A six-week business development program designed to support Māori businesses was launched in Rotorua this week, welcoming 16 aspiring entrepreneurs to its inaugural cohort.

Te Aka Matua offers a Kaupapa-Māori-led business program in which participants will develop their entrepreneurial ideas through group wānanga and one-on-one mentoring, turning their business visions into reality.

The program is led by the IndigiShare Charitable Trust – a mātauranga Māori-led and mana motuhake-led social enterprise – with support from the Booster Foundation, a statement from IndigiShare said.

The inaugural cohort spans diverse sectors and includes founders from all life stages and professional backgrounds, it says.

In the statement, designer and founder of indigenous clothing brand Hunaarn Huriana Mohi (Ngāti Rangiwewehi) said the opportunity would provide her with “invaluable” mentorship, resources and connections that align with her mission to revitalize forms of indigenous art through fashion.