exceptionally well thought through and organised. You hit the brief on the head."
"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."
"Your utilisation of reflection and preparation was evident. You clearly took time to learn about our organisation and our kaupapa. You were constantly present with us and took us on that journey."
"Your facilitation was fun, interactive, while still helping us to fulfill our objectives for that wānanga. I was really impressed with how efficiently our time was spent and how much we were able to achieve! You are great at guiding a rōpū and holding the mauri."

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat."

Contact us

Katerina Kupenga - Dannevirke
Aotearoa, New Zealand

Thank you for your enquiry! I'll be in contact shortly. Ngā mihi nui.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form. Please refresh the page and try again.