Wāhine entrepreneurs look beyond bottom line

Māori women entrepreneurs are in Auckland this week to share stories of business challenges and successes and discuss what makes indigenous business different.

Organiser Jacqui Rolleston says the Wahine Māori Pasifika Entrepreneurs Conference at the Tainui Airport Novotel came about because of demand following a similar hui last year.

Kōrero includes discussions on moko kauae and malu tatau, carving out a brand while juggling kids and whānau, Haka Pants author Bridget Tapsell on how to write your rage novel, and keynotes from women business leaders including Sharon Hunter and Theresa Gattung.

Ms Rolleston says wāhine Māori tend to be innovative and know how to use resources well and think beyond the western business bottom line of profits above all else.

"For us that quadruple bottom line where we think about whānau, where we think about sustainability and what we are giving back to our future generations as well so it's bigger than just money for wāhine Maori. Survival requires sustainability and it requires being little bit more innovative," she says.

There are a number of agencies who can support women's businesses, and the conference benefited from a number of government and private sector organisers sponsoring wahine to attend.

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