Kia Māia Bicultural Communications consists of Alexandra Tidswell (LLB, BA (Māori Studies)) and Janine Kapa (BEd, DipTchg).

Alexandra Tidswell

Alexandra is from Te Waipounamu. She is a New Zealander of European descent, with a strong grounding in Māori and Pasifika issues and perspectives. She attended Otago University where she studied law and Māori, then worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington, New York and Washington DC. After several years in a strategic communications firm in Wellington, Alexandra established Kia Māia with Janine.

Janine Kapa

Janine’s background is deeply rooted in Te Waipounamu. She is Ngāi Tahu of Kāti Makō and Kāti Irakehu descent, and also has a mix of European ancestry. She has both public and private sector experience, having worked as a Kaiako Māori, a market researcher, a policy-maker at the Ministries of Health, Education and Te Puni Kōkiri, and for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as an Education Manager. She is currently the Deputy Chief Executive, Māori Development, at Otago Polytechnic.