Our Team

Courtenay is an urban wāhine Māori (Ngāiterangi, Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki and Tūhourangi) raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. She is the Founder and Director of two values-based Māori organisations with a vision to empower whānau to prosper through Mātauranga (Education), Mahi (Employment) and Manaaki (social support).

 

Courtenay is a māmā of five, who now holds a Bachelor of Business (Management and Information Systems), NCALNE, GradDipOSH and Master of Business Administration. Her background is in HR, H&S Management and Social Procurement where she published an article, ‘Social Procurement to reduce precarious employment for Māori and Pasifika in the Construction Industry’. Her passion is to ensure Māori and Pasifika develop and progress in the workplace and society. 

 

Courtenay is a ideas person, privileged to be leading the Uptempo ‘Aiga towards their vision of ‘Thriving Pasifika People leading their own futures and growing intergenerational wealth and wellbeing’ by leading from the back and allowing Pasifika to step into their power and lead from the front.

Mosese Rigamoto is of Rotuman heritage from the District of Oinafa, Rotuma. He was born and raised in Fiji. He is a qualified heavy diesel mechanic who has worked in the field of heavy machinery for 7 years before migrating to New Zealand in 2007. In 2010, Mosese took a turn in career to do Social Work after his profession as a tradesman was affected by the World Economic Recession Period.
 

Mosese had developed a passion working with ‘aiga and communities that were struggling with the economic crisis at hand. In 2014, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and worked as a Registered Social Worker for 7 years with the Waitemata District Health Board at Waitakere and North Shore Hospitals.

Mosese joined The Southern Initiative in November 2021 as an ‘Aiga Facilitator from The Fono and in July 2022 he transitioned into the ‘Aiga Facilitator (Innovation Workstream) role with Uptempo.

Mosese enjoys holding conversations and building relationships with ‘aiga that are wanting to progress in life.

Aranui Titimanu is of Pasifika descent born and bred in Auckland. Her father is from Niue, and Tonga from the villages of Halafo’ou, Tongatapu and her mother is from Ofu, Vava’u, Tonga. Aranui is now living in South Auckland and is married with three young boys.
 

Aranui joined The Southern Initiative as an ‘Aiga Facilitator for the Uptempo team and later transitioned into the Job Detective role. She has a growing passion in working and learning in complex spaces to support the improvement of low socio-economic inequalities being experienced in Pasifika communities. She is also deeply interested in learning how to support Pasifika families in Auckland to enable positive intergenerational change.

Talofa Lava, Malo le soifua manuia ma le lagi e mama!

Antonia (Toni) Lilii is of Samoan heritage, from the village of Leauva’a in Upolu, Apia Samoa.
 

Antonia was raised in Mangere, South Auckland. She attended Marcellin College in Mt Albert where she was the Head Girl in 2002. Antonia has 2 girls, Dylia, 13, and Adrienne, 11, both at Holy Cross Catholic school in Papatoetoe. Antonia has completed a Double Diploma in Business Marketing and Advertising at Auckland University of Technology. 

Antonia joined The Southern Initiative (TSI) from FIRST Union as ‘Aiga Facilitator for Uptempo. Antonia is passionate about helping Pacific Peoples to progress, and as a Pasifika Fono co-convener for FIRST Union, to help support Pacific workers mobilising in the workplace.

Antonia is excited to be part of the TSI-Uptempo whānau, working directly with our Pasifika ‘aiga and determining their economic futures. 

Roque Alvin Isidro aka Kitt is originally from Marikina, one of the cities of metropolitan Manila, Philippines. He migrated to Aotearoa in 2009 with his wife and four children and have since been based at Tāmaki’s North Shore.

 

Kitt has an accounting degree and highly experienced in providing business support and advice to top level executives and their teams. He is a tech wiz and a natural problem solver. He is passionate in making things happen and totally committed in helping others and being of service to the community.

 

He has been with Council since its amalgamation in 2010 and has worked with several departments within the Planning Division. Kitt joined The Southern Initiative at the latter part of 2020 as the Business Analyst of Uptempo. He is delighted to be part of the team, bringing with him his numeracy, design and IT skills, along with his people skills to work around the complexities in local and central government. He is looking forward to the challenges ahead and excited for the positive opportunities and transformational changes that will happen for the Pasifika ‘aiga through the Uptempo programme.

Taitu'uga Seteuati (Sete) was born and raised in the beautiful island of Sāmoa, hailing from the villages of Vaiala, Sapunaoa Falealili and Vaivase-Uta. 

​

In 2022, Sete joined TSI as an 'Aiga Facilitator for the Uptempo team as part of The Fono. He brings more than seven years’ experience as a business development manager as well as two years as a client manager in the corporate sector. By Aug 2023, he moved into the Employment Innovator role, leveraging on his existing relationships with ‘aiga to identify employment pathways towards job progression through job brokering, coaching and mentoring.

​

He strongly advocates for equitable outcomes and opportunities for Pasifika communities and to see families thrive and reach their fullest potential. His number one priority is to serve our Pasifika people – to journey with the 'aiga, helping them navigate the ever-changing seasons they face with the current economic climate. 

​

Sete is a strong believer that the pathway to leadership is through service, "O le ala, i le pule o le tautua."