The 2025 Board Candidate Profiles
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The 2025 Board Candidate Profiles |
12pm Saturday 28th June 2025 RainbowYOUTH 2025 AGM
Tuakana: Co-Chair (2 year position) | 16+ years old
Tuakana: Treasurer (2 year position) | 16+ years old
Tuakana: Secretary (2 year position) | 16+ years old
Teina: General Board Member (2 year position) | 16-27 years old
Teina: General Board Member (2 year position) | 16-27 years old
Teina: General Board Member (1 year position) | 16-27 years old
Teina: General Board Member (1 year position) | 16-27 years old
Be sure to Register to attend the 2025 AGM!
Register here for SGM | Apply to be on the Board
Current Vacant Roles:
How will the Election work this year?
There are two different types of roles on the board. There are Tuakana Roles (open for ages 16+), & Teina roles (open for 16 - 25 year olds).
In an Election, the Office Holder positions are voted on first (Co-Chair / Treasurer / Secretary*). Next, the Teina roles are voted on. The amount of roles open at election depends on term length for those currently on the board.
Any roles left vacant following the AGM, a resignation, or a death may be filled by Board appointment - subject to a majority vote.
*In accordance with our constitution, if both the Treasurer and Secretary roles are filled at the same time, the Secretary's term is shortened to one year to stagger the positions—ensuring only one is elected at each future AGM. This is the case for the 2025 AGM.
Karah Mackie, 25 (any pronouns)
Nominated by: Quack Pirihi (Current Co-Chair)
Applying for: General Board Member (1 year) & General Board Member (2 years)
Ngāpuhi
Youth Worker, Advocate, Artist
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I am interested in being more involved with the Rainbow community, especially in contexts that affect other takatāpui young people. I am a member of the Care experienced community and have been involved in a number of rainbow kaupapa in that space and am wanting to expand beyond that, especially in knowing the overlap between the two communities (queer and care experienced). I am passionate about contributing to improving the lived experiences of young people, especially those within my own communities and see this as a good opportunity to do so. Skills wise, I have experience in a range of things from governance to youth work and admin, I have a good understanding of systems and I'm keen to develop that further.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
Te ao Māori, toi
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
I have some governance experience, some experience working both in policy and youth work within the disability space, experience working in the sector, i think all of these experiences can contribute to ensuring RY stays tika to their values
Final Comments?
Ngā mihi thank you for the opportunity to apply and I look forward to hearing back from you :)
Quack Pirihi, 23 (they/them/ia)
Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Patuharakeke, Fletcher Clan
Rangatahi & Community Worker, Activist, Hoha
Nominated by: Caitlyn Prince (Current Co-Chair)
Applying for: General Board Member (1 year) & General Board Member (2 years)
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I've held various roles over the past 5 years within the Governance, Kaupapa-Takatāpui, and Community-Work spaces. Caitlyn & I as Co-Chairs have spent the last 6 months re-setting the culture of the Executive-Board, and curating a more relational, and indigenous informed structure that safeguards collective decision making. I'm stepping back from a Co-Chair role into a General Board Member to allow new leadership to come through, and evolve the structural and strategic changes we've implemented over this term. I remain committed & full of ideas on how we can strengthen our mahi to better support the needs of our community.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
As a professional hoha, I've been learning that rest is radical and in order to sustain myself in the spaces I sit in, I have to equally spend time with whānau, friends, eating kai, and jamming Minecraft. Attending Noho & Wānanga about te taiao / te ao Māori / takatāpuitanga / te reo Māori, and everything in between makes my brain so happy - These are the ways of learning that work for me.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
As a co-author of the Strategy, the large focus on the next 3 years is to get our basics right. With RainbowYOUTH's rapid growth over the past 5 years, we've taken on kaupapa that benefit our community but haven't yet found a comfortable space to sit in the wider RainbowYOUTH kaupapa 'cog'. Through spending time looking inwards, growing policies & practices, we will be better suited to discuss other kaupapa like expanding into underserved rohe, expanding services, expanding our organisational structure, and so much more.
Final Comments?
My words to Membership is to remember that Governance is one of the many ways we can instigate change for RainbowYOUTH, and those who get elected should have the skills, experience, but most of all PASSION, to best serve our community.
Hariata Wilson, 24 (they/them)
Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Apa ki te rā tō, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa, Kāi Tahu
Kaitiaki, Artist, Icon of the ages
Nominated by: Caitlyn Prince (Current Co-Chair)
Applying for: General Board Member (1 year) & General Board Member (2 years)
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I have always had a drive to make Aotearoa a safe place to raise our mokopuna. I have extensive training and experience working with tangata whenua and tangata āniwaniwa to create spaces for expression and whakawhanaungatanga. I have skills relating to event coordination and leadership through running annual hui rangatahi for my iwi, and past experience as the chairperson of Qyouth in whakatū as a young person. My passion for art that tells stories of queerness and brownness serves as the basis of all that I do, I have found that the greatest art that we can create is community with one another.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
My two biggest passions in life are art and kaupapa Māori work. I work for my iwi to deliver services and support for our whānau to achieve their goals and make decisions that ensure the continued wealth of our people (wealth: whānau wellbeing, education, access to kai and housing). I am also an experimental artist, I use my art to create platforms for discussions around growing up queer in a regional area, as well as being brown, and growing up and living in spaces where I don't often see myself reflected back at me, I love to explore ideas of beauty, creation, and what it means to love the people who make life worth living.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
The particular part of the strategy that I resonate with is " allowing rangatahi to carve the future they desire." In my time serving as the chairperson of Qyouth, I learned a lot about advocacy and how to ensure an organisation can still function while still performing its primary function: supporting rangatahi. I have also worked as a youth worker, advocating for the rights of rangatahi in the justice system, health, and within their whānau. It is this mixture of governance and operational experience and skill that informs what I do in my life and mahi.
Final Comments?
Growing up in one of the smallest cities in the country has given me a unique perspective around what it means to be openly rainbow, with this understanding and the prior experience that I have, I believe that being able to stand for the Rainbow Youth Board is a fantastic opportunity to platform the quieter voices in our communities.
Tyler Proctor, 25 (he/him)
Māori
Communications Expert
Nominated by: Self Nomination
Applying for: General Board Member (1 year) & General Board Member (2 years)
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I am passionate about making sure that our mokopuna can live in an Aotearoa where every single day is better than the last. I want to be able to use my communications experience, policy knowledge, and sense of responsibility to make sure that RainbowYOUTH can reach as many young people as possible and bring them along for the journey as well. Too many young people nowadays feel isolated, and I believe we can offer them a space to flourish if we use care, empathy, and patience to build relationships and push forward together.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
I truly love campaigning. Whether it’s on a single issue, for a candidate, or whatever else – being a part of a movement that is working together with a shared goal is how I best like to spend my time. The skills and relationships I have built from campaigning mean the world to me. Outside of that, I love musical theatre, I spend far too much money collecting vinyl records, and you can’t go wrong with a bit of Pokémon! Having my own time that is just for me is really important to me because it means that I can give more to the Kaupapa without burnout or energy.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
RainbowYOUTH needs to be able to share their vision and values in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand. With my experience sitting on executive committees, including as a Co-Chair and Secretary, for other rainbow and youth organisations and my years of communication mahi, I know that I can support the rōpū to confidently share and model the core values of inclusion, partnership, and equity. It is only by meeting rangatahi where they are that we can truly succeed in supporting their future, and my skills and passion can help to do exactly that.
Final Comments?
This Government is the most dangerous we’ve seen in decades for anybody that isn’t old, white, cis, straight, and male. Now more than ever, we need to embrace the spirit of “He waka eke noa,” and work together to support the lives of our queer siblings across the motu. Our message should remain simple, our kauapapa should remain consistent, and our values should remain strong. Ngā mihi.
Shawn Wimalaratne, 29 (they/them)
Hīraka, Tangata Tiriti
Social Equity Advisor and Advocate
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
Our rainbow youth in Aotearoa face complex barriers to receiving the manaaki and awhi they deserve to thrive. Having grown up here, I’m driven to improve life for “little Shawns” across the motu. In my current role as a Senior Social Equity Advisor at PwC, I bring strategic insight, equity thinking, and experience supporting Māori organisations and rainbow leaders globally. I also serve as a trustee for Adhikaar Aotearoa, leading the engagement and storytelling pou, and have advised on national-level research such as the HRC’s conversion practices report. I’m excited to guide the kaupapa towards bold, thriving futures.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
I’m passionate about storytelling in all its forms — writing, visual art, and cooking. Lately, cooking has helped me reconnect with my Sri Lankan heritage, especially through hosting and sharing my culture with others. I’m deeply motivated by my chosen whānau, who pour love and wisdom into me. They inspire my drive for collective impact rooted in care, culture, and community.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
My expertise in insight-led design, engagement, and strategic advisory can directly support evidence-based and equity-focused decision making. I bring years of experience working with diverse communities and co-designing solutions, this included the development of a first-of-its-kind non-financial reporting framework, workplace inclusion interventions and storytelling documentary creation for Adhikaar Aotearoa. I champion decolonised, ethical data practices that honour lived experience — key to enabling our youth to carve futures they dream of. With a background in people leadership and workforce change, I can advocate for transparent governance and intergenerational knowledge sharing to strengthen RainbowYOUTH’s systems, services, and people.
Final Comments?
My leadership is grounded in vulnerability, transparency, and co-design. I show up with honesty when I trip up, and pour love into where I bring the most value. I’m committed to lifelong learning and also fiercely protective of leader wellbeing — because we must fill our own cups to serve others. I’d be honoured to support RainbowYOUTH’s governance with heart, strategy and a fierce belief in collective transformation.
Nominated by: Quack Pirihi (Current Co-Chair)
Applying for: Co-Chair (2 years)
Tangata Tiriti, Pākehā
Artist, Student, Writer
Kieran Trainor, 21 (they/them)
Nominated by: Self Nomination
Applying for: Secretary (1 year) & General Board Member (1 year) & General Board Member (2 years)
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I am interested in using skills I have in my kete to weave together thought and action through care-oriented solutions to support rangatahi in my community. I bring a wealth of knowledge from intersectional research sectors as well as strong organisational skills developed through coordinating exhibitions and public events. I have a background in creative research of contemporary Queer identity including Queer ecology. My interest is in guiding RY through an ethics of care and allowing the community to thrive in good soil, watered from ground up.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
I have deep passions in all creative sectors, with my hobbies focused in painting, designing and writing. I am motivated by a love for te taiao and curious about understanding imaginative research pathways to integrate a love for Earth in all I do. I am motivated primarily by those around me, and feel as if I am at my best when I am helping a team become an ecosystem. I am deeply interested in Museology and Queering the art gallery, which guides my job as a Host at a museum, where my goal is to deliver knowledge in intimate, playful ways to allow for accessibility across a range of ages.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
I believe my ability to view community advocacy through a lens of intersectionality will aid RY in achieving their goal of partnership and upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Decolonisation is always on the forefront of my mind and through my work with Queer ecology, I have developed a point of view that is deeply imaginative, prompting an understanding of problem-solving that is inclusive and structured to a practice of care and homing within the context of Aotearoa.
Final Comments?
If I am successful, I look forward to contributing to RY through governance, and am deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn through hands-on mahi. It feels like the right time for me to give back to my community, and I am looking forward to being a more active member of RY whether that be on the board or as a full member. Ngā mihi nui.
Aiko Cawley-Birkenhead, 24 (they/them)
Artist, Musician, Crochet Designer, Advocate for mental health/neurodiversity/LGBTQIA+
Nominated by: Jade Lewis
Applying for: General Board Member (1 year) & General Board Member (2 years)
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I can bring unique perspective and empathy as a neurodivergent nonbinary person. I draw from my difficult experiences/lessons to help support my community and clients. I want to work here (literally in any role) so I can be a part of a community that makes a difference in our young queer community and cares about their people. I have gained leadership, communication, creative/crafty skills that I believe could be applied and shared in Rainbow Youth to make a genuine positive impact. I really hope you’ll consider meeting with me to hear what else I could bring to the table
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
Music is one of my big passion, I have a Bachelor of Music and trained as a guitarist/vocalist singer/songwriter. I am a big fan of creative expression, my mum is an artist/illustrator so I also grew up surrounded by visual arts. I have a love for fibre arts nurtured by my grandma (primarily crocheting but I’m learning to knit!). I love learning new crafts and sharing my knowledge as I go! I have taught art and music. I have a passion for caring for animals and own 2 rescue cats. I am passionate about sticking up the underdogs and protecting freedom to be safe in our identity. Some of my proudest work throughout my career has been having brave conversations, I don’t shy away from the hard topics.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
I have lived experience of inequity, inaccessibility and discrimination within school, uni, and the workplace and can empathise with a range of people. I have several years of proven exceptional customer service and management experience so I am a people person through and through and have been responsible for company wide memos regarding accessibility, equity and inclusivity. I understand pride is not a party but an ongoing protest to protect future rainbow generations.
Final Comments?
I have been searching for a community of more like minded people to work alongside to work towards positive change and leave a lasting legacy of creative expression and queer joy!
Jayden Thomas Rare, 23 (he/him)
Māori
Data Analyst & Postgraduate Student
Nominated by: Caitlyn Prince (Current Co-Chair)
Applying for: General Board Member (2 years) & General Board Member 1 year)
Why are you interested in being on the board and what current skills and experience would you bring to the board?
I am applying due to my lived experience as takatāpui and my passion for increasing equity for my communities. I am most experienced in data and analytics, and am currently undertaking a BSc (Hons) degree at Auckland University, researching a particular childhood brain cancer in Māori and Pacific children. I am also very eager to develop my ability to lead and share my voice to empower and uplift others. I bring substantial experience in communicating with others, professional and academic writing, data analysis, and both lived and academic experience that underpins my understanding of inequity in Aotearoa, particularly for transgender, gender minority, and Māori youth.
What are some of your passions hobbies or interests that excite and motivate you?
Understanding and researching human neuroscience, and investigating inequitable outcomes in an academic context are my strongest passions. I am motivated by my own long-term goal of contributing to the global body of evidence to demonstrate the structurally and interpersonally violent outcomes of inequity, although I am at the beginning of my academic journey today. I enjoy making art, creative writing, and playing the piano in my spare time.
Applying your current skills to the RY Strategy 2025 - 2028, how do you think they could help at a governance level?
With lived experience as tangata whenua, I hold a deep understanding of Te Tiriti O Waitangi, and the hardship that Māori rainbow youth tend to encounter in their lives. At the same time, I understand the harsh reality often faced by gender diverse people in terms of a lack of inclusion and advocacy, and their devastating consequences on all areas of life.
Final Comments?
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to hearing from you, and to learn more about the precise dates/ times required to meet the responsibilities for this position.