About // Our Kaupapa
Built for our people.
Built by our people.
Tākoha brings fragmented governance information, decisions, and operational history into one trusted place. This is why we built it. Who it is for. And the foundations it rests on.
Origin // Why I built this, and why I could not look away
Tiowaana Harrington
Founder and CEO, Tākoha Land Digital Solutions
"For a long time, I've watched our people carry more than the system was ever designed to hold."
They have carried complex ownership.
Responsibility across generations.
Expectations from whānau, from hapū, from iwi, from hāpori, all at once.
And they have done it with fragmented tools. Scattered records. Unclear processes.
And systems that were never built for the way we actually operate.
And still, they have held it together.
That is the part most people miss.
The problem has never been the people. The problem has been the system around them.
Because when the system is weak, even strong people are slowed down.
Decisions take longer. Trust gets tested. Opportunities slip through the gaps.
But when the system becomes clear, everything changes.
Clarity removes doubt.
Clarity builds trust.
Clarity allows people to move.
So what happens when the system finally matches the strength of the people using it?
Decisions stop stalling and start progressing.
Trustees can see clearly, act confidently, and stand behind their decisions.
Whānau feel informed, included, and connected, not shut out or left behind.
Momentum builds. Land that has been sitting still begins to move.
Opportunities that once felt too hard become achievable.
Energy shifts from trying to "figure things out" to actually building something.
And over time, something deeper happens.
Confidence returns.
Trust is restored.
Capability grows across generations.
Because when the system works, it does more than organise information. It unlocks potential.
Not just economic potential. Cultural. Social. Intergenerational.
That is the shift.
From surviving governance to leading it.
From holding things together to moving things forward.
Because our people have always had the strength. The question was never if they could do it. The question was what becomes possible when the system finally backs them?
Philosophy // Our Vision
Technology that
feels human.
At Tākoha, our technology begins and ends with people. We exist to serve whānau, trustees, and future generations, not just by building systems, but by restoring trust, strengthening connection, and making governance feel human again.
Our tech is only exceptional when it uplifts people: when it reduces burden, brings clarity, honours whakapapa, and empowers those who carry responsibility for the whenua.
People before product
We don't build features. We solve real problems for real people. Every line of code must make life easier for whānau and trustees.
Technology that feels human
Our systems are not cold or complicated. They are clear, respectful, and intuitive, designed for the people who use them, not just those who build them.
Mana-enhancing design
We build in ways that uphold dignity, respect roles, and honour the responsibility people carry for their whenua and whakapapa.
Listening before building
Exceptional staff at Tākoha listen deeply to trustees, to whānau, to context before they design anything.
Trust is everything
We treat people's information, decisions, and histories with the highest level of care. Trust is not a feature, it is the foundation.
Impact over ego
It's not about clever tech. It's about meaningful outcomes for people: clearer decisions, stronger relationships, and confident governance.
Foundations // Five Pillars
Everything Tākoha builds rests
on five foundations.
Mārama
Clarity
Governance becomes stronger when people can clearly see what exists, what matters, and what needs attention. Tākoha brings fragmented records, decisions, workflows, and responsibilities into one trusted operational environment — so whenua can move with confidence.
Ngākau Pono
Trust
Trust is not claimed. It is earned through consistency, accountability, transparency, and care. Tākoha is designed to protect governance relationships, honour decision histories, and create confidence in how information is managed over time.
Mana
Sovereignty
Māori land data should not disappear into systems that do not understand its meaning, responsibility, or whakapapa. Tākoha is built around Māori Data Sovereignty principles with secure, controlled stewardship designed to keep governance authority close to the whenua and the people connected to it.
Kaitiaki
Stewardship
Good governance outlives individuals. Tākoha helps preserve records, decisions, operational knowledge, and governance continuity so future trustees inherit stronger foundations instead of fragmented histories.
Rangatira
Strength
The challenge has never been the capability of our people. The challenge has been the absence of systems designed for the realities of collective whenua governance. Tākoha exists to strengthen governance confidence, operational coordination, and long-term collective capability.
Team // Whānau
The people behind
the backbone.
Tiowaana Harrington
Founder & CEO
Founder and CEO of Tākoha. For more than two decades, Tiowaana has worked alongside Māori land trusts, trustees, and whānau across Aotearoa. Her experience at the Māori Land Court and as a trustee herself became the catalyst for building Tākoha.
Teina Moetara
Tikanga Director
Tikanga Director at Tākoha. Teina is a creative strategist and storyteller whose work sits at the meeting point of people, whenua, identity, and systems. He helps shape the Tākoha kaupapa through an indigenous lens of reciprocity and relational value.
Chathuranga Chandrasekara
Tech Lead – Architecture
Tech Lead – Architecture. Chathu is a Software Architect with more than 18 years designing and delivering large-scale digital platforms. Originally from Colombo, now based in Auckland, he leads the architecture, security, and governance of Tākoha’s platform.
Lian Passmore
Product Lead
Product Lead at Tākoha. Lian designs and codes the front end of the platform, the interface and experience that whānau and trustees actually use. Her background is in learning and development, with governance experience alongside it. At Tākoha she works between the team building the platform and the people who will use it, making sure it is clear and usable at every point of contact.
Kimiora Brown
Operation Lead
Operation Lead at Tākoha Land & Digital Solutions. Kimi is a fourth-generation Mōrehu from Te Hāpua. Her background spans governance, strategic planning, programme delivery, and communications. At Tākoha, her focus is creating clarity from complexity.
Niemin Pari-Huriwai
Māori Land Specialist
Māori Land Specialist at Tākoha Land & Digital Solutions. Niemin works alongside trusts and landowners at the start of their Tākoha journey. Her background in the Māori land sector grounds her in the realities of governance and trustee responsibilities.
Te Kerehi Thompson
Māori Land Specialist
Governance specialist and kaupapa Māori leader. Te Kerehi works with Māori landowners, trustees, iwi, hapū, and whānau across Aotearoa. His focus is strengthening governance capability and supporting decisions grounded in tikanga Māori.
Our Team Brand Tone
Clear: Plain language, short sentences, minimal jargon.
Trusted: Steady, calm, no hype, no overpromising.
Grounded: Whenua-first, tikanga-aware, people before technology.
Next Step // Kōrero
Let's talk about your whenua.
If your trust is carrying the weight of fragmented records, changing trustees, or governance that has outgrown its tools, get in touch. The Tākoha Pilot is open now to selected Māori land entities.