About us

For over five years, Mana Moana has had the benefit of being supported, housed and homed by Leadership New Zealand. We are grateful for this relationship of support continuing as Mana Moana evolves. In 2023, a new ‘by Pacific for Pacific’ social enterprise was dreamed into being. This has a commercial arm “Mana Moana Works Ltd” joined by a Charitable Trust. Together they form “Fale o Mana Moana”. Both entities are committed to advancing the impact of Mana Moana and are values-based and kaupapa-driven organisations.

We are grateful for funding from Auckland City Council, Moana Connect, and Creative New Zealand.

We are also grateful for the support from over a hundred Mana Moana Alumni.

Our people

Dr Karlo Mila

CREATOR, FOUNDER AND LEAD FACILITATOR

Dr Karlo Mila (MNZM) is the creator of Mana Moana. Of Tongan (Kolofo’ou, Nukualofa / Ofu, Vava’u) and Pākehā descent, she is a mother, poet, writer, researcher, and indigenous knowledge geek. Her life’s work has been centred around the lived experiences of Pacific peoples.

Initially, this focused on contemporary life: generating academic, creative and political writing, as well as developing policy, strategy and ethics texts. Her postdoctoral research moved towards the ancient and ancestral wisdom of the Pacific and the creation of Mana Moana.

Karlo is the Lead Facilitator of Mana Moana leadership experiences that take a year-long deep dive into the shared language, epistemology and ancestral wisdom of the Moana. She is the Managing Director of Mana Moana Works Ltd and a Kaitiaki Trustee of Fale o Mana Moana Trust.

Karlo writes, speaks publicly, performs poetry, teaches workshops, and continues to explore Oceania’s library – the lab of the largest ocean in the world – seeking A.I. – ancestral intelligence. She has won awards for her poetry, as well as national acknowledgement for her service to the Pacific community.

Her latest poetry book “Goddess Muscle” was published by Huia in 2020. Karlo lives in Pōneke, Wellington with her partner and their children.

Sina Wendt

CHAIR

Sina was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2022, for services to governance. A Pacific woman of Samoan, German and English descent she has over 25 years working in the commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors in governance and executive roles.

Sina was the Chief Executive of Leadership New Zealand for 8 years, and prior to that for six years she was the founding Chief Executive of the National Pacific Radio Trust that established the Pacific Media Network and NiuFM. She previously held executive roles in sales management, learning and organisational development with Telecom Directories, and the NZ Institute of Management.

Mana Moana Ops

Ala'imalo Falefatu Enari

Co-Facilitator
Ala’imalo Falefatu Enari hails from the villages of Lepā, Nofoalii, Vaiala, Safune and Sataua. He is the Co-Principal with his wife Parehuia, of Pacific Advance Senior School in Otahuhu, Auckland. This is a Pacific Charter school centred upon the values, dreams and aspirations of Pacific peoples.
Falefatu is a passionate, experienced educator with more than two decades of teaching, mentoring and coaching experience in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Falefatu is the Co-Facilitator of Tū Mau Mana Moana. He is an alumnus of Mana Moana 2019.
Cecilia Vakameilalo-Kioa

Operations and Logistics
Cecilia Vakameilalo-Kioa of Tongan and Samoan descent, has worked as the Programme Manager of Mana Moana since its inception. She has worked as an account manager for a creative marketing communications agency, enjoyed a short stint at teaching English in Japan, has studied communications, creative writing, photography, floristry, counselling and music - all disciplines find their way into her daily life every now and then.

Mana Moana Trustees

CHAIR
Sina Wendt (ONZM) has broad and diverse governance experience on a range of boards and trusts over the last two decades. She is currently on AUT Council, Emerge Aotearoa, and is a founding trustee of the Pacific Music Awards Trust. Her past roles have included the AUT Business School Advisory Committee, YWCA AotearoaNZ, PACIFICA Auckland, Appoint better boards, and the CMe Mentoring Trust (Trades At School).
KAITIAKI TRUSTEE
As the Founder and Creator of Mana Moana, Karlo (MNZM) has a Kaitiaki role in the Trust. She is also the Managing Director of Mana Moana Works Ltd, the commercial arm of the Social Enterprise.
TRUSTEE
Sauileone Sonny Alesana is the Chairman of the Nelson Tasman Pasifika Community Trust and the Chair of Te Poutumaro Kapa Haka. He is also the Chair of Te Tauihu Maori Cultural Council and Te Piki Oranga Māori Wellness. For sixteen years he worked for the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board and he currently works for the Alliance Governance Group at Nelson Bays Primary Health. He is an alumnus of Mana Moana 2019.
TRUSTEE
Lotomafana Belinda Betham-Rautjoki has worked in the public sector for over 20 years working in Policy, Weathertight Homes Services, Tenancy Services and Employment Services. She currently works as a Dispute Resolution Manager for the Employment Mediation team at MBIE.
Lotomafana has led Inclusion and Diversity strategy. She led the development of Pacific cultural frameworks aimed at improving access for Pacific peoples. She is a representative of the Pasifika Network Komiti, Arahanga Wahine and the newly launched Women of Colour network. Belinda is an alumnus of Mana Moana 2019.
TRUSTEE
Tuiloma Gayle (MEd, BA) is currently the General Manager at SENZ Training and Employment Centre. Formerly she was the CEO of Centre for Pacific Languages. Previous to that she was the Manager Evidence and Insights for Alliance Community Initiatives Trust. She has a strong background in project management, quality assurance, contract management, research and risk management. She is an alumnus of Mana Moana 2019.
TRUSTEE
Sisilia (LLB) is currently Chief, Legal Council at Customs New Zealand. She is also an author and publisher of Pacific literature. Born and raised in Samoa, Sisilia spent a number of years working in Australia as both the Director, and a Senior Legal Law Enforcement Advisor in the Attorney-General’s Department, Anti-Money Laundering Assistance Team. Sisilia is an active and contributing member of the Pacific arts community and sits on the Board of Trustees of two schools. She is an alumnus of the inaugural cohort of Tū Mau Mana Moana.