About Amotai
What we do
Amotai provides practical advice and support to our buyer members so more Māori and Pasifika owned businesses are winning work and growing into buyer members' supply chains. This practice, commonly known as supplier diversity and development, is a dynamic and evolving discipline.
How it works >>Our name
Amotai is the swell in the tide that can carry all waka to new horizons. It shows the growth from our former name, He Waka Eke Noa, which was derived from a Māori whakataukī (proverb) translating as 'the canoe we are all in, without exception'.
Our name is inspired by the innovation, bravery, fortitude and exceptional navigtional expertise our ancestors had in traversing Te Moana nui a Kiwa, the great Pacific Ocean.
The amotai swell could be navigated day or night, in both fine and cloudy weather. Today, that sybolism sets us in good stead for creating a sustainable pipeline of opportunities to enable the growth of Māori and Pasifika owned businesses.
Our values
Whanaungatanga
RelationshipsCreating and maintaining connections through shared experiences and working together provides people with a sense of belonging and inclusion in a greater purpose. Relationships are an important cultural principle for Māori and Pasifika peoples, and are deeply embedded in our business practises. Our role is to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships between buyers and Amotai businesses.
Kairangatira
ExcellenceThe great Polynesian settlement of the Pacific Islands and Aotearoa required fortitude, risk-taking, precision, entrepreneurialism and innovation. Māori and Pasifika have excelled in many fields and want to play greater leadership roles in creating an ambitious economy that works better for all people, the planet and future generations. Our role is to support buyers and Amotai businesses to excel in supply chain innovation and business excellence.
Mana motuhake
Self-determinationEntrepreneurship is an important way of Māori and Pasifika peoples expressing authority, control and independence over their lives, and in generating wealth for their whanau, ‘aiga and communities. Our role is to support business-to-business (B2B) practices where Amotai entrepreneurs can flourish and be successful as Māori and Pasifika businesses.
Manaakitanga
Active generosity and supportManaaki translates as caring for a person’s mana (validity, authority, power, respect and freedom). Trust, nurturing, integrity, sincerity, equity, and reciprocity are important values in Māori and Pasifika societies. Our role is to foster an ecosystem of cooperation, empowerment, inclusion and the sharing of prosperity.
Our mission
Here in Aotearoa, our experience is that Māori and Pasifika businesses are the untapped change agents in creating a more inclusive, and more sustainable, NZ economy. Entrepreneurship is one of the main ways Māori and Pasifika can build wealth for their families and communities. The businesses we work with employ proportionately more Māori and Pasifika peoples than other businesses.
Our Partners
Thank you for the ongoing support of our funders and partners. Our funders have been pivotal in growing supplier diversity in Aotearoa and share our vision of seeing shared prosperity in our country. Ngā mihi nui kia koutou.
