Kari Moana is a passionate young Ngāi Tahu woman (Māori), who has dedicated her career thus far to the revitalisation of her language, the decolonisation of Māori-medium education and the development and advancement of her people. Born at the beginning of the Kohanga Reo movement, Kari Moana was part of a new generation of Māori children raised as speakers of te reo Māori, after a long history of language loss amongst her people. After graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (te reo Māori), her early career was dedicated to working for her iwi (tribe), Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, where she worked as a policy advisor in the Strategy and Influence team. However, her focus turned to education after the birth of her first child. Disheartened by the perpetual underachievement of Māori in the mainstream education system in Aotearoa, Kari Moana was part of team that established Te Pā o Rākaihautū, an innovative 21st century learning village (pā wānanga) devoted to educational success for the whole whānau. Kari developed the language programme for the school, and taught in a rumaki (immersion) classroom for 5 years, whilst also serving on the Board of Trustees. After graduating with a Masters in Māori and Indigenous Leadership in 2018, Kari took on a lecturing position in Māori Education at the University of Canterbury, where she is currently pursuing a PhD in Education. Kari continues to serve on the Board of Te Pā o Rākaihautū, as well as numerous other community boards and service positions dedicated to the advancement of Māori.