Matt Akehurst of Liberation Jewellery worked as a scientist in microbiology for twenty-seven years before leaving to follow his passion. Now navigating through the world of small business together with his wife Julie, they place an emphasis on community, handmade, and reducing the environmental impact of their products.
Since graduating with her Bachelor of Science, Jo-anne Day of McGinns Madefresh has had a few careers, but none have been as all-encompassing as being a busy mum and running a cottage industry from the kitchen of her home in Opawa, Christchurch. Her philosophy is to make batch-fresh, local, natural skincare – good honest products that your skin will love, tested only on willing human participants!
Brendon and Jane Harley are passionate kiwi gardeners with a creative eye and flair for all things metal. Their shared enthusiasm for art, landscaping, and creating metal artworks for their own Nelson garden, quickly evolved into Grounded Art NZ – where you will find them designing and creating high quality and original metal art and sculpture for Aotearoa homes and gardens.
Artist Cathy Hansby is passionate about Aotearoa’s beautiful fauna. Working from her Auckland home, she loves creating stylish, vibrant and modern artworks featuring local birdlife from New Zealand and Australasia, using traditional and digital tools.
Simone Bensdorp of Wild Felt loves that she’s working with the world’s oldest known textile, and that making felt connects her to thousands of years of human history. Her beautiful and imaginative Felt clothing and accessories combine snuggly merino wool with recycled and repurposed materials…
Hilary Jacomb of Boa handcrafts beautiful, eco-friendly and functional homewares, a business that she developed after teaching herself to crochet in her first year of university. Her original designs are a modern take on a traditional craft, and use only repurposed materials: discarded fabric off cuts from the clothing industry that would otherwise be destined for landfill…
Goblin wrangler and librarian Pam Vallender of Rednellav Goblin Catchers reckons her Urban Goblins are rather like weka, magpies, or UK urban foxes: they’ve ended up in our back yards because people have made it possible. Her goblins know that where there are people, there are interesting things to eat and shiny objects…
Maki Lourie of Sew Mama is passionate about making beautiful products from beautiful fabrics, and making people smile! Her work, creating carefully-finished reusable textile products for children, is fuelled by the desire to bring her customers a bit of happiness, as well as reducing single-use plastic waste…
Rob Stanyon of Wooden Kiwi describes himself as a hobby woodworker, but the growing range of wood products springing from his Waihopo workshop suggests he may need a new descriptor! Making surf-themed clocks and handy accessories for the beach and bach from kiln-dried pine, laminated plywood and sustainably sourced timbers…
Christchurch maker Angie Agatsiotis makes and sells a luxurious selection of organic soaps, shampoo, face oil, scrubs, natural room spray and beeswax wraps under her label Kerrs Road Organic Beauty. Using certified organic plant based ingredients where possible, she weaves her philosophy of making beautiful and sustainable goods into every aspect of her business