Title: Working with people to save the planet

Niki is Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. She was the sustainability lead for a recent curriculum review at the university, and, with colleagues, established a transdisciplinary three-course sustainability teaching module for undergraduate students. Niki’s research focuses on the psychology of sustainability, values, and civil discourse. She has led action research programmes in educational and health organisations focused on creating a sustainability culture. She is the author of Psychology for a Better World: Working with People to Save the Planet and The Infinite Game: How to Live Well Together.  

Dean Fraser is a leader and strategist with over 20 years of global experience in organisational transformation, risk management, and sustainable development. Of Ngāi Tahu and Te Āti Awa descent, Dean is committed to integrating indigenous values and perspectives with contemporary management practices to foster innovation and long-term growth. He is the founder of Rākau Carbon, an indigenous-focused land regeneration startup dedicated to restoring whenua and advancing climate resilience through native forest regeneration and IP solutions. 

Dean’s expertise spans transformation, risk, sustainability, and futures thinking, and he has a proven track record of optimising business performance and implementing forward-looking strategies across a diverse range of sectors. An INSEAD Advanced Management Program graduate, Dean combines cutting-edge leadership techniques with deep knowledge of risk management and governance. He serves on multiple boards and excels at motivating and leading diverse teams in both local and international contexts. 

Through his work, Dean champions the integration of indigenous knowledge systems with global best practices, driving meaningful change for communities, organisations, and the environment.

Dr Jessica Hutchings (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Gujarati) is a nationally and internationally recognised leader in Indigenous food systems, Māori food and soil sovereignty, and Hua Parakore (Māori organics). She is a founding trustee of the Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust and has been a member of Te Waka Kai Ora – the Māori Organics Authority – for over two decades.

Jessica is a Hua Parakore verified grower, researcher, writer, and activist, living on 12 acres where she grows kai with her whānau. She is also a widely published author, including Te Mahi Māra Hua Parakore and Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore. For over 30 years, her work has sat at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, whānau wellbeing, and environmental justice.

In 2023, she was named a finalist for New Zealander of the Year (Environment) and one of Aotearoa’s Top 50 Women in Food and Drink. She is currently producing an eight-part TV series on Māori organics and healing the food system.

Trisia is an Honorary Fellow at Massey University and a Senior Scientist in Cawthron Institute’s Transdisciplinary Science Group.  She is a co-founder and Coordinator of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty: a body of over 400 international plastics scientists established in 2022 to support member-state treaty negotiations. Trisia is a technical advisor to SPREP countries, and she was a member of the United Nations Scientific Advisory Committee (Marine Litter and Microplastics). She is an editorial board member of Cambridge Prisms Plastics, her co-edited book is entitled Plastic Legacies: Pollution, Persistence, and Politics, and she co-founded the New Zealand Product Stewardship Council and Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance.

Rangitāne o Manawatū, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Porou, Ngai Te Rangi

Kararaina was born and raised in the Manawatū with a passion for climate change solutions. She completed her BSc and BSc (hons) at the University of Auckland in Chemistry before moving to Te Whanganui-a-Tara where she completed a graduate internship at NIWA before beginning her PhD. She is currently a PhD student (NIWA, VUW) studying carbon uptake by the Raukūmara forest using newly developed methods. Alongside her research in this space Kararaina is an active member in the Māori Womens Welfare League - Rangitāne o Manawatū peka. She also plays a key role in the Rangitāne o Manawatū cultural trust where she is the vice chair.

Originally from the Wairarapa and educated at Massey University, Andrew  has been with Fonterra Co-operative Group since 2010, serving in commercial and management of resource use roles. Andrew was appointed as the General Manager of Global Climate Policy in 2021. In this role, Andrew has responsibility for setting the strategy and delivery of Fonterra’s climate ambition, as well as the commercialisation and market activation for low carbon dairy ingredients.

Montana holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Victoria University of Wellington and, as of November 2024, has completed a Master’s in Sustainable Development Goals at Massey University, specialising in Climate Action. With extensive experience in community engagement, Montana currently serves as the Zero Waste Manager at Waiheke Resources Trust. In this role, she leads initiatives to strengthen partnerships aimed at diverting food waste from landfill and advancing island-wide transitions toward a circular economy. Her expertise is deeply rooted in the Sustainable Development Goals, with a strong commitment to enhancing the resilience of communities facing limited access to essential resources.

Jacob Lawes is Projects Manager for The AgriChain Centre, as well as for the Technical Advisory Group of the pan-produce industry body, United Fresh. Jacob has been involved in Sustainability activities for almost a decade, across a variety of topics. Jacob also manages the production of Fresh Facts, the annual produce industry facts & stats publication. 

Jacob holds a Masters of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the Governance of United Fresh’s efforts to guide New Zealand’s produce industry to implement the United Nation’s SDGs. Jacob also represents United Fresh New Zealand on the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) Sustainability Committee.

Angela is currently the CEO at KiwiHarvest, New Zealand’s largest food rescue organisation. She has a long heritage in the food industry with large companies.  Her roles have included finance, operations, supply chain, consulting and overall company management. One role that has played a pivotal part in Angela’s views on all things food was as a global supply chain director for a company that was feeding 69 million people per day which was ranked as the 2nd benchmark supply chain. Angela is passionate about community and children’s futures.  

Lewis is the Senior Sustainability Advisor at Auckland Transport. After a career in international education and education diplomacy, he made a career shift into sustainability, underpinned by his graduation with a Masters of Sustainable Development Goals, specializing in Business and Sustainability. His current role is within AT's Climate Transition team, where he focuses on driving system change by transforming processes, practices, and embedding sustainability into the organization's operations. This includes work on the greenhouse gas inventory, climate-related financial disclosures, organizational upskilling, and fostering stakeholder understanding and support for Auckland Transport’s climate change and sustainability initiatives.

Aya Morris is a Senior Advisor Outcomes for the Department of Internal Affairs – Te Tari Taiwhenua, working to support the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board – Te Puna Tahua. The Board’s vision is ‘Building strong, sustainable communities together,’ and the new lottery outcomes framework has an increased focus on supporting environmental wellbeing and sustainability initiatives led by communities, hapū and iwi. Aya completed the Master of Sustainable Development Goals with a research fellowship at Columbia Climate School in New York City, with support from a Fulbright Graduate Award. Her research and publications focus on climate adaptation and resilience for coastal communities.