Keynote: Language as Living with Kaye-Maree Dunn

What if language isn’t just something we speak, but something we live?

Join acclaimed Māori tech entrepreneur and visionary thinker Kaye-Maree Dunn for a powerful session that explores how whakapapa, identity, and digital innovation are reshaping the way we understand and carry stories. From her groundbreaking work with Āhau to decades of community-led transformation, Kaye-Maree brings deep insight into how language lives through people, land, and technology. Opening our Story Worlds festival, this kōrero sets the tone for a weekend of connection and imagination. Come be part of a movement that sees language not as history—but as future.

Speaker Bio

Kaye-Maree Dunn, co-founder of Making Everything Achievable, is a renowned Māori tech entrepreneur. She leads Āhau NZ and Indigital Blockchain and is a Sir Edmund Hillary Fellow. With 24+ years in Māori and community development, she was named Māori Entrepreneur of the Year in 2023 for her transformative economic leadership.

ABOUT THE STORY WORLDS FESTIVAL

Story Worlds is a new festival that invites audiences to experience storytelling as a rich, interconnected practice—through the written word, material culture, and oral traditions. Explore the programme, which stretches across Puke Ariki Museum, Libraries, and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery | Len Lye Centre for four days of sessions that celebrate storytelling in all its forms and honour the ways stories help us make sense of ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

At Puke Ariki accessibility is very important to us. We want everyone in the community to be able to enjoy our museum and libraries. A lift goes from the St Aubyn Street car park to the museum entrance. There are three lifts inside Puke Ariki that will get you to all parts of the building.

This event will be held in the Puke Ariki Foyer.

Photo credit: Rawhitoroa

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Puke Ariki, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth, New Zealand