James is a passionate small business owner and educator who has built businesses in the music, education and hospitality sectors. He is currently a kaiako for the Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga O Aotearoa and is a self proclaimed fan boy of Aotearoa’s small business sector.

Petrina has a background in education and working in the community and is also a business owner of Awhi Mai Creations. Petrina is at her best when working with people, which fits in perfectly with her mahi at Thrive. She takes great pride in helping others to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.

Aunty continues to work with her whānau, people, and community as an avid listener setting challenges for people to find their purpose and to reach their full potential under any circumstance. A few words of wisdom from Aunty: always believe in yourself, trust yourself, and know your worth.

Briarlee has a background in retail, studying a variety of subjects before settling on Design and Animation. She is hooked on the universality of visual communication and works in a variety of media.

Anita is the Managing Director of Office Smarts, contracting smart administration solutions to Whanganui businesses for 14 years so far. She has an absolute passion for personal assistance and an unhealthy obsession with always delivering above expectation through efficient, organised systems.