Description
The Community Research Te Auaha Pito Mata Awards are held to celebrate the impact of emerging researchers whose work uplifts communities, strengthens knowledge, and creates positive change in Aotearoa.
This webinar series introduces the 2026 Award winners and offers an opportunity to hear directly from these inspiring researchers as they share their work, insights, and aspirations for the future.
In this webinar, we hear from Atelaite Mapa, winner of the Billie Award for Strengths-Based Research for LALAGA ŌTARA LEADERS Knowledge Exchange; work that reimagines community research as something gifted by community and grounded in Indigenous relationality, creative practice, and collective storytelling.
Joining Atelaite in conversation are Torisse Laulu, founder of LALAGA, and Matai'a Fritz Evile. Together they will explore leadership, culture, belonging, and the ways communities create positive change for Pacific peoples.
Rather than a traditional presentation, this session will be highly participatory. Attendees will be invited into talanoa spaces to contribute their own experiences, reflections, and insights before returning to a facilitated conversation and storytelling session with the speakers.
This promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking discussion grounded in connection, collective wisdom, and action for change.
Please note that the recording will not include the breakout talanoa sessions.
Facilitated by Violet Tu'uga Stevenson
About the research: The judges noted how this work centres lived experience through Moana public health and Indigenous systems change, with a strengths-based approach that treats Indigenous knowledge and community aspirations as drivers of wellbeing and transformation.
Presenter bios
Atelaite Mapa
Atelaite (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi; Taunga, Kolofo’ou, Niuatoputapu, Tonga) was born in Kahuku, Hawaiʻi, raised in Ōtara 274, and remains a proud Southsider. She is a PhD candidate in Te Kupenga Hauora Māori at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. Her research, Moana Rising, explores how rangatahi define and experience the Māori–Pacific relationship in contemporary Aotearoa, and how this can reimagine public health. She is Pou Mataaho – Research & Policy Manager at Ririki Haumaru | Safekids Aotearoa, where she leads a Starship Foundation innovation pilot with Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate, a rangatahi-led kaupapa reimagining safer streets through tamariki haumarutanga, placemaking and re(villaging) pawa. One of her dreams is for LALAGA to travel across Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa and its diaspora, helping all mokopuna talanoa and re-weave to the pā harakeke that love and protect them. Her activist anthem of choice is TLC’s No Scrubs.
Matai’a Fritz Evile
Matai'a Fritz Evile is a Samoan cultural strategist, community leader and founder of Oceanic Wayfarer, with extensive experience across Pacific communities, leadership, education, health, equity and systems change. A New Zealand-born Samoan and holder of the Matai'a chiefly title from Sato'alepai, Savai'i, his work is grounded in tautua, vā, stewardship and collective success. As LALAGA Community & Partnerships Lead, Matai'a brings his passion for young people, community and relationship-building to Oceanic Wayfarer's partnership with LALAGA. His why is to create spaces where Pacific young people recognise the strength of their culture, creativity and voice, grow their confidence as leaders, and see the possibilities they hold to shape their communities and their future.
Torisse Laulu
Faumuinā Torisse Laulu from Māngere, South Auckland, traces her Samoan heritage to Afega, Lefaga, Sala'ilua and Falealili. She founded Lalaga, a card game weaving Pasifika wisdom and talanoa into meaningful conversation. An acclaimed film producer, she produced TVNZ's award-winning Still Here, whose first season won Best Documentary Series at the 50th Voyager Awards. She interned with the New Zealand Film Commission on Apple TV+'s Chief of War, and her credits include music videos The Lecture and Siva Mai, comedy The Last Samoan Zombie, and documentary Oamaru. Through film and business, Torisse celebrates and champions Pasifika voices globally.
Taule’ale’ausumai Violet Tu’uga Stevenson
Taule’ale’ausumai Violet Tu’uga Stevenson is a Samoan educational leader with 47 years’ experience across teaching, evaluation, and strategic sector leadership. She taught in Auckland primary and secondary schools for 22 years before joining the Education Review Office, where she served for 25 years in senior roles including Director Evaluation & Review Pacific. Violet led the development of ERO’s Pacific Strategies and the AFA Pacific Bilingual and Immersion Education Framework, and has contributed nationally and internationally to Pacific education, evaluation practice, and sector capability building. She is recognised for her culturally responsive evaluation expertise, strong Pacific community partnerships, and strategic leadership across Aotearoa and the wider Pacific region. Violet now operates her own evaluation consultancy SolVit Evaluation.
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