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Discover the inspiring journey of Aroha Tamihana, from junior graphic designer to influential Māori designer and entrepreneur. Aroha founded Maimoa Creative, blending her passion for design with her dedication to promoting te reo Māori. From her initial studies in psychology to her shift to the creative arts, Aroha shares how her heritage and significant projects shaped her professional path and fueled her commitment to cultural preservation.

In celebration of International Women's Day, oOh!media New Zealand is dedicating its extensive digital advertising network to promote women-owned and led businesses across Aotearoa for free. This initiative sees over 600 digital screens featuring local women-led including Maimoa Creative. The campaign aligns with this year's International Women's Day theme of #InspireInclusion, spotlighting the achievements of women and the ongoing journey towards gender equality, highlighting the importance of such platforms in empowering female entrepreneurs and advocating for inclusivity in all sectors, including the traditionally male-dominated music industry.

Scammers exploiting the Toitū Te Tiriti movement have targeted Māori designers, including Aroha Tamihana of Maimoa Creative. After releasing a free Toitū te Tiriti template for Waitangi Day, Tamihana discovered her work was being sold for profit. Despite the scam site's professional appearance, red flags like a nonsensical pepeha and fake social media profiles alerted her to the fraud. Tamihana emphasises the growing sophistication of scams, urging vigilance beyond obvious errors. Her experience with threatening responses from the fraudulent site hasn't deterred her commitment to offering free resources, reinforcing the need for consumers to research and verify before purchasing.

Excerpt: "Today on the podcast, I speak to Aroha Tamihana – owner of Maimoa Creative, a design studio based in Tauranga...

"After 5 years in the making, Aotearoa finally gets its hands on 'Pakiaka', a game that aims to help revitalise te reo in an entertaining way. Astley Nathan has more."

A father and daughter have embarked on a journey to reclaim their te reo Māori. 

Te reo Māori now plays a huge role in the family’s life and Aroha’s children are growing up immersed in their mother tongue.

“It makes me so happy seeing (my father) speaking Māori to my children.” Aroha says. “My children won’t feel the same shame my dad and I once felt and that makes me so happy.”

Excerpt: "Aroha Tamihana's kaupapa is making reo Māori part of everyday life. Fusing her skills as a graphic artist with...

Excerpt: "This week on The Creative Mother Podcast host Kate Hursthouse talks to creative mum of two Aroha Tamihana. Aroha...