Fellows and Friends of NEXT

JIMMY MCLAUCHLAN
Business Development Leader, Methodist Mission Southern, Dunedin

Why I am interested in the early years
I’m the Kaiwhakawhanake Pakihi (Business Development Leader) for Methodist Mission Southern – a social and educational service provider based in Dunedin. I’m responsible for the design, development and resourcing of evidence-based programmes and services. My current projects include self-regulation and oral language initiatives for preschool and primary school children, speech-language communication programmes for youth and adults, virtual reality learning tools for prison-based and community learners, transitional housing models for rangatahi, and data-driven capability building services for other social service providers.

The NEXT fellowship will allow me to focus on achieving impact at scale. I want to learn more about how early years’ initiatives can be supported to make positive life-course impacts in a much bigger way.

Jimmy’s project
Developing frameworks, resources and tools to help philanthropic and Government funders achieve impact at scale in initiatives focusing on the early years.

LESLYNNE JACKSON
Manaaki Tairāwhiti Lead, Gisborne

Why I am interested in social justice
I am motivated by the principles of social justice, and lead Manaaki Tairāwhiti, a placebased initiative in Tairāwhiti. Having worked for government and NGOs, I am passionate about community development, systems thinking and sharing learning with others. I was born and raised in Tairāwhiti, am a mother of two and a new grandmother and do volunteer work for various local community groups.

The NEXT fellowship will allow me to focus my project to enable families and communities to make sense of their local social services landscape. To investigate whether it is possible to build a template that (a) makes it easier for people looking for help to find what they need and (b) generates insights that enable communities to collaborate and plan for greater effectiveness of helping services.

Leslynne’s project
To enable families and communities to make sense of their local social services landscape and be able to actively engage in enabling their own wellbeing.

ROSE CHALLIES
Executive Officer of the NZ Nature Fund

Why I am interested in strategic philanthropy
For the last 20 years I have been working in Europe addressing a range of complex social and environmental issues and supporting those wanting to bring about change. What I found was that much of the potentially world changing work was not being done by those who could talk the loudest or were familiar to the public. Instead it was being carried out by people who knew the needs they were addressing and were quietly tackling the hard stuff at the root of the issue. This often included courageous individuals diving into complex, multineed, broken-system situations.

The philanthropists, funders and businesses I worked with wanted to connect with these individuals but they struggled to find them. This was leading to resources not getting to those making the biggest impact, and donors/funders often feeling like they weren’t getting to the crux of change. A key issue was a lack of social/environmental accountability. The real impact being made was not measured and often people were over-claiming their achievements. As a result it was very difficult for resource holders to see who was making the biggest difference. Robust, meaningful measurement with ‘big picture’ context, gives donors/investors the information they need to invest their resources in the people and the work that will create change.

The NEXT Fellowship is giving me the opportunity to bring this work to life; to enable the means to show who are making the real impacts required for our world going forward, and to provide opportunities for philanthropists to give to them. With the planet seeing unprecedented decline and an estimated 1000x the natural rate of extinctions, and much of New Zealand’s native flora and fauna disappearing fast, the priority will be on enabling philanthropic giving opportunities with impactmaking conservation projects.

Rose’s Project
Providing opportunities for strategic, impact-led philanthropy by: robust, meaningful measurement of environmental impact; sector-leading examples of those making the change the world needs; and opportunities for philanthropists to connect with them.

SHANA MALIO-SATELE
Partnered Delivery Manager, Child Youth Wellbeing, Accident Compensation Corporation, Wellington

Why I am interested in my fellowship project
The passion behind my interest in my fellowship project, connects to who I am today, and where I have come from.

As the youngest of four children, I grew up in a family that placed significant importance on education. My parents believed that the only way to change things, was through education. I am both blessed and privileged to be a first-generation University graduate in my family. Both my parents and older siblings made many sacrifices for me to be able to successful in the New Zealand education system. I have experienced first-hand the positive impact that systemic change in education can have on an individual and as a result, the whanau/aiga and family.

I have completed my Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Literature and a PG Certificate in Social and Community Leadership at the University of Auckland and I have worked in the youth, community, and workforce development space for over a decade.

I was incredibly lucky to be a recipient of a Vodafone New Zealand Foundation World of Difference Award in 2015, which spurred me on to be involved as a committee member on the Peter McKenzie Committee (J R McKenzie Trust) and on the Minister of Youth Partnership Fund Board.

The NEXT Foundation fellowship will allow me to combine my passion for education excellence, interest in personal narrative (storytelling) and work around positive youth development (leadership) for young Pacific people into one project. The fellowship will help remove barriers that would have otherwise prevented me from having both the time and thinking space needed to develop such a big piece of work.

Shana’s Project
Developing a conceptual and evaluation framework for youth led community development, specifically focussing on community organising as a vehicle for systemic change. (Case Study: MYSTORY Programme, Otara, South Auckland).

DR ERUERA TARENA
Ngāi Tahu (Ngāi Tūāhuriri), Christchurch
Executive Director, Tokona te Raki, Māori Futures Collective

Why I am interested in an indigenous approach to social innovation
I am the Executive Director for Tokona te Raki: Māori Futures Collective, a Ngāi Tahu-led futures lab to empower rangatahi to realise the future of their dreams and influence partners to transform how they engage rangatahi and their whānau. The lab shares future focused insights so rangatahi can determine their own future, equip them with the tools to lead change and connects them with partners so they are designing systems that work for them.

I am currently involved in a range of data projects mapping our current education systems performance for Māori (mapping barriers/boosters), mapping rangatahi journeys through education/employment and a range of projects focused on the future of work for Māori and preparing for the transition to a future skills-based economy.

I have experimented with a range of social innovation frameworks created by non-indigenous people to fix broken systems that were imposed upon us. I believe we need to move beyond Western frameworks to fix broken Western systems that don’t work for us and instead trust our own tupuna wisdom and culture as the source of our future solutions.

The NEXT fellowship will help me develop an indigenous conceptual framework which helps us understand what’s occurring and a practical process to help us lead through change.

My project will focus on building an indigenous kawa (protocols, practices, and processes) for Māori to reclaim our tupuna wisdom and embrace a future-focused mindset to create solutions addressing our greatest challenges. This includes the development of process, tools, resources, guides, training modules and an online learning platform so this indigenous approach is packaged as a gift to the world.

Eruera’s Project
Developing an indigenous approach to social innovation and systems change.

JULIA ARNOTT-NEENEE
Strategy, Insights, Co-Founder, Auckland

SAIA MATAELE
Management Consultant at PwC, Co-Founder of PeopleForPeople, Auckland

Why Julia and Saia are interested in digital empowerment
Julia: I am an international insights and communication strategist, passionate about technology and people. I have worked in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. I am dedicated to looking at how technology will impact the most amount of people for the better, advocating progress that reaches the whole society. I have recently co-founded PeopleForPeople, a youth-led Pacific Social Enterprise with the mission to strengthen Digital Empowerment in Aotearoa.

Saia: I am of Tongan and Fijian descent, and a proud South Aucklander from Mangere. I am passionate about enabling and connecting people and achieving equitable outcomes. I am currently a Management Consultant at PwC, providing advice and support for clients both in the Private, Public and Not for profit sectors.

Outside of work, I am actively involved in community initiatives (with a focus on Maori and Pacific leadership, and Youth) and in the start-up scene, both in Aotearoa and in the Pacific.

Julia and Saia: The NEXT fellowship will allow us to work on a project committed to strengthen Digital Inclusion in Aotearoa. By combining our skills as an accelerating and compounding unit we believe we will have the ability to create effective system change. We will combine our efforts to increase capacity, strengthen accountability, create neurodiversity, access a wider pool of networks and achieve more impact.

Julia and Saia’s Project
A joint project strengthening digital inclusion in Aotearoa New Zealand so that people can engage in the many benefits available such as education and collaboration.

ALISON DEWES
ECOLOGIST AND VET

The Project
Working with “lighthouse“ (leading) farmers to restore ecosystem health in the eastern Bay of Plenty catchment of Pongakawa, Kaikokupu and Wharere rivers, from the mountains (Mamakus) to the sea Little Waihi Estuary to protect and restore healthy Mahinga Kai, and swimmable waters for future generations.

Why I am interested in Restoring Waterway Health for Future Generations
While I am a vet and a farmer, and love nature. I also love helping farmers fix a problem and restore wellbeing.

I am inspired by leading farmers because they have often thought deeply about the way we have farmed and the ways we can improve.

It’s by working with innovative thinkers, and those motivated for a new way of thinking, that we can bring about change: if you empower the leaders, then others will follow.

I am eternally optimistic that if we can get away from old models of farming, and explore new, diversified systems that are more resilient, profitable and protect and enhance our landscape, then it will create vision for others, and opportunity for whole of catchment healing.

The Little Waihi Estuary is at the base of a 35000 ha catchment of three rivers that have been modified for over 150 years. We know this will take time, but if everyone works together with a common focus of achieving health of land, water, people and protecting mahinga kai for future generations, then collaboratively, health can be restored.

By working with nature, supported by good policies, the goal of achieving a healthy estuary will be achieved, and could lead the way for other NZ catchments to follow, by innovating healing strategies from the Mountains to the Sea.

ANDREW SCHOLLUM
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT

The Project
Developing a framework for people and technology to help with healthy river management in urban environments.

Why I am interested in healthy rivers
After travelling and working in Wellington I returned home to West Auckland and moved into a house not far from where I grew up. I took my kids swimming in the local river – a river that used to be known as a great fishing spot when my father was growing up, but that everyone avoided in my youth because by then it had become too polluted to swim in. I’d been told the Council has spent tens of millions cleaning up the river and assumed it had worked. Both my kids developed a rash from the water and I began to ask some questions. Over the past 5-6 years I’ve shifted the focus of my work towards the generation of robust information on the health of urban waterways and its effective communication to the public. I’m driven by a strong commitment to scientific accuracy, transparency and accountability. And I feel we can’t expect our rural cousins to make changes to the way they manage their land and waterways if us citydwellers aren’t prepared to lift our weight.

The NEXT Fellowship gives me the opportunity to look-up and be strategic, chart a path enhances the impact I am able to make, ‘fill-in’ gaps in my capability, and develop ideas and try things that have the potential to be transformational but that I can’t do through my day-to-day work.

NAOMI APORO
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISOR

The Project
Setting a platform for restoration of waterway health within the Tasman region through focussing on key issues of leadership, fragmentation, and transparency.

Why I am interested in healthy rivers
I come from a culture where I am the River and the River is me. I believe that the first right of water, goes to water. My expectation is that any relationship I have with water must be underpinned by reciprocity in an equitable exchange where both sides benefit. It is because of my beliefs that I feel a deep sense of duty and responsibility to lead and support efforts to correct what is fundamentally broken in our societal relationship with water, and to ensure there is a better pathway forward for future generations to follow.

The fellowship is energising and inspiring, helping me to step out of my normal space and challenge the possibilities of what could be achieved if we dared to do things a bit differently. It’s pushed me to think strategically about the activities that are critical to building a foundation that helps to move community, iwi, industry, and local authorities forward together in the restoration of catchment wellbeing. It’s also created the opportunity for me to connect to a network of like minded individuals who are leaders in getting awesome stuff done!

ANDREW SHARP
CEO BOBUX INTERNATIONAL

The Project
How might we use strategic philanthropy to help reduce childhood poverty rates in NZ?

Why I am interested in the first 1,000 days of life
After living and working all around the world, I truly believe NZ is the best country on the planet. We have an amazing environment, creative businesses and desire for a fair and equitable society. However, the operating systems that we live under are outdated and not serving us anymore. From government to businesses to most families in the country, we are struggling under the weight of these systems and need to shift to more contemporary solutions. We hear about our people, particularly our tamariki, struggling – living in cars and garages, going to school without lunch or raincoats, and the gap between the haves and have-nots widening even further. The NZ we believe in can fix these systemic issues, and that is what we are trying to achieve.

We all lead busy lives and most see that we must challenge the status quo to earn the results we want for ourselves, our families and our society. The NEXT Fellowship provides some space and structure, allowing us to understand, plan and execute a path forward to making positive change. I am very grateful to be allowed this space and feel privileged to work and learn alongside some inspirational leaders in their fields.

LEANNE DAWSON
FOUNDER OF SPACE, A PARENTING SUPPORT NETWORK

The Project
Exploring systems leadership to better support children in their first 1,000 days of life.

Why I am interested in the first 1,000 days of life
Learning has been a huge part of my life, in my roles as a secondary teacher, researcher, trustee on school boards, trainer, facilitator and early year’s advocate. Over the past 20 years, I have been actively working in the parenting education and support and early year’s sector, supporting communities to engage with parents as they transition to parenthood.

I am interested in understanding and making sense of the complexity of the system we are working in and identifying the fundamental changes in thinking and practice that might be needed to shape the leadership of the future. In addition, exploring the conditions required to support system change. Our communities and organisations are adorned with passionate, capable and competent people, so how might we create the capacity to facilitate collective learning, dialogue and sense making?

Being offered the generosity of time and space to critically reflect, explore, learn, and share in an area of your passion and interest coupled with benefit of sharing this journey with other fellows, friends and representative of NEXT Foundation is a true privilege.

THALIA WRIGHT
SPECIALIST ADVISOR, FAMILY AND CHILD ISSUES

The Project
Putting responsive relationships at the heart of our care and protection support for babies and their whānau in the first 1,000 days of life.

Why I am interested in the first 1,000 days of life
For the last 25 years I have worked as a specialist child and family advisor. I work across traditional boundaries and seek out the spaces where government, NGOs and community intersect. The way we collectively nurture our children and support the adults who care for them is fascinating and I am excited by the opportunities the findings from neuroscience have opened up. The evidence supporting the fundamental value of attuned, responsive relationships in the first 1000 days of life is clear and resonates strongly with crosscultural wisdom. We know that relationships rich in ‘serve and return’ both repair harm and help babies to thrive. There is potential for disrupting intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and making progress on some of the most stuck social
policy issue.

So I have been both intrigued by why all of us (not just government, but whānau, communities and the myriad of helping agencies in the early childhood space) aren’t focusing more on this. What am I not seeing or understanding? What is making this so hard? What could we do differently?

This fellowship is giving me time to genuinely enquire, connect, and learn from others. At the end of this year I hope to be asking much better questions, more skillfully disrupting old and stuck conversations, and bringing more attention and purposeful focus to the importance of the first 1,000 days of life .

DANIEL HOUZET – 2019 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

The experience I gained working with the NEXT Foundation was eye opening and not something you normally experience in the business world. I saw so much passion and drive by individuals within the Education and Environment spaces, making change and giving back to NZ, which has encouraged me to realign my values.

GEORGIA WALKER – 2018 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

Reflecting on my time at the NEXT Foundation, I have an appreciation for the passion and drive of so many New Zealanders to create change.  Working alongside Bill Kermode and NEXT has strengthened my core values and introduced me to the philanthropic way of thinking – sharing ideas and working collaboratively with different areas of society towards a common goal of creating positive and systematic change in New Zealand.

JACOB WEAVER – 2018 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

“Being a PwC NEXT Young Leader has been awesome – connecting with inspirational kiwis driving real change in NZ’s education and environment. I am grateful for the opportunity and will continue to support core strategic philanthropy ideals and philosophies in my career at PwC.”

ALEX MCKAY – 2017 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

“We are all working towards the same greater good, so people are willing to share their intellect, instead of patent it. This has been the biggest revelation for me through my role at NEXT, and I think it makes philanthropy the best place to be.”

LAURA LEE – 2016 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

“Before my involvement with NEXT I was completely unaware of the enormous generosity, energy and ingenuity which goes on behind the scenes to effect positive, real change in NZ. A shared trait amongst all those involved is an infectious refusal to accept the ‘norm’ – no doubt why I find myself still involved in setting traps at a kiwi sanctuary a year later.”

COURTNEY SANSON – 2015 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

“Through my role with the NEXT Foundation, I had the opportunity to meet with a broad range of people who want to effect positive change in the New Zealand education and environmental spaces, and are willing to give generously of their time, money and experience to achieve this. I love that there are so many New Zealanders out there who are keen to do good for the benefit of generations to come.”

JEN READ – 2014/2015 PWC NEXT YOUNG LEADER

“My time at NEXT was eye opening. With a diverse network of impressive and empowered individuals – from ministers, school principals, Iwi, entrepreneurs, students, scientists to businessmen (and women!) – NEXT embodies what I consider to be a defining element of Kiwi culture: everyone mucking in to achieve a common goal of making NZ better for future generations. I am proud to have been involved with NEXT and know that it has shaped where I will direct my energy in the future.”

ANNETTE CULPAN

Annette is a pioneer, storyteller and strategist, with a background in philanthropy, business and the not-for-profit sector. She is a trustee of Philanthropy New Zealand (2013 to present); the GIFT Trust; and was a trustee with the Grief Centre (2015 to 2018). Annette managed the Vodafone NZ Foundation for nine years (leading the development of the high engagement approach) and was on the design working group for the 2017 Social Enterprise World Forum. She volunteered at Youthline for ten years, is a trained level one iRest meditation teacher and believes in the ability of ordinary people to achieve extraordinary outcomes through insight, generosity and action. Annette is the Founder of Torokaha – a for-purpose business that works with philanthropic organisations, charitable trusts and all who care deeply about social change. Annette is the author of several NEXT publications, including NEXT Stories.

PWC NEW ZEALAND

PwC New Zealand and NEXT collaborate to provide a unique opportunity for a young graduate, under the PwC NEXT Young Leader programme . The PwC NEXT Young Leader is a second or third year employee of PWC who is seconded to work in the NEXT team for up to 2/3 of their time. Through this secondment and other PwC support, NEXT receives access to PwC’s vast expertise, capabilities and networks. PwC’s support for NEXT is invaluable. In particular, NEXT would like to thank PwC Financial Advisory Services partner David Lamb for his leadership of the NEXT relationship. NEXT Foundation CEO Bill Kermode said “PwC’s unconditional support for NEXT is invaluable. The PwC NEXT Young Leader provides us with capability and resource that we could not access otherwise, and an entrée into the PwC network that has opened many doors for us.”

Hear more from the PwC NEXT Young Leaders

See their website here: https://www.pwc.co.nz/

CHAPMAN TRIPP

Chapman Tripp provides high quality legal services to the NEXT team on a pro bono basis, and makes its networks and capabilities available to NEXT. In particular, NEXT would like to thank John Strowger and Phillippa Wilkie for their leadership of the NEXT relationship. NEXT Foundation CEO Bill Kermode said “Having the highest quality legal advice available to NEXT has a hugely positive impact for us and our investee organisations as we look to support them. We are privileged to have such a supportive partner in such an important discipline.”

See their website here: https://www.chapmantripp.com

PLAY IT STRANGE

Play It Strange spotlights the great songs that are written in New Zealand schools. NEXT chooses songs from Play It Strange artists to back its project videos. NEXT loves having the opportunity to showcase the song writing talent in our high schools. We thank Mike Chunn for his leadership of Play It Strange, and collaboration with NEXT Foundation.

See their website here: http://playitstrange.org.nz

SOAR PRINT

NEXT thanks Soar Print for sponsoring the publication of the NEXT Foundation Review. NEXT Foundation CEO Bill Kermode said “We are delighted with the quality of the NEXT Review. Soar Print put in a huge effort to achieve this , and we benefited enormously from their expertise and commitment to doing a professional job.” Special thanks to Soar Print Managing Director Fred Soar.

See their website here: https://www.soarprint.co.nz/

NATURAL HISTORY NEW ZEALAND

NEXT would like to acknowledge and thank Natural History New Zealand for their generosity in allowing NEXT to use some of its spectacular environmental footage in of our storytelling.

See their website here: http://www.nhnz.tv/

RAINGER AND ROLFE

Rainger and Rolfe have provided strategic marketing, communication and design advice to the NEXT team. NEXT would like to thank them, in particular Ant Rainger, Jen Rolfe and Lauren Plumb for their continued support in telling the wonderful stories NEXT is proud to be part of.

See their website here: http://raingerandrolfe.co.nz/