Māori Tech Association CEO To Give Keynote Address At Design Matters Conference In Copenhagen

Lee Timutimu (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou), Chief Executive of Te Matarau - the Māori Tech Association, will travel to Denmark on Monday to deliver a keynote address at the Design Matters conference in Copenhagen. He is the only whakapapa Māori speaker in the line up.

Since 2015, Design Matters has been sharing stories about new movements in design, serving as a source of inspiration to designers from all over the world.

“It is an honour to be invited to keynote at this conference, and share a Māori perspective on a global stage” Lee says.

“With over 1,000 attendees at the last in-person conference, the opportunity to represent the Māori tech community and share mātauranga Māori with designers from across the globe is a real privilege, and something I won’t be taking lightly. I hope to represent our Māori communities to the best of my knowledge and abilities.”

Lee’s kōrero will be centred on ‘indigenising space’: How our oral traditions and our storytelling form the basis of all forms of Māori design, and how the world can turn to indigenous knowledge, values and language to reimagine the future of design and storytelling.

“There is a lot I will attempt to explore in my kōrero - indigenising space not only opens the door to new opportunities for those already operating in the space; it also creates pathways for indigenous peoples in industries they never would have seen themselves working.” Lee says.

“I believe when one of us has a voice on the global stage, we all have a voice. That is why I have reached out to some of our Māori design leaders to canvas their thoughts, so I can take them on to this global stage with me, alongside me”

“It is my hope that the work Te Matarau does now and into the future will shift dials for Māori. I believe that by acting as a representative body, and through the collective action of our members, Te Matarau is well positioned to improve both the representation and participation of Māori in tech.”

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