Rachel Taulelei (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Koata) is the CEO of Kono, a whānau-owned food and beverage company that boasts horticulture, seafood and of course, award-winning wine. Guided by Te Pae Tawhiti, a 500 year plan for success, Rachel is at the helm of a unique business model with kaitiakitanga at its core.
With a career that has spanned law, international trade and enterprise, business and, governance, you can understand why she is highly sought after in roles like the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council.
In this episode we talk with Rachel about what it means to build an innovative international brand. We talk about wāhine in leadership, appropriation and the realities of working for your people.
In almost every board I sit on, I’m the only woman, and certainly the only Māori, certainly the only Māori woman (laughs). You’re this unicorn, embrace that, be that unicorn, you’re this rare mythical being and one thing is not like the other.
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