Uenuku Consulting empowers diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to take flight - grounded in the unique context of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
We support groups, individuals, and organisations to embed DEI at strategic, tactical, and operational levels through offering resources, training, and a broad range personal consultation services nationwide.
Te Whānau o Uenuku | Our Consultants
We have a range of passionate and experienced consultants ready to empower you and your organisation to enact change.
Aaria Dobson-Waitere - Consultant
(she/her - Ngā Rauru-kii-tahi, Ngā Rauhinerangi, Taranaki, Te Ātiawa)
Aaria is passionate about environmental and cultural restoration. She brings to life the saying: Ko te taiao ko au, ko au te taiao – The environment is me; I am the environment. She is a Pūkenga at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, sharing her knowledge within Kaitiakitanga Pūtaiao. Aaria is also undertaking a PhD in Ecological Restoration at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington, exploring how Kaupapa Māori approaches can reindigenise taonga species translocations.
Aaria has a decade of experience working for and with iwi organisations in Te Whanganui-a-Tara to further their aspirations in environmental tino rangatiratanga.
Bi-cultural, kaitiakitanga, tino rangatiratanga, kaupapa māori, GIS, taiao, environmental management, project management.
Ellyn Rose Smith Whatley - Consultant
(she/her - MAThR)
Ellyn Rose is a registered therapist with a Masters in Art Psychotherapy. She has over twelve years’ experience working with complex clients and vulnerable families, and has worked with takatāpui and rainbow communities for almost twenty years, running community arts and support groups, and providing therapeutic intervention. Ellyn Rose has worked as the Rainbow Wellbeing Advisor for Massey University and served as a member of the Rainbow Violence Prevention Network.
Ellyn Rose has completed rainbow-specific therapy trainings through the Pink Therapy Institute, Polyvagal and Sensorimotor trainings through the Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts Therapy Institute.
Therapy, mental health, wellbeing, arts, community, supervision, mental health, tangata tiriti.
Sam Duffy - Consultant
(he/him - Bsc Hons)
Sam is passionate about empowering people and supporting initiatives shaped with communities, not just for them. With a background in psychology, Sam specialises in leading facilitators of people-centred design initiatives, working alongside communities to bring ideas to life in ways that reflect their aspirations and strengths.
Alongside this, Sam coaches and mentors individuals and teams through strengths-based approaches, building understanding about one’s unique talents and how these can be leveraged to unlock potential and achieve success. Sam is especially interested in kaupapa connected to mental health, wellbeing, and collective growth. If you’re curious about strengths-based coaching, community-driven design, or exploring new ideas for collaboration, Sam would love to kōrero.
Co-design, tangata tiriti, leadership, facilitation, psychology, coaching, community, education.
Connor McLeod - Director
(he/they - Rangitāne o Wairau)
Connor is the founder of Uenuku Consulting, and creator of the Ōhanga Rearea framework. Connor has worked in takatāpui and rainbow inclusion since the early 2010s, beginning in LGBTQIA+ youth work and development. He has worked with Q-Youth Inc. in Whakatū | Nelson, and InsideOUT Kōaro as one of the organisation’s first chairs and employees. Further to this, he has designed and implemented takatāpui and rainbow services at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington, and Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University.
Connor recently received the 2024 Rainbow Excellence Awards’ Supreme Winner category on behalf of Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University, and is an accredited Workplace Inclusion Professional (regs. 2024).
DEI, strategic development, governance, supervision, indigeneity, takatāpui.