Our Board.
The board at Inspiring Stories.
Our Board is made up of awesome humans from across Aotearoa New Zealand, who are passionate about our vision and kaupapa in supporting young people to realise their potential. Each of them come from different backgrounds and sectors, and bring unique experiences and skill-sets to support our work.
Tamara Buckland, Chair
Originally from the Hawke’s Bay, Tamara’s professional background spans working in people and HR roles across government, tech companies and start ups. She was previously the Head of People Experience at Sharesies before stepping out to co-found her business, Bloom HQ, with a small but growing team of people and culture experts and a bold vision for what thriving workplaces can look like in Aotearoa. Tamara is passionate about creating opportunities and better outcomes for young people.
Tory Whanau, Trustee
Tory was elected as the Mayor of Wellington City Council in 2022 – the first Māori Mayor in the capital city’s history. She is passionate about making a difference for Aotearoa’s young people, and played a critical role in supporting the 2023 Festival for the Future as the first official event at Tākina, Wellington’s new convention centre.
Sarah Gibson, Trustee
Sarah is an owner and CEO of Redvespa – a certified B-Corp and Business Analysis consultancy with more than 100 staff and offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in Aotearoa NZ . Having built Redvespa from the ground up over the past 20 years, Sarah has deep passion and curiosity for learning from and working with the next generation and feels privileged to do so through supporting the profound mahi of Inspiring Stories and its community of young leaders.
Matthew Reweti, Trustee
Born, raised and educated in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), Matthew (Te Āti Awa) is a descendant of Hirini Nukutaia – a land owner at Pipitea Pā in the 1830s who grew kūmara where the General Assembly Library is at Parliament. He is a proud father of four, and has a professional background in fundraising, marketing and sales. Matthew is the Director of Advancement at Wellington College.
Kodrean Eashae, Trustee
A former refugee, Kodrean is an advocate and entrepreneur who is passionate about working towards an inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand. He is a member of the Kāpuia – Ministerial Advisory Group for Government; an Advisor for Refugee Background Students at Victoria University; a Youth Advocate & Community Connector at Changemakers Refugee Resettlement Forum; and was selected as one of the 100 Top Diverse Board-Ready Directors for 2021 by Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy, and Business In partnership with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities.
Guy Ryan, Trustee
Guy is the Founder of Inspiring Stories, an Edmund Hillary Fellow, and a former Young New Zealander of the Year (2015). Guy held the Chief Executive Role for over a decade and was the driving force behind all of Inspiring Stories’ major initiatives including Festival for the Future, The Impact Awards, and the year-round Future Leaders programme. Originally from the West Coast of the South Island (Granity), Guy was the first in his family to attend University, and completed a double degree in design and commerce as well as a Masters in Science Communication. Guy is a father with two young boys, lives in Wellington, and loves surfing and adventure.