Meet the speakers

Adam Bienenstock is a speaker, author, designer, educator, and relentless advocate for nature play and outdoor learning. He believes that all children should have the opportunity to authentically connect with nature and become immersed in the wonder of the natural world.

For years, Adam has been at the forefront of a movement that aims to authentically connect children to nature. His talks and advocacy work are informed by pedagogy, defined by experience and shaped by an ever-expanding body of research. With a broad knowledge base and an exceptional ability to discern exactly what resonates with each audience

Adam is able to engage with everyone in the room. His expansive repertoire includes workshops, talks and community events on topics spanning human health, environmental sustainability and regeneration, child development, and playground design.

Dr Nicole “Nikki” Penetito-Hemara (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou) is a proud māmā of four, researcher, tākaro (play) practitioner, strategist, and systems disruptor committed to Indigenous-led wellbeing and transformation. Born and raised in the heart of South Auckland, she leads with a belief that tākaro is a living expression of whakapapa (genealogy), identity, and hauora (wellbeing). Her PhD, He Pūkenga Pūrākau, Ka Ora te Tamaiti, explores pūrākau-based movement (ancestral narrative-informed movement) and taiao-based tākaro (nature-based play) as pathways to enhance Māori wellbeing and cultural reclamation for tamariki Māori. Nikki is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Kori Collaborative, and a Senior Lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, where she works to design, educate, and activate initiatives centred on revitalising mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) within play, active recreation and sport, as a driver of mauri ora (flourishing wellness).

As a national play leader and advisor, Nikki has contributed to shaping play systems, policy, and initiatives across Aotearoa. Her work sits at the intersection of pūrākau (creation stories), taonga tākaro (traditional Māori games), and Kaupapa Māori research, in effect translating ancestral knowledge into contemporary movement practice across both the education and health sectors.