From Reluctant Leader to Māori Tech Trailblazer — A Kōrero with Lee Timutimu
- PEP Team
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
Season 2 of PEP Talk begins with a powerful and timely conversation with Māori digital leader, advocate, and changemaker, Lee Timutimu.
In this episode, Lee sits down with host Simon (Sui) to explore what it really means to step into leadership - especially when you never intended to. His story is one of community, disruption, and courage, anchored in kaupapa Māori and the pursuit of digital equity for his people.
“I was waiting for someone to do something…”
Lee’s journey into tech leadership didn’t begin with ambition — it began with a gap. A lack of Māori representation, a missing sense of community, and an urgency to protect and elevate Māori voices in digital spaces.
“I was just waiting for somebody to do something… I just kind of decided, okay, if no one’s going to start it, then maybe it’s me.”
That moment of reluctant conviction planted the seed for what would become a deep and wide-ranging movement — one that now includes Te Hapori Matihiko, Te Matarau – Māori Tech Association, and Lee’s many advisory and leadership roles across academia, government, and health.
Māori Tech, Digital Sovereignty, and the Weight of Representation
Today, Lee wears many hats: tech entrepreneur, storyteller, consultant, and cultural advisor. But perhaps his most important role is that of a navigator between worlds - from indigenous knowledge systems to data science, from tikanga to cloud infrastructure.
As a Kaihāpai Mana Raraunga (Māori data steward) at the University of Waikato, Lee brings his expertise and lived experience into spaces that often exclude or overlook indigenous perspectives. He works closely with Māori academics and PhD candidates to embed values like whakapapa, kaitiakitanga, and mana motuhake into how data is handled, stored, and shared.
“Māori must lead in digital spaces. It’s not enough to be included — we have to be designing the systems themselves.”
Speaking Out, Standing Up: The NZ Tech Turning Point
One of the pivotal moments in Lee’s leadership journey came during a difficult experience with NZ Tech - an organisation that, at the time, lacked meaningful engagement with Māori voices. Lee shares how that confrontation, while uncomfortable, became a breakthrough.
“That experience — although not good at the time — pushed me into the spotlight. It forced me to find my voice.”
Instead of retreating, Lee leaned into his values. The tension became a catalyst for deeper work and more authentic partnerships. Today, he has rebuilt those relationships on terms that are reciprocal, respectful, and rooted in kaupapa Māori.
Leading with Purpose, Not Ego
In te ao Māori and across Pacific cultures, humility is often held sacred — and leadership can feel heavy or whakamā. Lee reflects on the tension of stepping into visibility while honouring collective values.
“We don’t like to talk about our sweetness as kūmara… But if we don’t speak up, who will?*”
This episode is not just about tech — it’s about ownership, identity, and transformation. It’s about the power of doing the mahi even when the spotlight feels uncomfortable. And it’s a call for others — especially Māori and Pacific people — to reclaim their space in the digital future.
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Final Thoughts
Leadership isn’t always loud. Sometimes it begins in silence — in watching, waiting, and listening. But when purpose calls, and the need is clear, the most powerful leaders are those who rise not for themselves, but for their people.
Lee Timutimu is one of those leaders.
And we’re honoured to have him open Season 2 of PEP Talk.
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