I remember being in the same room as Te Miringa when her team placed second in the University of Auckland’s $100K Velocity challenge for her pākihi – Ūkaipō. While she was very young at the time, 19 I believe, her business idea and concept was so well thought out that it showed in her presentation. She was confident, knowledgeable and authentically Māori. She inspires me.
After winning the runner up prize in the 2020 $100K Challenge, Ūkaipō has experienced immense growth. Ūkaipō now has fully developed their e-commerce platform, with their products now available in market. Their venture has made meaningful connections with midwives and other birth communities, also recently exhibited at the Baby Show in which I also attended.
As a mother and user of the product myself, I not only saw how genius it was but it brought back many memories of when I was a child. Part of our whānau traditions that is also shared amongst many Māori whānau is returning or burying the whenua (placenta) back into the whenua. Often you would return to your Ūkaipō or place you call home and bury it. For my whānau that was my nan’s house, where all my siblings and cousins whenua’s are buried. But you could imagine 20+ years ago we had no biodegradable product to protect and hold our whenua, so Te Miringa – THANK YOU!
“Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au” I’m the land and the land is me.
A product that not only encourages and revitalizes the practice of returning the whenua back to the whenua, but one that reminds us of the importance of placenta. A source of nutrients that supports the growth and development of our pēpī inside us. We are nothing without it.
No reira, Te Miringa e mihi ana. Not for being an amazing innovator and business women. But for reminding me that its often the things we overlook that hold the most meaning. As I channel my inner innovator / entrepreneurial spirit, I’ll make sure to remind myself that less is more, and it’s not always about making the most money or having the best idea but making sure that what I do makes an impact that matters to me, my whānau, hapu and iwi.
Maori Entrepreneurship 
Definitely at times need to think about the simplicity and not complexity that grounds us and reminds us as to why we do what we do. Knowing that you are also able to put this into practice possibly makes a great decision in choosing Te Miringa as a possible contender for your topic e hoa.
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Tika te korero Anahera, you always engage well with the discussions
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Less is more. I’m an over thinker by trait so it’s reminding myself to appreciate the small things and not jump so quickly to the big ideas.
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Ka rawe Turu, ka mutu e tiaki ana koutou i a papatūānuku. Koina te mea nui nē. I love that you can connect to this person to ensure that your decisions are tika, pono and aroha – na kona kite atu ai kua tau tō wairua i roto i ō nekenekehanga.
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Tika te korero
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Had I not known her personally I don’t know if I would have explored further or know how to start my kōrero on her.
Not only that, but I believe in her kaupapa and support her pākihi. She’s a great example to look to
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