At Tāiki e!, we believe our economy won’t truly change until our rangatahi are not just part of the conversation — but leading it. The Rangatahi Summit on the Economy, held in partnership with economist and thought leader Shamubeel Eaqub, was a powerful step in that direction.

Rangatahi from across Tairāwhiti came together to unpack big ideas: wealth inequality, housing, intergenerational trauma and opportunity, and what it would mean to build an economy based on values like fairness, kaitiakitanga, and manaakitanga. The kōrero was bold, challenging, and full of hope — with young people questioning everything from the nature of debt, to the purpose of money, to what a truly Māori economy might look like.

But this is just the beginning. Inspired by the success of the summit, we’re launching an ongoing series of Tuakana Conversations — in-depth, rangatahi-led wānanga on topics that young people are rarely invited to speak on. Future hui will explore:

• Civics and Politics: understanding how decisions get made and how we can influence them
• Circular Economies: moving beyond waste and towards sustainable systems grounded in mātauranga
• Climate Change: rangatahi-led solutions rooted in indigenous knowledge and local action
• Leadership and Community Governance: exploring models of collective leadership that reflect whānau and hapū values
• Digital Futures and AI: how technology impacts our lives, stories, and sovereignty

These conversations aren’t about experts talking at youth — they’re about creating brave spaces where rangatahi can lead, question, and imagine the systems they want to inherit… and shape.

This is the future of economic transformation — indigenous, intergenerational, and rangatahi-driven.

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