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National | Education

Waikato student designs Te Reo Māori homeware

University of Waikato student Nikki Kennedy has started a business to revitalise the Māori language.

The business is called Taputapu and specialises in designing Te Reo Māori homewares.

Bachelor in Media and Creative Technologies student Nikki Kennedy came up with the idea when she noticed an absence of the language in modern homes. Around the same time, the university launched its Summer Start-Up Programme (SSUP). She says the programme gave her everything she needed to bring her idea to life.

“The SSUP programme ran over 10 weeks and offered a $5000 scholarship, one-on-one mentoring, workshops and all the tools you need to start-up your own company or project," she says.

While her idea required some management and marketing knowledge, not being qualified in that area didn’t put Nikki off. She knew her idea had value and with the right help and support, she could make it successful.

Now Kennedy is selling out of products weekly through her website www.taputapu.co.nz.

Her main focus now is on her official launch in July as part of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

Once she graduates, Kennedy wants to run her own company and be her own boss. Thanks to her experiences so far, that dream seems so much more possible.