Impact Snapshot
June 2025
In this Impact Snapshot, read about EHF Fellows in action creating economic, environmental and social impact, plus recent recognitions and awards they’ve received.
Fellows in action 🎬
Mike Taitoko was a Tōtara (established leader) recipient for Kaitiaki o te Taiao at Te Hapori Matihiko Awards in Ōtautahi Christchurch last month. The award recognised Mike’s contribution to digital projects with a positive impact on sustainability and te taiao (the environment). As the co-founder of Takiwā, a geo-analytics platform democratising data access for iwi, hapū, and communities; and as co-founder of Toha (with EHF Fellow Nathalie Whitaker) a network enabling scalable investment into climate and environmental action, the award celebrates Mike’s commitment to empowering whānau to take collective, coordinated action to protect and regenerate te taiao.
Aya Miyaguchi, President of Ethereum Foundation has supported the Aotearoa-born social innovation platform The Wellbeing Protocol to launch a new version of its participatory funding system. The latest suite of tools, backed by the Ethereum Foundation alongside Rod Drury and the Menzies Foundation, is designed to help funders and community organisations radically transform how capital flows. The technology has been developed in collaboration with grassroots partners across New Zealand, Australia and the UK and over the last two years, it has enabled communities to propose, vote on, and distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars of micro-grants in real time. “I see the immense potential of this initiative to harness decentralised technology for the betterment of underprivileged segments of society,” says Aya. Through her expertise and support for the initiative, Aya is helping this new model of distributed decision-making scale globally. For example, it powered the distribution of US$140,000 in grants at the International Olympic Committee conference in Switzerland, demonstrating what decentralised, transparent funding can look like on a world stage.
Steven Moe was awarded Mindful Money’s 2025 award for best media reporting on ethical investment. The judges recognised Steven’s commitment to the Seeds podcast, with almost 400 interviews, as well as engaging audiences through a range of articles, books, stories and events highlighting diverse aspects of impact. Steven’s 450th Seeds podcast features EHF Fellow Latesha Hearth, co-Founder of Raglan Food Company, in which they discuss her entrepreneurial journey and the importance of community. Listen to the podcast here.
Steven has also released his book: The Circle: Careers with Impact, which provides reflections on his impact journey and explores the role of impact, purpose and meaning in work and careers.
Read the book here
Aimée Christensen, Hillary Laureate, Founder & CEO Christensen Global, hosted the 10th Sun Valley Forum which brought together leaders, innovators and changemakers to mobilise transformative solutions for nature. Following a decade of impact, the forum featured an amazing line up of speakers including Edmund Hillary Fellows - Shannon O'Leary Joy who was part of a multiplier effect session on engaging people, building community, and Brooke Bonner contributed to a panel on catalytic capital for regenerative food systems.
For more about the Sun Valley Forum and the impact it’s created, Read here
Sam Ng and his partner Kate Ng delivered ‘Earthminds’, a 16 week programme for Nelson Tasman students to collaborate, innovate, and prototype solutions for real-world climate challenges. 27 teenagers, each with their own hopes and fears about the climate, came together and worked alongside local businesses and organisations to tackle issues relating to climate change. The programme concluded with a showcase of what the students had learnt and the practical solutions they had developed to address local issues such as restoring marine ecosystems, reducing waste, and preventing sedimentation. Through the initiative, Sam is empowering the next generation of change makers to tackle real-world problems through micro projects and systems thinking.
Frédérique Campagne Irwin, through her work at the National Women’s History Museum, is shining a light on historical female figures who have been overlooked. The new campaign she is not a footnote* was created to address the underrepresentation of women in history, noting that women make up less than 15% of the historical figures taught in US classrooms. The campaign shares undertold stories of women, past and present, told by new storytellers across new channels, highlighting women’s significant contribution to areas such as STEM.
In a conversation with women’s accelerator Powrsuit, Frédérique pointed out that to move the needle on the gender parity gap, underrepresentation of women at every table [including history] needs to be fixed. Through her leadership at the Museum, Frédérique is raising awareness of systemic disparities for women and helping inspire the next generation of leaders through the power of storytelling.
Doug Steiner has been a financial supporter and advisor for NZ startup Funded, which launched last month. The free, koha-based platform connects fund seekers and funders in one place. The aim of the platform is about shifting the funding system to one that is transparent, accessible and fair. Drawing on his entrepreneurial expertise, Doug has helped this Kiwi startup navigate the journey from concept to launch.
Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom continues to champion space as a high-value industry and growth area for Aoteraora. In the latest SpaceBase podcast, Emeline interviews EHF Fellow Michael D’Angelo on his career journey and perspectives of NZ space. Michael, who is the Chief Business Officer and Co-Founder of Phantom Space, and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Wolverine Capital, discusses his engineering and entrepreneurial journey, from racing rockets to investing in deep tech innovation.
Michael also talks about what makes NZ a unique landscape for funding, including the resilience of entrepreneurs, having a supportive ecosystem, and a highly successful company (Rocket Lab) that has created a cascading effect providing momentum for the NZ’s aerospace industry. Michael also touches on what he looks for when investing (including well defined gap analysis and clarity) and how he’s already vested in the NZ aerospace scene through his investments and involvement in Quidnet Ventures (Fellow Mark Bregman).
Fellows are contributing to the direction and sustainability of charitable organisations and social enterprises by holding key governance positions.
Rachel Sanson (left) has been appointed to the Board for Top of the South Community Foundation, bringing her deep knowledge and governance expertise to the role. The Foundation was established to encourage and enable generosity in Te Tauihu, the top of the South Island, for the benefit of its local communities and environment.
Christine Moon (right) has been appointed to the board of Tolaga Bay Innovation, a non-profit that is deeply rooted in the spirit of inclusive, community-led innovation, founded by EHF Fellow Lily Stender. As part of the Board, Christine will provide strategic support in the organisation’s kaupapa (purpose) of fostering and supporting a network of Māori entrepreneurs to co-create pathways for economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and technological progress.
Vishal Chaddha has been appointed Executive Vice President at the Wadhwani Foundation, a not-for-profit tech organization dedicated to social good, headquartered in India with worldwide presence. Bringing 25+ years of experience across corporate, startup, and impact ecosystems, Vishal is leading the Foundation’s Accelerate program, focused on enabling sustainable scale-up and job creation across high-potential startups and SMEs. Through this role, Vishal is contributing to the foundation’s mission to accelerate job growth in emerging economies and enable millions to lead a dignified life.
Joanne McEachen delivered a keynote at the Cambridge University Press & Assessment International Schools Conference 2025 in Miami, on future-ready learning. Founder of The Learner First, Joanne explored with the other keynote speakers how schools can build learning cultures where learners know who they are, how they fit, and how they can contribute. By sharing rich insights and critical learnings in international settings (such as this conference), Joanne is helping shape the global discussion on the future of education.
Kaye Maree Dunn’s organisation Making Everything Achieveable (MEA) has launched the report Mapping Incorporation of Te Ao Māori in the Freshwater Biosecurity System, which explores how Māori freshwater biosecurity Kaitiaki engage with Aotearoa’s freshwater pest management system. The report highlights challenges and opportunities for aligning efforts with Te Ao Māori, as well as actionable recommendations to strengthen kaitiakitanga and improve the protection of Aotearoa NZ’s waterways. Through this report, Kaye Maree is providing the Government (DoC) with a template to protect community relationships, as well as helping build understanding of how mātauranga Māori can help inform practices to safeguard freshwater ecosystems from invasive pest species.
Kat Lintott and Ben Forman announced their agency Wrestler has joined UFO Rodeo, a creative group of specialist studios focused on strategy, storytelling and experiences. Kat and Ben also recently shared their entrepreneurial journey with The Spin Off’s Business is Boring podcast. Listen here
Kat was also recently named a finalist in Te Hapori Matihiko’s ‘Changemaker’ awards category, which recognises those reimagining futures and creating significant change through digitech.
*Images have been provided by Fellows or sourced from the Internet. EHF does not claim to own the images.