Opening and closing panels
NetHui Rotorua will have a ‘state of the nation’-style opening panel with a mixture of local and national perspectives on how Rotorua is using the Internet. The panelists will explore relevant research, local contexts and issues and opportunities for local communities.
The opening panel will be chaired by Sarah Lee from InternetNZ. A mother of two, Sarah Lee has whakapapa links to Te Arawa through her great grandmother Mary Papara Cribb (Ngāti Rongomai). Elected onto the Internet NZ Council two years ago, Sarah has a passion for enabling the digitally disconnected and other marginalised communities. As an active Council member, Sarah Chairs the Internet NZ’s Māori Engagement Committee and is one of four Councillors on the Grants Committee. She
enjoys her work as a consultant for the 2020 Trust, where she has held a variety of roles over the last five years.
enjoys her work as a consultant for the 2020 Trust, where she has held a variety of roles over the last five years.
Panelists:
- Mercia-Dawn Yates, Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru
Nō Te Arawa, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Rongowhakaata me Ngāti Maniapoto.
Mercia-Dawn is an educator who has worked largely within a Māori Medium context and has, for the past 25 years, been significantly involved in working with schools, teachers and learners in the specific area of digital technology. Mercia-Dawn is one of 5 Directors for Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru and leads out an area which is connecting with local iwi, community and whānau as an authentic means to level the equity gap, between those learners that have and those that don’t, through a future focused learning environment. - Adam Ellis, Director of Technology for Nga Pumanawa e Waru
I am a technologist who has a vision of creating a technology opportunity for all children in our district. My mission is to create a technology platform in which every child in our district can leverage off of regardless of their Parents position in life.No child will be left behind. - Matt Browning, Around Town
Matt Browning is a story teller and lover of ideas. Having worked for US multinational 3M in Logistics and IT, he has now set up Inside Word Limited in Rotorua, that finds creative digital solutions for existing problems. Inside Word has put out two apps for Rotorua, and he is working on an app for the 2017 General Election.
He is also setting up a social enterprise for youth unemployment, and is keen to discuss the impact that the Internet and the Information Age will have on young people, particularly those disenfranchised from current systems. - Potaua Biasiny-Tule, Tangatawhenua.com
Potaua Biasiny-Tule is Maori geek from Rotorua who appreciates the transformative impact of the internet and digital & mobile technologies for whanau, hapu, iwi. Along with his wife Nikolasa, they built TangataWhenua.com as a platform to share positive Maori messages online and also Digital Natives Academy (DNA) to prepare whanau,
tamariki and rangatahi for exciting opportunities in this new knowledge economy. He is also a member of Te Tatau o Te Arawa, the partnership board between the Rotorua Lakes Council and the tribe of Te Arawa.
Then at the end of the day, NetHui Rotorua will wrap up with panelists holding a plenary-style open discussion reflecting on what issues, opportunities and lessons came up during the day, and what that means for Rotorua going forward.
The wrap up panel will be chaired by Cr Dave Donaldson, Deputy Mayor of Rotorua. Dave has been the Deputy Mayor of Rotorua Lakes Council since 2013. He also leads council’s Economic Development Portfolio, that includes the digital strategy. Dave is also a pillar of the mountain bike community in Rotorua and has been instrumental in bringing large-scale MTB events to Rotorua.
Collaborative note-taking document for the Closing Plenary session (opens in Google Docs)
Panelists:
- Leon Thomas, Digital Elements
Foremost Leon is a 3D Motion Graphic Desinger. Leon has great experience working as part of and leading project teams. He has worked in Television, Feature Films and Educational resources and App building. Leon has a great understanding of form, function and design and enjoys the journey of innovation. Digital Elements represents “Imagination Realised” - Amber Craig, InternetNZ
Amber masters the art of having multiple projects on the go. By day, she is an IT Architect for a financial institute in NZ. Outside of this she is on the board of Internet NZ, co-organiser of Women Who Get Sh*t Done (WWGSD) and works with an amazing team of volunteers for Whare Hauora. In her “spare time” she is writing her own diverse fantasy stories through different types of mediums, instagramming her puppy and viewing inspirational and empowering cat videos! - Martin Cocker, NetSafe
Martin Cocker has been Executive Director or NetSafe for ten years after moving from the ICT industry. In its role as New Zealand’s Online Safety NGO, NetSafe sees online risks and challenges play out and impact new Zealanders every day – but Martin says that it is important to stay positive and remember that the purpose of online safety is to help people get online, use technology, and access digital opportunities. - Rachel Warrender, Dubzz Digital Marketing
Rachel is the Director of Dubzz Digital Marketing, a Rotorua company that helps businesses nationwide market themselves online. She is passionate about helping businesses grow by using the web to access new markets and opportunities.