Te Rina Porou

Te Rina Porou manages Poipoia communications and the development of its communications products.

Of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata, Rakaipaaka, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Rangi and Ngāti Apakura descent, Te Rina is a kaupapa Māori communications advisor and content producer whose mahi centres Indigenous voice, te reo Māori, climate kaupapa and community-led storytelling. She holds a Bachelor of Communication in Media Studies from Victoria University of Wellington and has completed full immersion te reo Māori study at Te Wānanga o Raukawa.

Through Poipoia, Te Rina leads communications for kaupapa Māori initiatives across climate, taiao and community development, including wānanga, regional hui, policy engagement and digital storytelling. She has experience translating complex climate and resource management kaupapa into accessible, whānau-centred kōrero, and brings skills across campaign delivery, stakeholder engagement, social media, video, photography and written content.

Her wider experience includes communications roles with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Te Hira Pū-Ao, Oho Cultural Design Agency and Tūwharetoa FM, as well as Indigenous climate storytelling through Te Kāhu Pōkere. Te Rina sees communications as a form of kaitiakitanga — a way to uplift Māori stories, language and knowledge so they continue to thrive.