9 incredible Pasifika Wāhine make the Y25 this year

This multifaceted Pasifika woman works at Microsoft by day, leads a Niuean Youth leadership network in the weekend and performs as a musician Heiressofthegame by night. Eunique is a NZ-born Niuean looking to make change in every space she enters. In 2022, she presented to more than 3000 Māori and Pacific students through panels, workshops, and education events encouraging youth on why we need more indigenous and pacific people in technology. She's currently in a new role to help lead the biggest digital transformations that will support the biggest health reform in NZ history. Then there’s her language. UNESCO announced Vagahau Niue as 'definitely endangered' – with only 11% of the world’s Niuean’s being able to speak the language – so in 2021 Eunique established a network, Three Star Nation, now 1200 Niuean youth across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin, Brisbane, Sydney, Gold Coast, Perth, Rarotonga and Niue. Three Star Nation addresses the decline of native speakers, reconnecting, inspiring and empowering Niue Youth descendants across the globe to champion Vagahau Niue and Agafakamotu Niue in everyday life. This proud daughter of South Auckland and the small but mighty #683 nation of Niue also sings and performs, creating incredible music videos.

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As a proud Samoan young woman raised in Manurewa, South Auckland, Leilani is passionate about making ideas a reality through social innovation and enterprise. Leilani believes in the importance of having a voice that echoes the integrity and strong moral values she withholds, that exemplifies purpose and is community focused. She holds multiple governance positions including President of the Massey University Student Enterprise Club, Student Board Observer and Advisor on the Student Investment Committee for Massey Ventures Ltd, and Youth Board Trustee and Chair of the Alumni Advisory Group of Young Enterprise Trust. Through these positions, she advocates strongly for youth, students, and Pasifika, challenging the status quo to create space for more voices and opportunities. As the first in family to attend University, Leilani strives for excellence in all aspects. She is currently in her third year of studying a Bachelor of Business (Management)/ Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) at Massey University. Ultimately inspired by her grandparents' legacies and her parents' leadership, Leilani is fearlessly ambitious in creating a better tomorrow. Just as the Samoan proverb says “Tautua nei mo sou manuia a taeao” serve now for a better tomorrow. Like her giants, Leilani is a true trailblazer.

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Born in Central Auckland, journalist and creative Taualofa has always been a shapeshifter. This tauiwi non-binary storyteller moves between writing and making as a form of service to their communities. Taualofa centres the voices of underserved communities including but not limited to: Indigenous, disabled, LGBTQI+ and people of colour, building a portfolio through honest reporting, informed story sovereignty and art that privileges joy and healing. Mentored by journalism legend Donna Chisholm, Taualofa graduated from the long form feature writing cadetship ‘The Next Page’ in June 2022; building on two years of freelancing. They have been published both digitally and in print, including The Spinoff, Metro, Ensemble, and Pantograph Punch. Within the Tamaki arts community, Taualofa serves Pasifika artists alongside marketplace and community space Moana Fresh. Currently, they’re the Project Manager for the Vuli Tara Programme, providing learning experiences to help Pasifika makers establish sustainable, thriving careers. Taualofa’s passion projects balance an indigenous worldview and utilising modern tools to build a better world: they’re a core member of a teine Sāmoa art collective: MALAE/CO and Co-founder of Filemu Zine – focused on nurturing communal dreaming. Taualofa’s ancestors come from Afega, Malie and Leulumoega in Samoa; and Neiafu and Holonga, in Vava'u Tonga.

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Tylah (Ty) is a Māori and Pasifika wahine and acknowledges her whakapapa to Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maru, Te Arawa, Taputimu, and Nofoali’i. She remembers growing up and being impacted by a range of institutional issues, from inaccessible health care to people lacking confidence in their leadership because of environments not designed for Māori and Pasifika success. Ty has been on a mission to change this and firmly believes it starts with empowering our Māori and Pasifika rangatahi, creating a sustainability model for generations to come. She knows that Māori and Pasifika wāhine have leadership qualities that are needed at every table. A proud public servant, working in the engagement and communications space, she’s an advocate for co-governance. During the pandemic Ty had the additional challenge of dealing with neurosurgery and during recovery, this resilient wahine discovered her calling for volunteer work. Outside of mahi, Ty is a champion for cultural safety to be taught across the youth and public sector. Her drive is to create more leadership opportunities for Māori and Pasifika wāhine and to be a role model for her younger sisters, Blayke (7) and Ridley (5), so they feel confident navigating the world as strong Pacific women.

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