Our People

The Big Idea – Block Dock

I can’t help but smile listening to Clare Wilson on the success of her ‘big idea’. She is personable, driven and forward-thinking in her approach to design, and business. And she is taking her sector of the market by storm.

An artist draws strength and comfort from the beauty in art and nature.

Geologists have a saying — rocks remember. If Nelson’s Boulder Bank could talk, it would lay bare the goings-on that take place in the ramshackle baches on its stony shores.

When wild winds rage across the top of the Hauraki Gulf, it’s time for these farmers to harvest a special crop.

Phil Tataurangi first picked up a golf club when he was a child. Forty-something years later, 20 of those spent as a tour pro, the sport continues to enthral him.

Beth Willis is reviving a colourful 1970s craft — one crocheted daisy earring at a time.

Grit and determination are part of an elite athlete’s makeup. They were also qualities this orienteer needed to help steer her through the scariest moment of her life.

These three young men are cultivating a future in which more New Zealanders embrace the plant-based protein in hemp.

Rachael Utumapu QSM left school at 15 for hairdressing. Since then, her life has been dedicated to the community.

Meet a couple spinning golden-hued chair legs from flax and glass-perfect transparent seats from plant-based resin for chairs designed to last generations.

Over the years, John Bristed has owned many cars, but his siren call was the fearless little lady on a Rolls-Royce bonnet.

A passion for print and printing presses is filling an Auckland man’s life as well as his three sheds and double garage.

A family vegetable business on a South Auckland block has created an award-winning way of selling their produce.

George Reedy, chief executive of Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou, aims to ensure the road to wellbeing, wisdom, and wealth for his whānaunga is clearly marked for the next 100 years or more.

This couple hit the water, rain or shine, in a new venture bringing fresh kaimoana to plates while respecting the ocean’s resources.

This Blenheim lawyer-turned-master of wine has always been lured by the grape, from hand-labeling bottles as a child to organizing wine tastings in her first student flat.

Sarah Hopkinson’s personal and professional passions come together in a sandy section she’s transformed into a productive garden.

Lynda indulges her fever for ferns with a tabletop collection of covetable species.

One man’s penchant for potatoes has led to a thriving multigenerational family-run paddock-to-packet potato-chip business.

From Hollywood to Amberley

Camille Solari’s life has all the glittering bright lights of a Hollywood novel. Her career has seen her work with some of the biggest names in film and television, headlining stand-up shows across the globe.

Inspiring Fashion

Many would baulk at the idea of opening a new shop with little to no notice. But for Suzanne Talbot, her experience and knowledge of the local retail sector in Timaru saw her dive in headfirst, opening the doors of her second clothing store, Inspired on Stafford, within a month of the opportunity presenting itself.

A Wildly Natural Venture

Raglan’s famed black sand coastlines loom large in Daneen Morgan’s sea salt flavoured memories of childhood. Her hometown in the Waikato is a surfing mecca and she recalls long summer days spent in the water. This is where she learned to swim and first strapped on a pair of water skis. Her father made aluminium fishing boats and pleasure craft for a living and family life with her two younger sisters revolved around the ocean.

First chemistry, then food, followed by painting and now sculpted and wearable art — for several decades, this artistic soul has been fully occupied creating what inspires her.

A group of (mostly) women are regenerating Gisborne’s flora — one eco-sourced seed at a time.

Successful organizations rely on clear cultural values, vision, authenticity, and creative thinking, says this professional director.

A backcountry hut along the Forgotten World Highway is a befitting backdrop for this city-eschewing couple.

Fresh apples and creativity are at the core of this reinvention of a spicy classic.

A Queenstown couple take on the task of nurturing Aotearoa’s most valuable and important resource.

Step back in time and watch a 19th-century printing press in action.

The art of decorative knotting is making a comeback, says Jade Parkinson.

A bonsai collector shares the lesson of caring for artfully pruned trees.

A crusade against the noxious vine has grown from one to a thousand-strong team.

Two global citizens who dropped anchor in Waiheke Island continue to grab opportunities as soon as they come along in a home that melds identity and imagination.

An Italian couple recreates favourite cheeses from home.