Rachel Te Rau E Wha Petero 

Ko Waikato te iwi 

2025 Student of Heke Reo Māori - Diploma in Te Reo Māori  

Founder and CEO of Rise Global and IWI – Indigenous Women in Industry 

Author

Rachel grew up in Avondale, West Auckland, alongside her sister Pania. Their parents were young, hardworking, and full of dreams. Their tūrangawaewae is Mangatangi Pā, Ngāti Tamaoho, a poukai and Kīngitanga marae that holds deep meaning for their whānau. After 50 years of mahi in Tāmaki Makaurau, her parents made the move to Ōrere Point. Her mum still works part-time at the local primary school, while dad is living his dream working at the marae. Rachel’s husband John brings Cook Island, Niuean, and Tongan vibes to the whānau, and together they’re the proud aunty and uncle of six awesome nieces and nephews. 

Rachel is the powerhouse behind Rise Global; a business she founded 10 years ago and still leads with passion. Through Rise Global, she’s helped thousands of wāhine Māori and wāhine Taketake step into leadership, coaching, entrepreneurship, and most importantly, into their dreams. She’s all about helping others steer their own waka! 

She also serves on five boards, but her favourite is the Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Board, where she helps bring hapū aspirations to life. She’s an author. Her book Take Your Space is all about claiming your place in the world. In 2024, she launched IWI – Indigenous Women in Industry, a global event that now brings Indigenous women together every two years. Next stop: Vancouver, Canada in September 2026! 

Rachel’s reo journey is one of deep commitment and aroha. After dreaming about it for nine years, she finally enrolled in the Heke Reo programme at Te Wānanga o Raukawa (TWoR). It was a whānau goal, reclaiming te reo Māori for her whānau, marae, and hapū. She calls it a gift to herself: “Because we’re worth it!” 

She’s absolutely loving the experience. “The facilities are amazing,” she says, giving a shout-out to her classroom, Whitireia, and to Te Ara a Tāwhaki, where Te Whare Pukapuka and student hub are situated, and Ngā Purapura where the focus is on hauora. But what really gets her excited is the intergenerational learning, from rangatahi to kaumātua, and even a few new pēpī in the cohort! The Ignite support services wrap around students so well, she says, “All you really have to do is show up, learn te reo me ōna tikanga, and apply it, everything else is taken care of!” 

Friendships have blossomed, support has flowed, and the kaiako have gone above and beyond. The Whare Pukapuka team helped with assessments, and Rachel found her perfect beachside whare in Ōtaki.

She’s been inspired by the teaching styles of her kaiako, from second-language learners to native speakers raised in kōhanga and kura kaupapa. “Seeing the intergenerational impact of te reo Māori within a whānau, hāpori and iwi is hugely inspiring,” she says. “All our kaiako added value to my reo journey. I have the deepest admiration for them. They live and breathe te reo, and now, so do I.” 

And the ripple effect is real! Her sister is learning te reo, her parents are speaking and understanding more, her cousins are using it on the marae, and Rachel is weaving te reo into her board meetings, business, and everyday life. The whole whānau is rising together, learning, growing, and thriving with te reo Māori.