1.3
Research Aim
Enabling Indigenous trade through Indigenous entrepreneurial ecosystems.
We will…
Evaluate approaches to Indigenous trade facilitation and enablement, for their efficacy in generating mana motuhake, huanga, and waiora effects, underpinned by te ao taketake. This will be done using the theoretical framework of Indigenous entrepreneurial ecosystems:
(1) Māori-led trade missions;
(2) Inter Indigenous trade; and
(3) Indigenous procurement
Assess the veracity of each of these three approaches for effecting Indigenous trade primarily in Aotearoa, and in other Indigenous economies of the Pacific islands, Alaska Native, and Sámi peoples.
Address the question of how best to enable Indigenous trade through principles of indigeneity.
People
Research Lead: Prof. Jason Paul Mika
Enabling Indigenous trade through Indigenous entrepreneurial ecosystems
He Manga Tauhokohoko, Auckland Business School
Professor of Māori Management, Associate Dean Māori
Professor Jason Paul Mika (Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Kahungunu) is a Professor of Māori Management and Associate Dean Māori in He Manga Tauhokohoko, Auckland Business School. His academic expertise lies in Indigenous business and entrepreneurship, focusing on how Indigenous values inform sustainable business practices across sectors, including tourism, agribusiness, and trade. Jason earned his PhD in Māori entrepreneurship from Massey University and was a Fulbright-Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga scholar, undertaking research at Stanford University.
Jason’s work in Māori economic development and policy advocacy has shaped public policies in areas like environmental management and trade. He is also actively involved in global academic networks, including the Academy of Management and Te Apārangi Royal Society of New Zealand.
Miriama Cribb
Te Au Rangahau, Massey Business School
Research Officer
Miriama Cribb (Te Ātihaunui-ā-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tama) is a doctoral candidate at Massey University’s Te Au Rangahau, the Māori Business Research Centre. Her PhD research focuses on operationalising Māori frameworks in non-Māori organisations, using the Te Awa Tupua Act as a case study. Through this work, she aims to promote Indigenous approaches to management and governance within diverse organisational settings.
Miriama also works with Te Atawhai o Te Ao, a kaupapa Māori research institute in Whanganui. Her research interests encompass Māori business, organisational studies, and social structures that foster hapū and iwi development.
Prof Betty Ross
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Tanana Chiefs Conference Tribal Consortium
Professor of Business
Professor Betty Ross serves as a Term Instructor of Business Administration at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). She is actively engaged with the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), where she holds the role of Deputy Director of Tribal Client Services. Her work focuses on climate adaptation and applying Indigenous knowledge to environmental and social challenges in Alaska, advocating for sustainable practices that honour traditional ways of life.
Betty leverages her expertise to support tribal leadership and policy development, ensuring Indigenous perspectives are central in co-managing natural resources. Through her dual roles at UAF and TCC, she contributes to advancing education and Indigenous governance in Alaska.
Associate Prof. Eva Jenny B. Jørgensen
Business School, UiT in Alta
Associate Professor
Associate Professor Eva Jenny B. Jørgensen is based at the School of Business and Economics at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Alta. Her research focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, and business models, particularly in the context of rural and Indigenous enterprises. She explores how proximity, local knowledge, and cross-border dynamics influence business success and sustainability.
Professor Jørgensen has contributed extensively to academic literature on entrepreneurship, rural development, and organisational dynamics. Her recent work emphasises the development of sustainable business models in Northern Norway, engaging with the unique challenges faced by Arctic and Sámi enterprises.
Dr Tanya Jurado
Te Au Rangahau, Massey Business School
Senior lecturer
Dr Tanya Jurado is a Senior Lecturer and researcher at Te Au Rangahau, the Māori Business Research Centre within Massey University’s Business School. Her work focuses on Indigenous entrepreneurship, trade policy, and sustainable enterprise. Dr. Jurado leads key projects examining how Indigenous enterprises navigate cultural and commercial imperatives, working closely with academics such as Dr. Jason Mika and Dr. Betty Ross.
With extensive expertise in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship, Dr Jurado’s research aims to bridge Māori knowledge systems with contemporary business practices, promoting sustainable economic outcomes for Māori enterprises.
Prof Virginia Warriner
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Professor Indigenous Graduate Studies
Professor Virginia Warriner (Ngāti Whātua) is a senior academic at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, where she supervises and teaches Doctoral and Master’s students. Her academic expertise includes Mana Wāhine leadership and advanced Māori and Indigenous management practices, focusing on post-Treaty settlement futures. Professor Warriner actively contributes to iwi development as a Trustee for Ngā Uri o Kamupene ‘A’ o Rua Tekau Mā Waru and serves on the Kaipara Moana Remediation programme, representing Kaipara Uri alongside regional councillors.
In addition to her academic work, she is a trustee of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, advocating for initiatives that support the wellbeing and growth of her iwi. Prof. Warriner’s leadership reflects her commitment to balancing academic, cultural, and community goals.
Xiaoliang Niu
Te Raupapa Waikato Management School
Research assistant
Xiaoliang Niu is a researcher and PhD candidate at Te Raupapa Waikato Management School, specialising in cross-cultural management, trade relationships, and environmental sustainability. His work focuses on the intersections between Māori and Chinese worldviews, examining how traditional knowledge systems can inform sustainable business practices and trade policies.
With a background rooted in international management, Xiaoliang’s research contributes to bridging cultural perspectives, fostering meaningful collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous enterprises. He is particularly interested in how Indigenous ecological knowledge can enhance competitive advantage and sustainability in businesses.
Suzanne Hepi
Te Raupapa Waikato Management School
PhD student
Suzanne Hepi (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rāhiri, Te Kapotai, Waikato-Tainui, Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāi Tukairangi, Ngāti Pāhauwera) has returned to Whanganui to take up a year-long contract as Strategic Lead – Business at Whanganui & Partners. She brings extensive experience in research, mentoring, and Māori business development. Previously, Hepi held the role of Kaihāpai Tauira in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori at Massey University, supporting Māori postgraduate students.
Suzanne has completed a Master’s thesis in collaboration with her hapū, focusing on sustainable economic practices, and participating in the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme. Her whānau has made significant contributions to the local business community, with her father, Abe Hepi, being one of the founding members of Te Manū Atatū, the Whanganui Māori Business Network.
Dr Georgia McLellan
The University of Auckland
Postdoctoral Fellow
Georgia McLellan (Whakatōhea, Ngāi Te Rangi) is a Research Fellow on the Tauhokoko project working in the School of Management and International Business at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. She recently submitted her PhD on Whakatōhea kuku (green-lipped mussel) economies, exploring Indigenous economic practices through a Māori lens. Georgia’s research interests include Māori economies, food sovereignty and Indigenous self-determination. She is committed to decolonising economic thought and practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Georgia holds a Master of Science in Geography (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland, where she investigated the balance between commercial food ventures and Māori food sovereignty. She completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) majoring in Geography.
Georgia has extensive experience in collaborative research, particularly through her involvement with the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge, where she has contributed to projects exploring Indigenous approaches to marine resource management and blue economy development. Her work bridges traditional Māori knowledge with contemporary economic practices, contributing to broader discussions on Indigenous economic sovereignty and sustainable development. Georgia has contributed to publications in journals including Marine Policy, Environment and Planning F, and Kōtuitui New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online. She is a recipient of multiple awards, including the High-Value Nutrition PhD Scholarship and the School of Environment’s Engagement with Indigenous Values and Knowledge Award.