Babies and business
Kahurangi Malcolm and Frae Cairns launch their new business, Puna Awarau, with newborn babies.
Former Amotai and TSI staff members Frae Cairns and Kahurangi Malcolm.
Starting a business is hard work. Starting a business with new babies is even harder. Those who know Kahurangi and Frae won’t be surprised that they’ve thrown themselves into the thick of it!
With babies born just weeks apart, Kahurangi and Frae have spent the last few months enjoying māmāhood whilst thinking about the world they want to leave behind for their pēpi. This spurred the action of starting their business, Puna Awarau.
Puna Awarau means ‘a spring that feeds many streams’, aptly representing the mahi they will be doing to create impact through procurement. Metaphorically, it signals ‘streams’ of wellbeing and prosperity that can flow to many. Puna Awarau represents the intent of supplier diversity, and its ability to feed into many streams with a flow on effect that continues to nourish its surrounding environment.
“It's an area that we are so deeply passionate about, and we are so excited to live our values and ambition of tino rangatiratanga through our new business venture” says Kahurangi.
Puna Awarau is a Māori specialist consultancy firm working at the forefront of procurement that wants to make a real difference to economic equity. They offer independent expert advice and support to organisations working towards broader outcomes through social/progressive procurement and supplier diversity.
Frae and Kahurangi bring together procurement and Māori economic development experience to create this niche consultancy.
Kahurangi Malcolm with pēpi Te Kahu a Rehua Maiea Malcolm at the Amotai Summit
For many, they couldn't imagine diving into start-up mode on a few hours’ sleep with newborn babies, but Frae and Kahurangi are throwing themselves in the deep end.
“It’s definitely not for the faint hearted, and those that know us know that we are not faint hearted, but we also know that we aren't the first crazy māmās to start a business whilst on maternity leave” says Frae.
As a wāhine Māori owned business, Kahurangi and Frae feel they are well placed to service a gap in the market. Frae is a procurement professional by trade and was named Young Procurement Professional of the Year in 2019. Kahurangi has worked on several Māori economic development and innovation initiatives, and both were there at the beginning when CSI first introduced the country to supplier diversity.
“We have been so blessed to have had the incredible guidance of the supplier diversity ‘godmothers’ Anna-Jane Edwards and Tania Pouwhare who have really mentored us into the specialists that we are today. This coupled with our experience in growing Amotai alongside Ariana Paul puts us in good stead to support organisations that want to deep dive creating impact through procurement” says Cairns.
Whilst independently owned and operated by Frae and Kahurangi, Puna Awarau will continue to support the mahi of Amotai and the wider aims of the Community and Social Innovation department.
“We have a deep love for the social innovation of The Southern Initiative and Amotai and will take the positive disruptor, social justice commitment with us on our journey in business” says Kahurangi.
For more about Puna Awarau:
Website: www.punaawarau.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/puna-awarau/
Email: kahurangi@punaawarau.com or frae@punaawarau.com