MC’s

O lo’u igoa o Daisy Lavea-Timo, ma e ou te sau mai ile alalafaga o Vailu’utai, Saipipi, Samatau ma Lepā.

Daisy Lavea-Timo is passionate about speaking, facilitating, stakeholder engagement, coaching cultural confidence, women’s empowerment and youth development.

She has almost 2 decades of teaching, mentoring and people-weaving experience across multiple worlds: education, youth work, government, businesses, NGO’s, community development and the Arts. A former associate Pacific Dean/ Teacher and Southern Regional Manager of the Ministry of Youth Development, Daisy is passionate about connecting talanoa across sectors in her mahi, especially anything that involves the worlds of rangatahi.

Daisy founded Cross-Polynate in 2020, a Social change agency which specialises in creative, collaborative leadership and indigenous participatory approaches to build social connectedness that enables youth development, aiga and community wellbeing and cultural confidence coaching. The desire behind this was to combine a team of Indigenous Avengers to improve outcomes for indigenous peoples and communities across the motu and Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa.

Daisy is a proud wife and mum. She’s also the 2017 New Zealand Slam Poetry Champion, a 2020 Creative New Zealand NZ Leadership Scholar and has spoken and performed internationally.

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu

Junior Tana is a dynamic cultural leader, educator, and advocate for rangatahi and whānau development across Aotearoa. With over two decades of experience spanning kapa haka, tertiary education, community strategy, and Māori governance, he brings an unapologetically indigenous voice to every kaupapa he leads.

As Head of School at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi: School of Iwi Development, Junior drives innovative, kaupapa Māori approaches to education and leadership. Former President of the New Zealand Men’s and Mixed Netball Association, a current Te Matatini delegate for Waitaha, and head tutor of Kōkō Tangiwai.

From the marae to the boardroom, from haka stages to national policy tables, Junior is known for his ability to uplift, challenge, and connect. He brings warmth, wit, and razor-sharp insight to his role as MC – ensuring the Involve stage is held with mana, humour, and a deep respect for the voices that shape our collective future.