Meet the speakers

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.